The 18 Best Leave-In Conditioners That Will Leave Your Hair So Soft and Hydrated

Best Overall

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Conditioning Spray

$12 at Sephora $25 at Ulta $25 at Dermstore

Hair Type: Dry, frizzy, damaged | Size: 1.75, 5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A few spritzes of this leave-in was all it took to leave hair shinier, softer, and more hydrated. These benefits were apparent after just one use, but after about a week our testers noticed their strands were also significantly less frizzy, even if they skipped the blow-dryer and opted to air-dry. 

We love how easy to use the spray is; just a few quick spritzes and the product is immediately evenly distributed throughout the hair. A nice scent (that’s subtle, rather than overpowering) was yet another positive. Just FYI, you may want to focus this on your mid-lengths and ends, as it had a tendency to get slightly greasy when used too close to the roots.

Alli, tester with type 2A hair: “I am super satisfied with the results. I will be buying the product again! After just one use I noticed my hair felt softer and less frizzy.”

Best Budget

Odele Beauty Leave-In Conditioner

$12 at Ulta $12 at Target View on Odelebeauty.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Here’s proof you don’t have to shell out the big bucks for an amazing leave-in conditioner. It’s also a big bottle and you only need to use a small amount so you get even more bang for your buck. It does have a cream-like feel, though one that’s light enough that it can still be sprayed on and easily combed through. Also noteworthy: You can use it on either wet or dry hair, a feature that we truly appreciate (we love a little versatility). Just keep in mind that it can feel a little bit sticky upon application, but that dissipates quickly as it soaks into the hair.

Jackie, tester with type 2b hair: “I noticed immediate results when I applied it to wet hair —it worked as an instant detangler. And when I applied it to dry hair, it helped smooth out frizz on top of my head.”

Best Applicator

Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-In Conditioner

$29 at Amazon $29 at Sephora $29 at Kohls.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 6.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We love the formula of this leave-in; it left hair softer and smoother, and testers were particularly impressed with how well they could curl it after using it. But the packaging of this guy earned it a top spot on this list. Not only does the spray go on super evenly, but the top also boasts a convenient locking mechanism—aka it’s perfect for traveling with since there’s no need to worry about loose caps or spills. 

However, less is more with this one. It did tend to leave hair a bit greasy, particularly on the second day, and more so when testers used too much product. It also worked best when they heat styled after versus just air-drying.

Alicia, tester with type 1B hair: “The spray is consistent, wide, and sprays evenly. I love that it doesn't come out as a clumpy cream. It was easy to distribute the product and absorbed completely into my hair.”

Best for Frizz

Ceremonia Guava Leave-In Conditioner

$27 at Sephora View on Ceremonia.com View on Credo Beauty

Hair Type: All | Size: 6.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Errant frizzies don’t stand a chance when you have this leave-in in your hair care arsenal. Despite the creamy texture, we were pleasantly surprised by how lightweight it felt as well as how nicely it distributed throughout the hair. It even has a nice scent (always a plus in our book), and helped enhance shine, softness, and moisture. 

It doesn’t have any detangling effects or offer any real long-term benefits, but it’s still a great, all-around product.

Michal, tester with 1B/1C hair: “I noticed that my hair feels soft and less frizzy after using the product, and shiny and hydrated, too.”

Best Heat-Activated

Color Wow Dream Cocktail

$26 at Amazon $26 at Sephora $26 at Ulta

Hair Type: Dry, dull, color-treated | Size: 6.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Calling all hot styling tool aficionados: This one’s for you. The formula is heat-activated, with moisturizing ingredients (including coconut oil) that start to work once you apply heat. (To that point, it also acts as an oh-so-important heat protectant.) Our tester used it before air-drying and blow-drying and confirmed that the latter is the way to go. It also detangles, adds a nice shine to the hair, and has a delicious coconut scent. But heads up: There’s a fine line between using the right amount and too much of this cream. One pump was the perfect amount for shoulder-length, fine hair.

Ashley, tester with type 1B hair: “I noticed a bigger difference in my hair’s texture when I blow-dried and styled it with heat than when I let my hair air dry after using it. I also felt like it protected my hair against the heat. The scent may have been my favorite part, I loved it!”

Best for Shine

Drunk Elephant Silkamino Conditioning Leave-In Milk

$32 at Sephora $32 at Ulta View on Drunkelephant.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We loved this pick for its ability to detangle, fight frizz, and hydrate, but it really impressed us when it came to adding tons of mirror-like shine to our strands. And despite the fact that the product has more of a conditioner-like texture, it still felt extremely lightweight and didn’t weigh down our hair. It is worth mentioning, however, that it doesn’t absorb particularly quickly; while applying it and working it in was very easy, it did transfer to our hands if we touched our hair after the fact.

Emelia, tester with 1A/1B hair: “My hair felt healthier and less brittle, less frizzy, and VERY shiny!”

Best Smoothing

Crown Affair The Leave-In Conditioner

$48 at Sephora $48 at Lunya.co $48 at Violet Grey

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.7, 5.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

To be fair, all leave-ins have some smoothing benefits (part of the whole conditioning hair thing). But this really took the cake in that department; we couldn’t get over how smooth and silky it left hair—and hydrated, too. The serum-like texture was another huge plus, extremely lightweight and fast-absorbing, so much so that our tester didn’t even notice a trace of residue or product transfer. 

We’d be remiss not to mention the scent—a light, refreshing, citrus fragrance that our tester couldn’t get enough of. She didn’t see a ton of detangling benefits, but that was a minor drawback for a product that worked so well both instantly and over time.

Michele, tester with type 2A hair: “Even after the first use, my hair felt smoother and softer. And it looks shinier and healthier when I use this product consistently.”

Best Lightweight

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner

$40 at Ulta $13 at Target View on Itsa10haircare.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 4, 10 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We couldn’t find one thing we didn’t like about this spritz, but we especially appreciated the featherweight formula. It has an almost watery consistency, absorbing quickly and not weighing down hair. Still, it manages to pack a serious punch, offering a host of different benefits. It detangled so well immediately and even left hair with fewer snarls the next day, locked in moisture, and tamped down errant frizz and flyaways. It worked especially beautifully on slightly wavy hair types.

Cara, tester with type 2B hair: “This enhances my natural waves by adding moisture and taming flyaways and frizz.”

Best for Color-Treated Hair

K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Molecular Repair Hair Mask

$75 at Amazon $29 at Sephora View on K18hair.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.5, 0.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This winner far surpassed our expectations by improving the overall look and feel of the hair, even combatting dry and brittle split ends resulting from color processing. It does take a few uses to see results, but the effects after a few days were truly transformative. Our tester’s hair looked shinier, softer, and even a little bit thicker. 

There were just a few minor things we weren’t as crazy about, namely a slightly goopy texture that made application a bit challenging. It’s also best to use this when you’re going to be blow-drying/styling afterward; when just air-drying, our tester could feel the product unpleasantly coating her hair.

Taylor, tester with type 2A hair: “I’m overdue for a haircut and my split ends definitely feel noticeably less brittle. I’d also recommend this for someone with color-treated hair, especially those who bleach it.”

Best for Fine Hair

Kerastase Nutritive Heat Protecting Leave-In Spray

$46 at Amazon $46 at Sephora View on Kerastase-usa.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 4.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

As anyone with fine hair will tell you, less is always more when it comes to products—particularly moisturizing/conditioning ones which can quickly start to weigh down strands. But we were blown away by this one: two spritzes were all it took to leave hair feeling softer, more hydrated, shinier, silkier…you name it, this did it. And all of that without feeling the least bit heavy or greasy. 

The fact that this doubles as a heat protectant is the cherry on top of the sundae. In related news, it enhanced the results of heat styling, making for a smoother and easier blowout.

Kelly, tester with type 1C/2A hair: “My hair has never felt so healthy, I’m honestly thrilled. I have thin hair so many products will weigh it down, but this one didn’t at all. My hair was shinier and silkier to the touch.”

Best Scent

Moroccanoil All-in-One Leave-In Conditioner

$14 at Amazon $14 at Sephora $14 at Sephora

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.7, 4.5, 8.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The scent was one of our favorite things about this product. It’s on the stronger side, but it made our tester feel like they had just left the salon. Their hair also looked like they had just left the salon. The leave-in added tons of moisture for extra smoothness and softness and excelled at detangling. We just wish that the spray came out more evenly—it sometimes made application challenging. It also may be too heavy for anyone with finer or thinner hair.

Gabriel, tester with type 2B/2c hair: “This melts into your hair. After the first application, I noticed my hair felt softer, almost like I had used a deep conditioner. It lived up to the claims of detangling and hydrating while also leaving hair softer.”

Best Strengthening

Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother

$30 at Amazon $30 at Sephora $30 at Ulta

Hair Type: Damaged, weak | Size: 3.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Olaplex may be best known for its reparative treatments, but don’t sleep on this leave-in. It touts the same bond-building technology; indeed, it legitimately felt like it strengthened strands. Aside from that, it checked all of the other important leave-in criteria: adding shine, smoothing frizz, and detangling. Bonus points for the pump-top bottle which made it easy to distribute the perfect amount of product each time. It also absorbed beautifully and didn’t transfer or leave behind residue. You don’t get a ton of product for the price, but a little goes a long way so we can overlook that.

Rachel, tester with type 2B hair: “This is by far the best leave-in conditioner I’ve ever used. I like the immediate results—it added shine and smoothed my hair—and I felt like it strengthened it, too.”

Best for Blowouts

OUAI Leave-In Conditioner

$16 at Sephora $30 at Ulta $16 at Target

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.5, 4.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This quickly earned a top spot in our pre-blowout routine. Just a few sprays helped smooth out tons of frizz and left hair nice and silky after our tester took a hair dryer to it. It pulls double duty as a heat protectant as well. Our tester loved the pleasant floral scent and raved about how light the formula was (even though it looks like a thicker cream in the bottle). You may be slightly disappointed if you’re looking for a detangler, but this is still a pretty universal crowd-pleaser.

Katy, tester with type 2A hair: “My ends looked and felt more hydrated, especially after blow-drying with a round brush, and my hair was smoother, too. The effects are incredible.”

Best Multitasker

Pureology Heat Protectant Leave-In Conditioner

$35 at Amazon $11 at Sephora $35 at Ulta

Hair Type: All | Size: 1, 6.7, 13.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As the name suggests, there isn’t much that this leave-in can’t do. Even after one use, our hair was fuller, softer, smoother, less frizzy—you name it, this did it. It detangles (typically very knotty) hair beautifully, and generally leaves hair looking and feeling healthier. While our tester liked the fresh scent, she noted that it tends to linger, something that anyone sensitive to fragrance may want to take into consideration.

Keren, tester with type 2A hair: “The product definitely made my hair smooth, hydrated, and less tangled. I would recommend it to anyone.”

Best Detangler

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Milky Leave-In Conditioner

$28 at Amazon $28 at Sephora $28 at Ulta

Hair Type: All | Size: 7.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Stubborn snarls, be gone. The detangling prowess was one of our favorite things about this winner, although how moisturizing it was was a close second. The middle-of-the-road consistency (neither too thick nor too watery) was also very pleasing. It also didn’t weigh down hair. This brand is also well-known for its fragrance blends, reminiscent of a tropical vacation, and that was the case here; we love the coconut-y smell. We didn’t love that the bottle deflates a bit as you use it, but that wasn’t a huge drawback at the end of the day.

Roselynn, tester with type 2A hair: “My hair was 100% less tangled. It also left my hair less dry on days I had to use a more clarifying shampoo.”

Best for Bounce

Vegamour HYDR-8 Leave-In Conditioner

$34 at Amazon $16 at Sephora $34 at Kohls.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.7, 5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This aptly named pick did in fact deliver on all of its promises, helping to detangle and smooth frizz. Beyond that, our tester loved how bouncy and shiny it left her hair, even after using it once. The fact that it works as a heat protectant was another boon; it not only streamlined her styling routine but also meant she could use one less product. Her hair was ultimately less greasy and she could go longer between wash days, an unexpected added benefit. However, reviewers with finer hair note it can leave their hair looking oily and weighed down.

Mariya, tester with 2B hair: “I noticed immediate bounce and shine after the first application. This is now a staple hair product for me!”

Best for Natural Hair

Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner

$11 at Amazon $13 at Target $12 at Walmart

Hair Type: Natural, curly | Size: 2, 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Natural hair can often be coarser and drier than other hair textures, which is where a good leave-in conditioner can come up huge. Our tester with natural hair was astounded (in the best way possible) at how beautifully this detangled and smoothed her coarse strands, making it super easy to comb through them. It leaves hair shiny and silky, not greasy or weighed down, and also has a pleasant vanilla scent that isn’t cloying or overpowering. At the end of the day, there wasn’t a thing we would change about it, except maybe advise fine-haired folks to try something a bit lighter.

Mary, tester with type 4C hair: “I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with natural hair. It helped me comb through my hair in a fraction of the time.

Best for Curly Hair

Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Leave-In Conditioner

$9 at Ulta $8 at Target $8 at Walmart

Hair Type: Curly | Size: 6 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Given the innate differences between straight and curly hair, the latter often requires its own set of products specifically dedicated to addressing curls’ unique needs. This one does exactly that, and then some. Our tester with curly hair raved about how well this worked—it never weighed down her hair (a common conundrum) but did tame frizz and left her curls perfectly smooth and bouncy. It was easy to apply as well, and even made dry and brittle ends feel better. The slightly sweet scent was another pro—as was the wallet-friendly price tag.

Dawn, tester with type 3B hair: “Adding this to my regular haircare routine has only enhanced the health of my hair and the look of my curls. They’re smooth and supple, without any frizziness.”