The 15 Best Conditioners for the Softest, Most Luxurious Hair, According to Stylists (2025)

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Conditioner is crucial

We sometimes get so caught up in all of the fabulous-sounding hair products on the market that we forget just how essential the basics are. We’re talking about the OG superheroes: shampoo and conditioner. The best shampoo for your hair type—whether you have curly hair, pin-straight hair, oily hair, or whatever else—will provide the right foundation, while the best hair conditioner will put your hair over the top, making locks silky-smooth, healthy, and hydrated.

“After you shampoo to remove all of the debris and buildup, your hair is left in a bit of a raw state,” explains Angel Cardona, a top stylist for Sebastian Professional. “Conditioner helps to replenish hair by restoring moisture that could have been removed. It helps smooth the hair cuticle and adds body and shine.” The right conditioner also combats damage from environmental factors and beauty services, both of which raise your hair’s pH level. “[Those things] lead to dryness and damage, making your hair more difficult,” explains Brooklyn-based salon owner Devin Rahal. “Conditioners balance the hair’s pH, getting it closer to its natural level to make hair more manageable.”

But not every conditioner is created equal—and if you choose the wrong one, “it can leave hair limp and lifeless, taking away the body and shine,” warns Robin Groover, a brand educator for African Pride. “It can also leave hair hard and tangled, causing physical damage while styling.” Yikes! The bottom line: Choose conditioner wisely. The following products and expert tips will help you do just that and help you look instantly put together.

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Double down on stubborn frizzies or be proactive on a rainy day by swapping out your regular conditioner for a frizz-focused primer, which is essentially a more concentrated, solution-focused, leave-in conditioner for specific hair types or concerns. “I encourage everyone to try a wearable conditioner, also called a primer,” says Murphy. “It’s a growing trend due to the premium results.” Simply spritz a generous amount of a product such as Christophe Robin Anti-Frizz Rescue Milk on damp hair for a clinically proven frizz-free 48 hours.

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“Hydrating conditioners and leave-ins are a must for curly hair,” says celebrity stylist Sabrina Porsche of Mane Addicts. “A good conditioner for curly hair will contain proteins, such as keratin, wheat, oat and silk protein, and good sealing ingredients that lock moisture into hair.” She loves conditioners that also offer a cocktail of oils, like argan, coconut, jojoba, or grapeseed, to seal moisture into strands.

Porsche suggests dousing just-washed curls with Ouidad’s Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner in the shower, rather than using a traditional conditioner, to let the heat activate deeper penetration, without rinsing. This intensely moisturizing yet surprisingly lightweight cream has botanical extracts like arnica and prickly pear, along with antioxidants vitamin B5 and green tea, to amp up moisture retention, improve overall manageability, and keep natural curls soft, silky, and defined.

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There’s a lot to be said for a wonderfully neutral, daily-use conditioner that’s rich enough for dry hair and lightweight enough not to weigh down thin hair. This naturally powerful conditioner is formulated with grapefruit extracts and citrus oils to transform dull locks into glossy, healthy, and luscious-looking hair. And bonus: the energizing citrus fragrance will add some pep to your morning. Use it daily as a regular conditioning rinse, or let it soak in for a few minutes to act as a deep conditioner, which, according to Porsche, we all could use. “Even if you have straight, type 1 hair, never skip a biweekly deep conditioning,” she says.

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A common gripe from the thick-haired crowd is the amount of conditioner they need to use during each wash routine. Thick strands gulp down conditioners so fast that you may start to second-guess whether you actually put on any conditioner at all. But thick hair has met its match with this equally dense and moisturizing conditioner—and you won’t have to use half the bottle in one wash. Its standout ingredient, marshmallow root extract, softens and detangles hair to make your life post-shower easy too.

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One of Rahal’s favorite conditioners is from vegan, cruelty-free, and eco-friendly brand NuMe, calling it his “go-to for all types of chemically treated, unruly, or damaged hair.” In this white truffle conditioner, bamboo extracts fortify and strengthen strands, while a bevy of exotic natural fatty acids such as olive fruit oil, summer white truffle, and rapeseed oil, blend together to deeply moisturize hair and boost shine to dramatic new levels—the natural way.

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