Here's How to Choose the Best Conditioner for Your Hair Type (2024)

Finding the best conditioner for your hair type can feel like an endless game of trial and error. If your texture is thick and curly, then you're always searching for something deeply moisturizing. If you have thin or fine hair, then you're on the hunt for a formula that won't make strands feel greasy or weighed down. Despite the work that goes into finding the right one for you, we're here to tell you that there are conditioners that can benefit everyone.

"Conditioner helps moisturize and nourish the hair, making it softer, smoother, and more manageable," says Ona Diaz-Santin, a celebrity hairstylist. "It can also help repair damage, improve hair health, and protect against breakage and split ends." To help you find your perfect match, we spoke with experts on all things conditioner, from what to look for depending on your hair type and concerns to the best options, from masks to leave-ins and other multipurpose formulas that do way more than hydrate.

The experts:

• Ona Diaz-Santin, a celebrity hairstylist based in New Jersey
• Paul Labrecque, the creative director, master stylist, and colorist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa
• Jennifer Korab, a professional hairstylist based in New Jersey

Best Conditioners for Dry, Frizzy Hair

To keep hair hydrated, healthy, and shiny, your goal is to find a conditioner that helps "restore moisture and lipids," says Paul Labrecque, the creative director, master stylist, and colorist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa. Doing so will help "close the hair cuticle, fill its porosity, remove tangles, and fight frizz," he says. Look for moisturizing ingredients, like natural oils, shea butter, or hyaluronic acid, says hairstylist Jennifer Korab. "It's also best to avoid sulfates, parabens, silicones, and drying alcohols." They can strip natural oils, irritate the scalp, and cause product buildup, leading to dull, weighed-down hair. The following moisturizing conditioners soften, hydrate, and tackle frizz:

Best Conditioners for Curly Hair

Whether you have waves or tight, natural coils, Diaz-Santin recommends a formula that hydrates and defines your curl pattern. "Look for ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, or argan oil to keep curls hydrated and frizz-free," she says. Pro tip: Whether you want a rich formula or something more lightweight will depend on your hair's porosity (aka how much moisture it can retain). In short, heavy oils and butter can weigh down low-porosity hair (strands that don't absorb moisture easily) while those with high-porosity hair types can handle those ultra-nourishing ingredients. These are some expert-recommended choices for curly hair, but to find our longer list of must-haves, check out our story on the best curly hair conditioners.

Best Conditioners for Fine, Thinning Hair

If yo have fine or thinning hair, you'll want a conditioner that works double time to hydrate and boost hair health, says Diaz-Santin. Look for a formula with proteins, which are key for repairing, strengthening, and adding shine, adds Labrecque. Volumizing benefits are another welcome addition; conditioners with built-in volumizers make hair look fuller and feel lighter, softer, and refreshed.

Best Conditioners for Aging or Graying Hair

Changes in the look and feel of your hair as you get older are inevitable but not irremediable. Beyond the expected graying that happens as we age, hair can also become drier, frizzier, more brittle, and dull as we go through perimenopause. Similar to those with fine or thinning hair, your goal is to rehydrate and strengthen strands. In addition to the following recommendations that will help do just that, check out our stories on how your hair changes during menopause and the smoothing treatments that help.

Best Conditioners for Color-Treated or Chemically-Damaged Hair

Whether you're concealing roots or have never been a natural brunette, blonde, or redhead, you know color treatments (and any other chemical treatments) can be harsh and cause damage, like breakage, split ends, frizz, and dullness. Look for hair-repairing formulas to help maintain healthy hair. Opt for color-safe, sulfate-free options with keratin; these will repair while preserving color and vibrancy, says Korab. Antioxidants are another game-changing ingredient that protects hair from environmental aggressors, adds Diaz-Santin.

Best Conditioning Masks

The difference between conditioning masks and other formulas is subtle, but they do have a place in your routine. "A hair conditioner is used to hydrate and nourish the hair regularly, while a conditioning mask is a more intense treatment that provides deep hydration and repair, " says Diaz-Santin. These formulas aren't used as frequently as a conditioner and their texture is typically richer than regular conditioner. Adding a hair mask to your routine in place of a conditioner once or twice a week can improve hair softness, shine, and elasticity. Here are some of our faves. (You can also find the full list of best hair mask recommendations, here.)

Best Leave-In Conditioners

Leave-ins are the perfect post-wash fix for your hair needs, no matter your texture, type, or concern. They are lightweight, add long-lasting moisture, and protect strands from harmful aggressors. You can use one in addition to your conditioner or in lieu of it on the mid-lengths to ends if you have really fine strands and don't want to weigh them down. Here are some of our favorites (and check out more from our best leave-in conditioner story).