Tester Michelle Rostamian fell in love with this leave-in enough to make it a permanent part of her routine. “For professionals, it brings hair back to a healthy state, allowing for more styling freedom when clients are in the chair; but for non-professionals like me, it restores softness and shine, and overall makes my hair more manageable,” she wrote in her review.
Tester feedback: Commerce writer Jennifer Hussein is another fan of the buzzy treatment. “After letting it soak for four minutes, I blow-dry to reveal a head of super silky, frizz-free hair,” she says. “Though it provides a high-shine finish similar to weightier formulas, this leave-in conditioner doesn’t leave a waxy or tacky film behind—well, as long as you follow the directions and add the tiniest bit at a time. I only need two pumps for my head of ultra-thick hair.”
Key ingredients: K18 peptides | Who it’s for: damaged hair, dry hair
Best Detangling Leave-In Conditioner: Milk_Shake Leave-In Conditioner
Why it’s worth it: Milk_Shake’s Leave-In Conditioner takes the cake (uh, shake?). This lightweight, color-protecting formula is bolstered by vitamin E, milk protein, and fruit extracts (hi, strawberry, blueberry, and papaya) for noticeable shine and softness. Plus, the generous size of this bottle (11.8 fl oz.) will last you months. Seriously, though, we’re a couple of sprays away from petitioning for a standalone fragrance. For now, if you’re after something a little less gourmand, spring for the floral-forward Flower bottle.
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Tester feedback: “I’ve been using the Milk_Shake Leave-In Conditioner for almost a year and can’t brush my hair without it. Like, can’t,” said Allure contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman in her review. “It’s a conditioner, yes, but I use it almost exclusively to detangle my damp hair. I can cover my whole head and lightly mist my roots with about eight spritzes. This stuff doesn’t make my hair oily, which is a huge plus, as I’m an over-washer (I know, I know).”
Key ingredients: vitamin E, honey, milk protein, strawberry extract, blueberry extract, and papaya extract | Who it’s for: all hair types
Best Leave-in Conditioner for Dry Hair: Amika Dream Routine Overnight Hydrating Hair Mask
Why it’s worth it: Amika’s Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-In Conditioner is what your dry or brittle hair longs for. Every spritz of this weightless, moisturizing workhorse indulges your strands with three conditioning ingredients: hydrating hyaluronic acid, coconut water, and moisture-boosting squalane. Hello, smoother, easy-to-detangle hair. We also love the joyfully illustrated container that makes the conditioner stand out among its white-bottled peers.
Tester feedback: “My hair becomes incredibly tangled when wet, and the Amika Dream Routine acts as the perfect conditioner and detangler when I am due for an overnight reset,” says senior audience director Lexi Herrick. “A little goes a long way, and my hair is left completely straight, smooth, and silky by the morning.”