The Best Leave In Conditioner for Curly Hair

By Laura Bissessar

Congratulations, dear reader! You’ve won the award of life for having beautiful bounce and vivaciousness to your hair. Life has also bestowed you the hard work it takes to get the best out of your waves, curls, and coils. Blessings may come with challenges, but you can have an easier time achieving fabulous hair by choosing the best leave in conditioner for curly hair. Get ready to simplify your hairstyling routine and win the ultimate prize of having your best hair days ahead.

Why Use the Best Leave In Conditioner for Curly Hair?

Leave in conditioners are incredibly beneficial to maintaining optimal hair health and are especially important for curls of all types. First, let’s talk about what the best leave in conditioner for curly hair can do for you.

• Moisturize – They meet the very definition of conditioners, which leads to reduced frizz, healthy shine, and easy detangling, and it’s the basis for the remaining benefits.  
• Protect – Leave-ins prevent damage from heat styling, chemical processes, the sun’s harsh UV rays, and drying elements like saltwater and chlorine.
• Repair and Strengthen – Damaged hair means that the integrity of the outer layer of hair, the cuticle, has been compromised, leading to frizz, dullness, dreaded split ends, and loss of defined curls. Many leave-ins are infused with keratin and other proteins that help repair cuticle damage and reduce breakage. Strong hair has intact cuticles and, as a result, is easier to manage.
• Volumize – Strong, moisturized hair also means your curls can reach new depths, widths, and heights! By combining the above benefits, leave in conditioner helps you achieve the body and bounce of your dreams.

Why is this extra routine step essential for your type of gravity-defying hair? Because thou shalt not brush curls when hair is dry.

No, really.

The all-important sebum that is supposed to moisturize and protect hair comes from the scalp. That softening, smoothing, strengthening oil rarely makes its way down the hair shaft since we all know about the nightmare frizz situation that comes with brushing or combing dry curls.

Curly hair tends to get combed through only when wet, and usually after a good shampooing has cleansed away sebum buildup. There’s hardly anything left to brush outwards when you finally get to separate and detangle. A leave in conditioner is like the sebum your ends never get to receive, and your curl pattern will thank you for it.

How To Use Leave In Conditioner

Leave-ins typically come in one of two forms – cream or spray. And while everyone’s needs may vary, basically, the tighter and fuller your curls, the heavier the formula you should use.

After your usual shampoo and condition session, apply the desired amount of leave-in throughout still-damp strands. For very thick hair, work in sections to satisfactorily smooth and comb out each quadrant of your head.

After you’ve combed through your ringlets, feel free to add styling products, braid, or dive into heat styling. Or, if you’re really feeling brave, allow it to air dry.

And the Oscar for Best Leave In Conditioner for Curly Hair Goes To…

It depends! Deciding on the best leave in conditioner for your hair should reflect your primary needs. Great quality leave-ins aim to repair and achieve more manageable, healthy hair, so preference may come down to the details. Here’s the low-down on leave in conditioners that win our praise for being the best of the best.

1. The Best Leave In Conditioner for Damaged Hair – It doesn’t matter what you did to get your hair in bad shape. We already forgive you. And your curls will forgive you once it experiences Living Proof No Frizz Leave In Conditioner. Living Proof’s widely-recognized conditioner uses conscious ingredients to moisturize dry strands and help repair essential cuticles. You’ll also get protection from the elements with their unique Healthy Hair Molecule, which will keep your hair looking smooth and full in between washes.

2. The Best Multitasking Leave In Conditioner – The curl experts at Ouidad have definitely gone back to the shower to grab a squeeze of conditioner because they ran out of leave-in. Ouidad Recovery Whipped Curls Daily Conditioner and Styling Primer addresses our need to have a conditioner and leave-in in one convenient bottle. Use this multitasker as your regular conditioner, or add your desired amount to damp hair before styling. Dry hair will be nourished with shea butter and olive oils, and keratin will help frizz become a distant memory.

3. The Best Leave In Conditioner for Daily Use – Look, everyone knows that frequent hair washing is a big no-no for curly hair care. But we all live different lives, and, sometimes, you gotta wash your hair way more often than is considered ideal. So, whether you’re a professional athlete, a gym rat, or you just plan on going hard on your beach vacation, get Sexyhair Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner. Use this spray after every curl cleansing to prevent breakage during combing and protect overworked strands from heat styling and weathering.

4. The Best Leave In Conditioner for… Curly Hair? –  Hey, didn’t we go over this? Yes. But if you’re still unsure of which leave-in conditioner is right for you, It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-in Conditioner Plus Keratin is an excellent all-purpose choice covering several curl-specific needs. It has a keratin boost to help strengthen those strands. And the convenient, travel-sized spray bottle provides all of the moisturizing and protective qualities you need in a leave-in conditioner.

5. Honorary Mention: The Best Not a Leave in Conditioner – For those who don’t care for the “leave-in” part of leave in conditioner, consider a hair mask as an alternative. Davines LOVE Curl Hair Mask is a deep conditioning mask that provides all the benefits of a leave-in. However, this time, you get to rinse it out after it infuses your hair with concentrated hydration, vitamins, minerals, and body-building proteins. Once a week, comb through some LOVE Curl Hair Mask and heat up some herbal tea for the ultimate Self-care Sunday treat.

Now that you know all the benefits of using the best leave in conditioner for curly hair, can you imagine having the healthiest, shiniest hair without one? Choose the right one for your needs, and you’ll be winning all the acclaim for best curls in no time. For more information about how to find the best hair care products for curly hair, visit our Beauty Resource Center for more guidance, tips, and recommendations!