My natural hair is curly but after years of straightening and frying it with heat, it started to look wavy with patches of straight hair. That’s when I decided I wanted to embrace my natural hair texture and start using curly hair products that would define my waves, reduce frizz, and make curly hair hair care easy and simple. That’s how after trial and error I’ve found the best conditioners for curly hair in 2022!
If you have curly hair and are looking for leave in conditioners, curly defining products, conditioners for color treated curly hair, or anything in between, then you need keep reading!
P.s. shop my favorite products here.
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The Best Conditioners for Curly Hair in 2022
Best Overall Conditioner for Curly Hair
Briogeo ‘Farewell Frizz’ Leave In Conditioning Spray
This is the best conditioner for curly hair because it provides incredible hydration, eliminates frizz, and is like giving your hair the ultimate deep conditioning mask in a spray, making it great for on the go.
The spray bottle makes it so multi-functional – use it as a a leave in conditioner, as a hair serum to add shine, or a finishing spray to seal your cuticles.
Best for Frizz Control
IGK Coconut Milk Anti-Frizz Conditioner
PROS
- eliminates frizz
- lightweight
- smells good
- very hydrating
CONS
- sometimes tangles
This is the best conditioner for curly hair if you deal with a lot of frizz and dry hair.
Packed with hydration and nourishment, this anti-frizz conditioner is a curly girl’s dream!
Be careful, though, because some people said this tangled their hair.
Best for Fine Curly Hair
Davines ‘Love’ Curl Conditioner
PROS
- great for scalp care
- lasts a long time
- for very curly hair
CONS
- poor packaging
This is one of the absolute best conditioners for all hair types but especially curly hair and deserves so much more hype!
Perfect for very curly hair – 2B, 2C, 3A curls – this conditioner moisturizes your hair without weighing it down and is great for cleaning and nourishing the scalp, too.
I know it seems expensive, but a little goes a long way so it will last you AGES.
The only downside is the poor packaging which means that usually by the time its shipped to you, it’s cracked and some product has leaked.
Best Thick Curly Hair
OUAI Thick Hair Conditioner
PROS
- great for fine hair, too!
- hydrating ingredients
- adds shine
CONS
- slightly overpriced
Formulated for thick, dry hair, this Ouai hair conditioner works on all hair types and even though it’s meant for thick hair, so many people with thin, fine, and oily hair swear by this conditioner!
I love Ouai products, and while this conditioner is great for refreshing dry, brittle hair, I do think it’s a bit overpriced.
Best Vegan Conditioner
Pacifica ‘Pineapple Curls’ Curl Defining Conditioner
PROS
- 100% vegan
- adds volume
- great for fine hair
- adds bounce to curls
- affordable
CONS
- not for thick hair
- hard to absorb
If you’re looking for a natural, vegan conditioner for curly hair, you should try this one if you have thin, fine hair!
One of the reasons a lot of people love this conditioner is because it adds volume – which is so rare for conditioners.
This conditioner is definitely not for thick hair and some people say it’s hard to absorb because of how lightweight it is.
Best Deep Conditioner
Curlsmith Double Cream Deep Quencher
PROS
- extremely hydrating
- rare natural ingredients
- detangler
CONS
- not for type 4 curls
This is an incredible deep conditioning, leave in conditioner that is ultra moisturizing and helps detangle hair.
If you have curly hair, then you know how tough it is to brush your even wet hair because of knotted and tangled it gets and this deep conditioner is a great solution to that!
BUT, this conditioner might not work for you if have type 4 curls because of the size of the tub and the thinner consistency.
Best for Detangling
Oribe Leave-In Conditioning Detangler
PROS
- lightweight
- silky formula
- adds bounce to curls
- detangles very easily
- ultra-hydrating
CONS
- some people complain of smell
This is one of the best conditioners for all hair types but especially for damaged and dry natural hair.
It’s also an amazing detangler that makes your hair silky smooth and so easy to comb through.
It also has amazing, hydrating ingredients like avocado oil, jojoba seed oil, and cupuacu seed butter.
Best Leave-in
Briogeo ‘Farewell Frizz’ Leave In Conditioning Spray
PROS
- portable, on-the-go
- eliminates frizz
- adds shine
- multi-use
CONS
- none
I am obsessed with this leave-in conditioning spray because it packs in the hydration like a leave-in conditioner but is great to use on the go, adds so much shine to your, and completely gets rid of frizz.
Through this in your bag and use it any time of the day you feel like your hair needs a pick me up!
I almost use it like a hair serum because of how multi-functional it is.
Best Affordable
Maui Moisture Curl Quench Conditioner
PROS
- detangler
- curl defining
- great for brittle hair
CONS
- not for thin, fine hair
This is one of the most hydrating conditioners and is affordable but effective.
Packed with papaya butter, plumeria extract, and coconut oil, this conditioner is very hydrating and great for defining curls that are easy to brush through, but because it’s meant for thick hair, if you have fine hair, this might be too heavy for you and weigh your curls down.
Best Drugstore
SheaMoisture Curl & Shine Conditioner
PROS
- lightweight
- anti-frizz
- very affordable
CONS
- none
This conditioner is great value for a great product.
This is one of those products that will refresh your natural hair and help your curls look bouncier, more defined, and a lot shinier from the extra moisture.
Love this affordable and hydrating conditioner!
Best Luxury Conditioner for Curly Hair
Shu Uemura Urban Moisture Hydro-Nourishing Conditioner
PROS
- makes hair look smoother
- perfect balance of hydration
- smells good
CONS
- expensive
This is the best luxury conditioner for curly hair because nothing has made my hair look as smooth and shiny as this!
I have very naturally stringy looking hair and it makes my hair very unmanageable and frizzy, and this conditioner instantly tamed my hair, provided it with the perfect balance of moisture that made my hair soft without it feeling heavy and weighed down.
This conditioner for curly hair is expensive, but worth the price!
Best Curl Defining
Briogeo ‘Curl Charisma’ Rice Amino + Shea Curl Defining Conditioner
PROS
- formulated for frizz
- curls look bouncier
- adds a lot of shine
- creates soft, workable curls
CONS
- not for type 4 hair
This Briogeo conditioner is a hair care staple that every curly girly needs!
Packed with rice amino acids, shea butter, and tomato fruit ferment, I always come back to this conditioner for curly hair because it gets rid of my frizz and feels so soft and smooth but still has body and volume with workable, bouncy curls.
You will love this conditioner!
Best Conditioning Mask
Briogeo ‘Don’t Despair, Repair!’ Deep Conditioning Mask
PROS
- works with all hair types
- strengthens hair
- ultra hydrating
CONS
- expensive
This deep conditioning mask is literally everything a good conditioner should be!
It works well with all hair types (include type 4!), it repairs damage and makes your strands feel stronger and denser, and it adds so much moisture it leaves your hair silky smooth.
The only con to this conditioner is that it’s pretty pricey at almost $40.
Best for Damaged Hair
Kerastase Resistance Fondant Extentioniste Conditioner
PROS
- helps hair growth
- strengthens hair
- great detangler
- smoother hair
CONS
- expensive
This is one of my favorite conditioners for all hair types but especially for damaged and frizzy curly hair! Not only does it strengthen hair and repair damage, it also promotes hair growth.
It does all this while making your hair shinier, smoother, easier to manage, and easier to brush through.
It’s pretty pricey, but I think it’s so worth it.
I know you will love this hair conditioner!
Best for 4C Hai
tgin Honey Miracle Hair Mask
PROS
- heals damaged hair
- extremely moisturizing
- smoothes unmanageable hair
CONS
- not suitable for wavy or slightly curly hair
This is the ultimate hair conditioner for 4C hair that is coarse, dry, and in need of some serious love.
This conditioner is deeply nourishing, helps soothe and heal damaged hair, and makes your hair a lot softer and easy to brush through, thanks to the raw honey and olive oil in it.
If you have 4C hair, you need to try this!
Best for Color Treated Curly Hair
R+Co Gemstone Color Conditioner
PROS
- preserves color
- formulated for damaged hair
- very lightweight
CONS
- small bottle
This conditioner has lychee extract, okra seed extract, vitamin E, and sunflower sprout extract to create a light texture that makes your hair feel silky smooth and it preserves color for up to 10 washes!
BUT, the bottle for this conditioner is quite small for the price, so if you have very coarse or coily hair you’ll need to use a lot of product, which means this conditioner wouldn’t last you very long.
Best for Dry Hair
Rahua Hydration Conditioner
PROS
- adds shine
- smoothes cuticles
- prevents frizz
- easy to use bottle
- lightweight
CONS
- has protein
Sometimes when I use too much heat on my hair and I want to give my hair some extra love I use this conditioner and it adds a whole of moisture and refreshes my dry hair to get smoother, silkier locks that don’t get frizzy, no matter how humid it is.
The only thing you should be careful of is that the ingredients do include protein so if your hair was suffering from a lot of protein and need a product to refresh your hair, you might want to skip this one.
I hope these amazing conditioners help you on your curly hair journey and give you bouncy, hydrated, and nourished curls!
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