The 12 best conditioners for curly hair, according to your hair type
- Curly hair naturally needs more moisture, making conditioners extremely important to a good routine.
- Conditioners that include ingredients like oils, butters, and proteins will serve curly hair best.
- We picked 12 of the best conditioners and broke them down by curl type.
Conditioner is not an option if you have curly or coily hair — It's a requirement. The sebum that your scalp produces doesn't get a chance to travel all the way down the hair shaft, thanks to its texture. Curly hair is also more porous, so it lets moisture in and out more easily than other hair types. So the curlier your hair is, the more moisture it needs.
When finding the best conditioner for you, the amount of moisture your hair needs depends on your curl pattern and texture, which describes the size of each hair strand. Texture helps determine how prone-to-breakage your hair is.
Curly vs. coily hair
To help you find the best conditioner for your needs, we've broken this guide down by curl type — curly (3A, 3B, and 3C type patterns) and coily (4A, 4B, and 4C type patterns). Curly hair is identified by hair that is a mix of loose and tight curls, with the circumference of most ringlets measuring about the same width as a piece of sidewalk chalk. Coily hair, on the other hand, has tighter and more consistent ringlets. The hair tends to be more voluminous than long.
These are the best conditioners for curly and coily hair in 2021:
- The best conditioners for curly hair
- The best conditioners for coily hair
- Ingredients to look out for
The best conditioners for curly hair
The following conditioners are best for those whose hair texture is defined as 3A, 3B, or 3C. Your hair is a mix of tight ringlets and looser curls. The circumference of most of your curls is about the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk.
Pattern Beauty Medium Conditioner
Pattern Beauty scored yet another award-winning product with its Medium Conditioner. Made from an assortment of oils, including jojoba, castor seed, and tea tree oil, this conditioner is made for curls and coils as well as normal to low porosity hair.
TGIN Rose Water Frizz Free Hydrating Conditioner
Infused with rose, acai, and ginger extracts, this TGIN Rose Water Conditioner leaves your hair quenched and smelling great. If you're avoiding silicones, it's important to keep in mind this conditioner does contain a small amount of dimethicone, which is a silicone. Used in small amounts like this, it shouldn't cause breakage, but you should avoid if your hair is particularly dry.
Eden BodyWorks Citrus Fusion Conditioner
This citrusy, honey-infused product can double as a leave-in conditioner. It contains several oils, butters, and proteins to moisturize and strengthen hair. Eden BodyWorks prides itself on cruelty-free products all made without harsh sulfates, parabens, silicones, mineral oils, or dyes — and this product is proof of that.
Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine Conditioner
Shea Moisture's Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine Conditioner is made with silk proteins for added shine, as well as coconut oil for moisture. This creamy, yummy-smelling conditioner also contains mango seed butter, jojoba oil, hibiscus extract — all of which offer major hydration.
Eden BodyWorks JojOba Monoi Revitalizing Conditioner
With jojoba and tea tree oils, this conditioner provides high-quality moisture. Jojoba oil is easily absorbed into the hair, because it mimics the oil our scalps naturally produce. Tea tree oil, on the other hand, has anti-dandruff properties.
Not Your Mother's Naturals Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Curl Defining Conditioner
Mixed with mango butter, this conditioner by Not Your Mother's is a tropical-smelling dose of lightweight moisture. It's sulfate-free, parabelm-free, and phthalate-free, which is in line with Not Your Mother's other products. In fact, the brand prides itself on being 98% natural, and this conditioner is no exception.
The best conditioners for coily hair
If your hair is composed of mainly tight ringlets, it's likely coily. This texture is identified as either 4A, 4B, or 4C hair, and it typically has much more volume than length. Because of how tight your coils are, you probably don't need to wash your hair all that often. In fact, you may find yourself using these products once every 10 days or so.
Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen and Restore Rinse Out Conditioner
This fan-favorite conditioner is packed with six different oils, including jojoba oil, which mimics sebum. Since it's so close to sebum, it's easier for your hair to absorb, so it's a fantastic hydrator. It also contains two different types of protein to strengthen the hair shaft, which helps hair maintain its moisture levels.
Pattern Beauty Intensive Conditioner
Tracee Ellis Ross's haircare line was thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of all curly and coily textures. The Intensive Conditioner is specifically designed for tighter textures. It moisturizes with oils, butters, and flower waxes to cloak hair in hydration.
TGIN Miracle RepaiRx Strengthening Conditioner
With six different oils and butters, this conditioner works to replenish your hair's hydration levels. Black honey adds a dose of shine, while coconut oil hydrates without weighing your strands down. With all that repairing and strengthening, this conditioner truly lives up to its word.
Camille Rose Jansyn's Moisture Max Conditioner
Crafted with jojoba oil and cocoa butter, Camille Rose's conditioner mainly works to add moisture to the hair. Although it doesn't include any proteins, it's made with nine different oils that will leave the hair soft and easy to detangle. It's great for folks who don't necessarily need strength, but are looking to cut frizz and retain hydration.
Carol's Daughter Coco Crème Creamy Conditioner
This award-winning conditioner mainly moisturizes with coconut oil and mango seed butter. Made without silicones or petrolatum, the formula doesn't block hair from absorbing further moisture from leave-in conditioners or other styling products.
Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask
This is the only product on the list featuring blueberry extract as a central ingredient. And believe it or not, blueberries are great for curly hair types. The proanthocyanidins from the blueberry stimulate hair growth and help prevent breakage. Plus, this conditioning mask includes hydrating ingredients and protein.
Ingredients to look out for
Regardless of individual needs, it's typically best to avoid silicones. Natural oils, like coconut oil, are made of molecules small enough to be absorbed by the hair. Silicones, on the other hand, are made of molecules that are too big to be absorbed. Instead, they sit on top of the hair and act as a barrier, which can turn hair brittle, and keep the hair from absorbing hydration from leave-in conditioners and other products.