15 best leave-in conditioners that are deeply hydrating for every hair type

Amika was created to suit all hair types and textures, and this leave-in conditioner can certainly attest to that, hydrating all types of strands for up to 72 hours. A whole host of hair-loving ingredients are included, such as moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid, blue-green algae packed with fatty acids for adding shine and strength and sea buckthorn to help promote hair growth.

The brand recommends it as an overnight conditioner that you then wash out in the morning, but we found it worked wonders when left in between washes – although this is best on thick, dry or curly hair – to boost the softness of the hair, define curls and seal in the shine. It also smells amazing, earning itself a prime place on our bathroom shelf, and the glass bottle made it feel just a touch more elevated too.

Famous for its Brazilian bum bum cream, Sol de Janeiro features in many a beauty buffs bathroom cabinet, but the beauty brand does much more than just body moisturiser. Stocking a range of hair and body products, which all have the same tropical smell as the bestselling bum bum cream, we are just obsessed with this leave-in conditioner as with the rest of the brand’s bits.

The formula is sulphate and paraben-free, vegan and also colour-safe, meaning it won’t affect dyed or bleached hair and is also suitable for those who stay away from those key ingredients. In a large spray bottle, it’s incredibly easy to use, meaning you can move it all around the head effortlessly, and the fine mist instantly absorbs into the hair. It is best used on damp hair before drying either with a hairdryer or air drying and works to hydrate, detangle, and protect from heat and UV rays – a huge plus when on holiday in the sun.

Wakati is designed for very curly, kinky and coily hair, so we roped in a coily-haired tester to see how it fared. In a spray bottle, it’s incredibly easy to use and can be moved all around – even upside down – the head and hair with ease, which our testers loved. It can be applied on wet or dry hair, meaning it can work for any occasion, whether you’re looking to add extra moisture post-wash or revive five-day-old locks.

Shea and jojoba oils work to nourish the hair and give the conditioner more of an oily texture, so it can hydrate and moisturise curly hair. Both our wavy-haired and coily-haired testers loved how soft their hair felt after use, and it even helped boost the curls to stretch out those in-between-wash days.

With an ingredient list that reads more like a multivitamin, this John Frieda leave-in conditioner certainly packs a lot into one bottle for a relatively low cost. The John Frieda frizz ease collection is quite famous for fighting frizz, and this product makes up a good part of the brand’s arsenal. In a fine mist-like spray, it’s suitable for all hair types, but you do need to spritz a lot on thicker strands to truly get them stuck down.

Hydrolysed wheat and vegetable proteins hydrate the hair right at the shaft, strengthening each strand from within. Our tester loved the fruity-like fragrance, how the product instantly absorbed into the hair and how it helped to reduce breakage and pesky flyaways.

Ouai was founded by Jen Atkin, celebrity hairstylist to Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, so it’s safe to say you’re in good hands with this brand. Designed to detangle, hydrate, fight frizz and protect from heat styling, this one product is certainly a multi-tasker, but we did find we needed to apply quite a lot to thicker hair to get the desired results.

What we loved most about this leave-in conditioner was its salon-like smell, giving that just-had-a-blow-dry feel in an instant. That all-important vitamin E and hydrolysed proteins are included, as Neil Moodie recommended, and it is also paraben and SLS and SLES free (although not fully sulphate-free) for anyone who looks out for that. We also loved the bottle’s minimalist design, which means you will proudly have it on display as well as the fact it can be used on damp or dry hair.

Our love for vitamin C in beauty products is showing no sign of slowing down, and this R+Co leave-in conditioner means we can now bring the ingredient into our haircare routines. It can be used on damp or dry hair, making it a great styling product and works to detangle, reduce frizz, soften and protect.

We used it underneath other styling products to accentuate their effect and found that hair spray held firmer, curl cream coiled hair up more, and volumising mousse made hair even larger. Vitamin C protects hair against outside pollutants and UV damage, hyaluronic acid hydrates the strands, coconut oil softens them, and radish root helps to improve scalp circulation for healthy hair growth. It is on the thicker side, so best for those with hair that needs a lot of moisture, and the pump bottle makes it easy to get a lot of product out in one go.

Made with certified organic ingredients, Innersense is a brand for beauty buffs after a more planet-friendly beauty routine. No silicones, sulphates, parabens or synthetic ingredients are included, and the brand is part of the one per cent for the planet initiative meaning one per cent of profits goes toward approved nonprofits in the network.

Key ingredients include the currently TikTok trending rosemary oil, aloe vera, tamanu oil and honey, meaning it works wonders to hydrate and nourish strands thanks to being packed with fatty acids and antioxidants. Our tester did notice a difference in softness to the touch, but as it is a very fine spray, we would dub this as best for those without extra thick hair, as you will need a lot of product.

Infused with keratin, this leave-in conditioner is built to battle frizz. Castor oil coats and seals strands to add shine, and heat-activated ingredients protect hair from humidity no matter the weather. We did find results were most notable on straight hair, as this product has been designed to be used just before heat styling, locking in your look and keeping frizz at bay for up to three washes.

Our hair did look incredibly shiny, so we only have this product to thank for it, and it’s said to perform best in humid conditions, so be sure to bring this on holiday, too, lest you end up looking like Monica from Friends. It’s also incredibly lightweight with a water-like consistency, so only a couple of sprays are sure to cover your whole head.

Housing only 75ml of product, this leave-in conditioner is the perfect pick for weekends away, overnight stays or on-the-go freshen-ups in your gym kit or desk drawer. The formula is designed to smooth, volumise and add shine to the outside of the strands while strengthening and restoring keratin on the inside. Haritaki fruit works to nourish the hair and Abyssinia and jojoba extracts improve elasticity, and olive oil tackles dryness.

It’s silicone, paraben, SLS and synthetic-fragrance free, and 99 per cent of ingredients are naturally derived too. The pump bottle means it’s easy to get as much or as little product out as you need for your hair type, meaning it works for every density and style. But we did find it didn’t detangle as well as some of our other finds, although it did work wonders for reviving tired-looking strands.

Kms products are used backstage at fashion week shows, proving their prowess in making impactful manes. This leave-in conditioner is formulated to add volume, growing hair in size by up to 40 per cent, and our tester did notice a visible difference in their hair’s appearance.

To apply, Kms recommends spraying onto damp towel-dried hair from the roots to the tips. The instructions recommend combing through, but if you really want to add volume to your locks, we found spritzing and scrunching hair gave the best result and targeting the hair at the root really helped lift it off of the head.

Key ingredients include lactic and malic acid to support the hair structure, polyquaternium-11 to even out the surface, and eucalyptus and cinnamon to add fullness and volume to strands. But, alcohol denat is also one of the main ingredients, so those with sensitive skin or scalps may not be best suited to this product.

Rhyme and Reason is another more planet-friendly find, made from 95 per cent naturally derived ingredients in a fully recycled bottle. The nozzle top makes it incredibly easy to use and can be applied to even the shortest hairs at the root. Shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin B5 are all included to deeply nourish strands and penetrate them with moisture throughout.

It works to detangle, smooth and add shine while also offering heat protection when styling too, but it is best used on thicker or dry hair thanks to its weighty, deeply hydrating ingredients. Just be sure to click the nozzle back into place properly, lest you be left with a leaky top and wasted product.

Working as both a regular conditioner and a two-in-one conditioner, this one product is perfect for those looking to cut back on the number of products they pay for and keep on the bathroom shelf. We housed ours in the shower to use while washing and then ran it through our hair post-wash for an added hit of moisture. Honeysuckle, chamomilla and velvet flower extracts help to strengthen strands, brighten up dull-looking locks and reduce the number of split ends, yet are light enough to use on even fine hair too. Hydrolysed bipolymers in the form of corn starch work to reduce frizz and smooth hair for a sleeker finish, and the brand’s signature botanical fragrance is featured, too, giving that crisp, clean scent.

Paul Mitchell is a very famous name within the haircare industry, and this leave-in conditioner is a true fan-favourite. Dubbed a protein smoothie for your head, it houses organic amaranth extract and vegan pea protein to strengthen hair fibre and restore damaged or broken straights back to health. It’s best used on hair that really needs a helping hand, say brittle strands or locks that are prone to breaking no matter how fine. Although our tester’s hair wasn’t in the worst condition, it still did soften, detangle and smooth each strand noticeably, and regular usage is only going to emphasise the results.

Again, we roped in our coily-haired tester to help with this product, as it is specially designed for those with tight curls, kinks and coils. Sulphate, paraben and silicone free, the vegan formula is created to be suitable for anyone avoiding those key ingredients. Almond, jojoba and baobab oil work to deeply nourish and hydrate strands, making it a heavier cream than some of our other options, which is why it’s best for those with moisture-loving locks. Our testers both found it added a bounce back into the curls, but neither loved the scent too much.

This leave-in conditioner smells like Christmas in a bottle, which will divide beauty fans like Marmite, but we rather liked it. Incredibly lightweight thanks to macadamia oil being the key ingredient, it can be used on even the finest of strands without weighing it down with any gloopy or sticky feeling.

It’s another product made without parabens, SLS/ SLES, synthetic fragrances and phthalates and is actually produced with green energy, making it a more planet-friendly pick. Rich in vitamin C, Omega-9 and palmitic acid, it works to reduce external stress impact on strands, controls water loss to help detangle and has no greasy feeling either. In a spray bottle, it was incredibly easy to use and left locks hydrated in between washes.