After 9 hours of research evaluating 43 products, we picked DevaCurl One Condition as our top choice.
Curls need a balance of moisture and protein. If you’re looking for a way to help manage your curls, you’ve come to the right place. Whether your curls are super frizzy, too dry, lack definition, or seem entirely unruly, we’ve got you covered.
I’m in!
Great. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite conditioners for curly hair. First, you want to make sure you’re using the right shampoo (we’ve got you covered here!) and that you’re following up with the right products after your wash (our favorite products for curls over here!)
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If you’re trying to figure out what kind of curls you have, and what they need most, do a little research to see what your hair is lacking or has too much of. Once you know what your curls need, you’ll be able to identify the best conditioner for curly hair that will work best for you!
#1 Best Conditioner For Curls
DevaCurl One Condition
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- 100% sulfate, paraben, silicone, and cruelty-free
- Great for all curl types
- Increase the overall hydration of hair
Pros
The DevaCurl One Condition is the ultimate hydrating and moisturizing conditioner. Infused with a light scent of lemongrass, your hair will feel silky soft, and your curls will flourish.
Cons
Some users with ultra thin hair said this formula was too heavy on their hair.
Product Ratings
Application
9.5/10
Gently massage this conditioner into wet hair and then finger-comb throughout hair to make sure all strands are saturated. Your hair will feel super moisturized and hydrated, and it will leave your curls with very natural buoyancy.
Formula
9.6/10
This product is vegan, wheat-free, cruelty-free, paraben-free, silicone-free, and sulfate-free. This conditioner has olive oil and nourishing botanicals that leave hair soft, tangle-free, and smooth. The formula is rich and creamy and works to lock in moisture. There is a slight scent of lemongrass.
Features
9.6/10
This conditioner won Best For Favorite Daily Conditioner and Best Multi-Use Conditioner by Naturally Curly. It fights frizz, hydrates, and moisturizes all types of curls.
If you want to try out this conditioner before buying a large bottle, you can buy the 3oz size for $10.00. The 32oz bottle sells for $31.99 on Amazon.
#2 Best Conditioner For Damaged Curls
Unwash Bio-Cleansing Conditioner
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- Cleanses without harsh chemicals
- Nourishes and hydrates hair
- Doesn’t strip hair and is safe for color treated hair
Pros
This company promotes skipping the shampoo and going with conditioner-only washing of the hair. Unwash is a conditioner that cleanses your hair while moisturizing it without any harsh chemicals. This conditioner helps to lift away build up without leaving behind residue or weighing down curls.
Cons
There is no lather, which may throw people off at first, but it’s supposed to be like this. Because this isn’t shampoo, just a cleansing conditioner, your hair may appear oily for the first week or two as it adjusts to this new way of washing.
Product Ratings
Application
9.2/10
Gently massage into scalp, then from roots to ends. Let sit for about a minute or so and thoroughly rinse out. Remember that this product has no lather, so don’t expect adding more product to produce suds or foam. At first, hair may feel greasy or oily if your hair has typically been washed with shampoo. Your hair should start to produce less oil as you use this product regularly.
Formula
9.3/10
The key ingredients to this formula are organic evening primrose oil (nourishes and hydrates), cationic cleansers (remove dirt without stripping), and Hydrolyzed Keratin (strengthens hair, adds shine, reduces frizz.
Features
9.5/10
This conditioner is an innovative way to ‘wash’ hair. It’s not a shampoo, yet gently cleanses your hair without stripping it or using any harsh chemicals on your hair. No longer will you fear losing color, damaging hair, or stripping hair of its natural oils, this Unwash formula leaves hair healthy, moisturized, and naturally beautiful. Cleansing conditioners are ideal for men and women with thick, curly, overprocessed, or damaged hair.
You can buy a 13.5oz bottle of this conditioner for $29.00 on Amazon.
#3 Best Conditioner For Thick Curls
Silk18 Natural Hair Conditioner
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- Natural and cruelty-free
- Safe for color treated hair
- Hydrates and replenishes hair
Pros
The Silk 18 Natural Conditioner delivers vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty acids to curls, helping to restore their natural volume and softness. The 18 Silk Amino Acids complex works to coat each strand with hydrating moisture, without weighing hair down.
Cons
This bottle appears to be bigger in the photo than in real life – it’s only 8oz.
Product Ratings
Application
9.3/10
Gently massage into hair and focus on the mid to ends of your strands. Leave the conditioner in for about 1 – 2 minutes, and then thoroughly rinse out.
The nourishing ingredients work great on thick, curly hair and leave your curls smooth, soft, and moisturized.
Formula
9.4/10
This formula has all kinds of incredibly nourishing natural ingredients including aloe vera, shea butter, silk peptide, and jojoba oil. With these key ingredients, your hair will be full of vitamins (E, A, and F), antioxidants, and fatty acids. This conditioner helps to restore, rebuild, and revitalize your natural curls or waves.
Features
9.2/10
You can get an 8oz bottle of this product on Amazon for $9.45.
This sulfate-free conditioner contains natural ingredients that help with frizziness, static reduction, and thick unmanageable hair. This conditioner works well with all hair types and doesn’t leave thin hair greasy or weighted down. This cruelty-free product is safe for color treated hair and has a light vanilla scent.
#4 Best Conditioner For Thin/Fine Curls
Dove Nutritive Solutions Conditioner
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- Deeply nourishes hair
- Treats frizz and dryness
- Doesn’t weigh down hair or leave it greasy
Pros
The Dove Nutritive Solutions Conditioner is great for people with thin or fine curls. It works to gently nourish hair and restore strands to their natural buoyancy without leaving behind any greasy residue or weighing curls down.
Cons
Might not be strong enough for super thick hair.
Product Ratings
Application
9.2/10
Massage conditioner into hair, focusing on the mid to end of the hair. Let the conditioner sit in hair for about 2 minutes, and then thoroughly rinse through.
Use as a daily conditioner, or whenever you wash your hair. With constant use, this conditioner can actually help to improve the overall health and softness of your hair.
Formula
9.1/10
This formula uses natural oils to help restore your hair and leave it soft and smooth. With ingredients like coconut oil, you’ll find your hair is given a natural softness and overtime this formula has been proven to nourish dry or frizzy hair, without weighing it down.
Features
9.3/10
This formula provides a natural lift to the hair. It gives your fine/thin or flattened down curls their natural bounce back and leaves hair silky soft. Dove uses the nourishing powers of oils to make your hair healthy again with regular use.
Get a 12oz bottle of this conditioner on Amazon for only $8.02. The company Dove is known for making products that improve the health of hair and skin.
#5 Best Leave-in Conditioner For Curls
Curlisto – Protein Boost
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- Instantly detangles hair
- Strengthens damaged hair
- Leaves hair soft and rejuvenated
Pros
The Curlisto Protein Boost Leave-in conditioner is great to bring on any excursion where your hair may need a little boost. This leave-in conditioner instantly detangles hair and helps to strengthen and rejuvenate damaged hair.
Cons
This product is a leave-in conditioner, not a deep conditioner or regular conditioner for after shampooing.
Product Ratings
Application
9.2/10
With this spray, make sure not to drench your hair with product, as it will become less effective. For best results, spray evenly on wet hair, focusing mostly on the ends.
Formula
9.1/10
The formula is super protein rich. Some of the main ingredients are rice protein, corn protein, and wheat protein. The rice helps to rebuild and strengthen damaged hair, the corn helps add body and volume, and the wheat is what gives your hair that added shine.
Features
9.1/10
This leave-in conditioner by Curlisto works to detangle and strengthen hair. This is an excellent accessory for beach trips! Spray product on hair after a dip in the ocean to help bring your natural waves and curls back to life (and untangle some of that salty sea hair).
An 8oz bottle is available on Amazon for $26.00, and this will last all summer long. Remember that all you need is a few spritzes for this product to work effectively.
#6 Best Drugstore Conditioner For Curls
Herbal Essences Sulfate Free Shampoo & Conditioner Kit
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- Affordable
- Sulfate-free
- Moistures and protects your curls
Pros
This Herbal Essences conditioner works to moisturize hair and create luscious locks. Your hair will feel soft and refreshed after using this ultra-hydrating, sulfate-free conditioner. This product also protects color-treated hair.
Cons
Product is heavy, works great with thick hair but might leave super thin hair oily if used too much.
Product Ratings
Application
8.8/10
Apply a small amount to scalp and massage into hair from root to tips. This conditioner leaves locks moisturized and full of smooth volume.
Formula
8.9/10
The formula contains real botanicals, confirmed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Among the ingredients are honey, vitamin B, jasmine, and vanilla. This conditioner contains no parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, or dyes. Herbal Essence states that this formula has 90% natural-origin ingredients.
Features
8.9/10
On Amazon, you can buy this conditioner WITH the shampoo for only $13.99! The shampoo is also sulfate-free and perfect for curls.
This conditioner deeply conditions and protects curls. It’s safe on color treated hair and leaves your hair with natural smoothness and shine.
#7 Best Conditioner For Color Treated Curls
EVOLVh – Organic UltraShine Moisture Conditioner
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- Sulfate free, gluten free, and vegan
- Extremely moisturizing
- Helps to increase color retention
Pros
The EVOLVh Organic UltraShine Moisture Conditioner leaves hair revitalized and helps prevent breakage and split ends. This conditioner is great for color treated curls because it works to increase color retention.
Cons
Pricey, but 90% natural. So you’re buying quality.
Product Ratings
Application
8.5/10
After shampooing, apply conditioner to hair, focusing on the mid-lengths to ends. If you need some extra moisturizing love, leave the conditioner in for five minutes then rinse with warm water.
Formula
8.8/10
Let’s talk about what’s not in this formula first – because it’s a lot.
This formula is free of parabens, sulfates, sodium chloride, silicone, alcohol, gluten, and has no animal products in it (vegan). The brand itself, EVOLVh, is entirely vegan and cruelty-free. Yay!
This conditioner includes a few active ingredients, including wild pansy, sweet clover, and apricot extracts. These extracts contain nourishing antioxidants, and amino and fatty acids, which help to restore hair!
Features
8.7/10
This conditioner works great on colored or damaged hair. If your hair is dry or over-processed, this conditioner is going to bring it back to life thanks to its extreme moisturizing qualities. For color-treated hair, this conditioner helps to increase color retention. If your hair is on the thinner side, this is going to help give your curls some added volume.
Get this conditioner right now on Amazon for $32.00.
#8 Best Conditioner For Keratin Treated Curls
Keratin Care Smoothing Conditioner
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- Fights frizz
- Detangles
- Leaves hair soft and moisturized
Pros
The Keratin Care Smoothing Conditioner is suitable for all hair types but especially great for frizzy, or keratin treated curls. This conditioner helps to restore extremely damaged and dry hair, bringing it back to a luxuriously soft texture.
Cons
Some users said it did not help to soften their damaged hair as much as they wanted. Make sure to leave the product in for a few minutes before washing out.
Product Ratings
Application
8.1/10
Massage generously throughout wet hair. Let the conditioner sit for at least 1-2 minutes for best results before rinsing out.
You’ll notice softer, more defined hair that is super moisturized and frizz-free.
Formula
8.3/10
This silky formula fights to detangle hair and keep it frizz-free. Ingredients include a blend of humectants, proteins, and vitamin B5 which help to restore moisture and give your hair life!
Features
8.1/10
This conditioner works on all hair types, but works exceptionally well with dry, damaged, or keratin treated hair. It’s going to leave your hair with a natural shine, and help to detangle your waves, curls, or even straight hair.
Right now on Amazon, you can purchase a 33.8 oz bottle for $42.00.
