If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with natural curls, the last thing you want to do is sabotage their spring, shape, and definition with a product lineup that doesn’t do them justice. Especially, when you’re on the hunt for the ultimate leave-in conditioner.
The absolute best leave-in conditioners help detangle, protect, and nourish curly hair, but the wrong formulas can also have the sad effect of being too heavy (aka—weighing down your curls) or, on the other hand, not being potent enough to actually revive and enhance your hair’s natural texture. We only want the very best for your curls, so we scoured reviews and polled celebrity hairstylists to find out which leave-in conditioners are a match-made-in-heaven for curly hair types. Keep scrolling to see 13 GOAT picks!
“One of my new favorite discoveries, this leave-in is so lightweight but leaves the hair hydrated and frizz-free. It has a nice density to it, but never weighs down hair—it just clumps it into beautiful, supple curls.” — Matthew Collins, celebrity hairstylist
“I love this detangling leave-in because it’s for all curl types so anyone can use it, and it also primes curls to better resist frizz. Use it to seal every strand, fight tangles, and make curls more manageable.” — Irinel de León, celebrity hairstylist
“A non-heavy, daily leave-in conditioner that defines kinks, curls, coils and waves without weighing them down. It’s enriched with ingredients like African tulip tree extract and amino acids to help strengthen and nourish curls while still leaving them with lots of vibrant shine.” — de León
“This is a very silky smooth leave-in that provides lots of nourishment while giving great curl enhancement for medium to very curly/coily hair.” — Collins
“This leave-in conditioner is great for curly hair because the brand completely customizes it for you. You have to do an online consultation to get a personalized leave-in that caters to you based on your age, hair texture, length, porosity, density, and even the climate of the location you live. I love that this leave-in detangles, hydrates, and protects hair from heat damage.” Ro Morgan, celebrity hairstylist
“This leave-in conditioner helps create a balanced, moisturized foundation for your curls before you begin your styling. After you apply, your curls will respond better to any additional products you want to add.” — de León
“This moisturizing and detangling leave-in conditioner is perfect for any and all curl types. It is lightweight, but powerful when it comes to fighting frizz and leaving hair soft and supple. It also speeds up the detangling process.” — Morgan
“When we think about the need to hydrate and moisturize curly hair, we want to find products that will help with elasticity, shine, and treatment, and I have a few go-tos. I love that this product has camellia oil which is high in omegas. And green sea grapes for even more hydration. This product is lightweight and works wonders—I use it on every curl pattern and even non-curly hair, it’s that good!” Marty Harper, celebrity hairstylist
“This leave-in conditioner is for all my girls working through chemical grow-out, heat damage, or if you need just an extra push of nutrition. A little goes a long way, and the formula contains wheat protein which helps enhance bounce and curl.” — Harper
“Well, I guess I’m going to let you in on my best-kept secret—this leave-in product is beyond for scalp and hair health. It has so many nourishing oils and ingredients like hibiscus, neem, green tea, calendula, sandalwood, and shea butter. It’s a great option for anyone seeking, an all-natural clean alternative leave-in conditioner for their strands.” — Harper
“A leave-in conditioner that smells like heaven would be the Kim Kimble Healing Leave-In Conditioner. Not only does it smell great, but it ensures the hair is hydrated from root to tip. This leave-in is great on wavy, curly, and kinky curls. It contains no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and is safe to use on colored hair. This is definitely a leave-in you want to use to bring curls back to life.” — Morgan
“I love this product because it has the perfect amount of weight and slip to finish freshly styled curls, and it also smells AMAZING. I love it for softening up a twist out set, but it’s also perfect for resurrecting second-day curls.” — Timothy Aylward, celebrity hairstylist
“The holy grail of curl creams, this no-hold hair softener is great for those that want to avoid the crunch while minimizing frizz. It gets extra points because it had the scent of fresh laundry and even leaves your hands smelling clean and soft. I like to apply it to freshly washed hair, roots through ends. You can twist to enhance your natural coils or just shake and air dry, its foolproof ease has lead to a cult following.” — Aylward. Up next, Air-Dry Your Hair Like This, and People Will Think You Spent $200 at the Salon
