Which hair conditioners are best?

Your shampoo can help remove pollutants, flakes and oil from your hair, but you need conditioner to help make your hair look its best. Hair conditioner moisturizes and nourishes locks to leave them smooth, shiny and soft.

There are so many different hair conditioner options on the market. It can be difficult to figure out which is right for your scalp health and hair type. Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner is perfect for making your hair soft and shiny.

What to know before you buy a hair conditioner

Don’t skip using hair conditioner

Some people simply skip using hair conditioner because they think that it’s not an important step in hair care. However, it is crucial to use some kind of hair conditioner if you want your hair to truly look its best.

Don’t use too much hair conditioner

Using too much hair conditioner is a waste of money. It will actually make your hair look greasy and lank. Just use a small amount of hair conditioner.

Don’t use a hair conditioner that’s too heavy

If you have oily or fine hair, you should use a lightweight hair conditioner rather than a heavy, thick and creamy hair conditioner. A thick hair conditioner will only weigh down your hair and make it look greasy. Make sure to match your hair conditioner to your particular hair care needs.

What to look for in a quality hair conditioner

Type of conditioner

There are a few different kinds of hair conditioners out there, including rinse-out hair conditioners, leave-in hair conditioners and deep hair conditioners.

  • Rinse-out conditioners: Rinse-out conditioners are the most common and help moisturize, soften and detangle your hair.
  • Leave-in conditioners: These add extra moisture to hair and help to detangle it. They’re usually used in addition to rinse-out conditioners, not instead of them.
  • Deep conditioners: These types of conditioners are left in for at least half an hour before being rinsed away. They’re intensive and help repair any damage from heat styling, soothe the scalp and restore shine to your hair.

Your hair type

It’s essential to choose the right hair conditioner for your hair type and needs. If your hair is limp or oily, you need a clean and lightweight conditioner that will balance and volumize your hair. If your hair is frizzy or curly, you need a nourishing hair conditioner that helps promote your curl and wave without creating any frizz.

Nourishing ingredients

You should look for a hair conditioner that includes nourishing ingredients, like hydrolyzed collagen, cetrimonium chloride, glycerol, silk proteins, botanical extracts, plant oils, hydrolyzed keratin, cetearyl alcohol, coconut oil, panthenol or vitamin B5.

How much you can expect to spend on a hair conditioner

You can find hair conditioners on the market for anywhere from less than $5 to more than $20, but it depends on the brand, the ingredients and the type of hair conditioner. The most basic hair conditioners go for less than $5, while midrange hair conditioners cost between $5-$10. Expensive, salon-quality hair conditioners go for $10-$20 and premium, name-brand hair conditioners often cost more than $20.

Hair conditioner FAQ

Do you need to buy the same brand of hair conditioner and shampoo?

A. You don’t need to match your shampoo and hair conditioner, but it’s typically a good idea to match them if you can. Sets of hair conditioner and shampoo are formulated to work together for particular hair types and textures, so you will usually see the best results from using both the shampoo and hair conditioner together.

Can you use your rinse-out hair conditioner as a leave-in product?

A. Yes, you can use your rinse-out hair conditioner as a leave-in product if you use a very small amount of a light rinse-out hair conditioner. That being said, if you use more than a pea-sized dab of hair conditioner, you will probably end up with lank and greasy hair.

Do you really need to leave hair conditioner on your hair for several minutes before rinsing it out?

A. As long as you are not using a deep-conditioning product and your hair is not damaged or dry, you can go ahead and rinse out the hair conditioner immediately. Your hair will still reap the benefits of the conditioner if you rinse it out right away.

What’s the best hair conditioner to buy?

Top hair conditioner

Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner

Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner

What you need to know: This super rich and creamy hair conditioner from Bumble and Bumble is perfect for dry and damaged hair.

What you’ll love: This popular Bumble and Bumble hair conditioner makes your hair very soft, adds shine and bounce and smoothes and detangles frizzy hair. You can also get fairly good results with only a small amount of conditioner.

What you should consider: Keep in mind that this Bumble and Bumble hair conditioner is fairly expensive.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon, Ulta Beauty and Sephora

Top hair conditioner for the money

Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rich Conditioner

Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rich Conditioner

What you need to know: This popular vitamin-infused hair conditioner from Peter Thomas Roth will give you plenty of bang for your buck.

What you’ll love: This affordable Peter Thomas Roth mega-rich conditioner is often seen in hotels and offers plenty of shine for your hair without adding any sticky residue. The conditioner is also very gentle and works well with color-treated hair.

What you should consider: This hair conditioner is not quite strong enough for super dry hair.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

Briogeo Blossom and Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Conditioner

Briogeo Blossom and Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Conditioner

What you need to know: This natural hair conditioner from Briogeo focuses on plumping up fine and thinning hair.

What you’ll love: It contains maltodextrin, an ingredient derived from sugar, to coat the hair and make it appear visually thicker. The conditioner also features a very nice scent and makes the hair silky and smooth while adding volume.

What you should consider: This hair conditioner doesn’t work well with oily hair, since the hair can take on a chunky texture.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

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Alex Kilpatrick writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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