The best hydrating conditioners can elevate any hair-care routine by tackling dryness, frizz, and sealing the hair’s cuticle to lock in moisture—no matter your texture, density, or styling goals. For the longest time, I assumed these often richer formulas simply weren’t meant for me: too heavy, too creamy, and inevitably poised to sabotage a perfectly airy blowout. I’ve also erroneously lumped all conditioners into the same category (what difference could there really be?). But after asking for a bit of expert guidance, I stand corrected.
Vogue’s Favorite Hydrating Conditioners
“Any conditioner that you are using should have the objective of restoring and hydrating your hair, not simply only to make it feel and appear soft and easier to detangle,” pro hairstylist Samantha Draper explains. “The difference between a standard formula and a particularly moisturizing conditioner lies within the texture and heaviness of the product.” According to Draper, choosing a product whose richness aligns with your hair type is what determines whether it truly delivers results you’re after.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the top conditioners tailored to every hair need. After a few washes, you’ll likely notice your strands behaving better—and feeling softer—without having to stretch your patience or your styling skills. Remember: hydrated hair is soft and healthy hair.
In This Story
- What to Look for in a Hydrating Conditioner
- Which hair types should use a hydrating conditioner?
- How often should you use a hydrating conditioner?
- The Best Way to Apply Conditioner
- How We Tested
- Meet the Experts
Best Overall: Roz Hair Foundation Conditioner
- Why We Love It: This conditioner’s formula is infused with the kind of elevated, skin-care-grade ingredients that give it that refined, luxurious slip. “Roz’s smoothing conditioner is great for all hair types, especially fine, straight, wavy hair. Light and perfect for daily use, it’s formulated with peptides and packs a nice little punch without adding any extra weight to your lengths,” pro hairstylist Bridget Brager previously told Vogue. Once you rinse and style, expect strands that feel sleek, balanced, and noticeably more polished (as if they’ve just had a personalized session with a top-tier stylist).
- Editor’s Note: “I’ve been loyal to Rōz’s Foundation shampoo and conditioner since it launched—the scent is heavenly (Mara, you’re a genius!) and formulated with a botanical oil blend of grape seed, walnut, ginger root extract, and frankincense that makes my natural waves look their best when air-dried.” —Talia Abbas, shopping director
- Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, pea protein, peptides, walnut seed extract, grape fruit extract, ceramide blend (NP, AP, and EOP)
- Best For: All hair types, brittle hair
- Size: 10.1 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Vegan, cruelty-free, silicone free, paraben-free, and SLS free | Best used sparingly if you have thinner or more oily hair |
| Hydrating, anti-frizz formula |
Best for Shine: Oribe Gold Lust Repair Restore Conditioner
- Why We Love It: Celebrity hairstylist Cervando Maldonado uses Oribe’s conditioner on his blonde, bleached, and color-treated clients because it makes hair look noticeably more shiny and lustrous. Brager agress, noting that while it revitalizes damaged lengths, she never considers hair weighed down after use. “The combination of plant collagen, caffeine, biotin, and niacinamide penetrates the hair’s cuticle, fortifying the hair shaft and even lifting hair at the root,” pro hairstylist Andrew Ly previously told Vogue.
- Editor’s Experience: “This is the most nourishing conditioner ever. Whether I’ve just taken down braids or am preparing for a silk press, I rely on it to revive my strands when they need some TLC. And despite its hydrating properties, it does so without weighing hair down—ensuring my blow out maintains bounce and volume.” —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: Biotin, plant collagen, caffeine, niacinamide, watermelon, lychee extract, edelweiss flower extracts, mediterranean cypress extract, argan oil
- Best For: All hair types aiming for lustrous lengths
- Size: 6.8 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Improves softness, shine, and overall smoothness | On the pricier side |
| Sulfate-free and Vegan formula |
Best for Color Preservation: Pureology Hydrate Conditioner
- Why We Love It: With more than 15,000 enthusiastic Amazon reviews, Pureology’s conditioner is a staple for anyone aiming to hydrate their lengths and preserve their color—whether your shade is natural or freshly-dyed. Jojoba oil and a blend of multi-weight proteins provide deep moisture and fortification from root to tip, while green tea and sage extracts offer antioxidant support to help maintain vibrancy and keep the scalp in good shape. A touch of menthol and mint delivers an instant, cooling lift that leaves hair feeling clean and revitalized.
- Key Ingredients: Sage leaf extract, green tea extract, jojoba extract, sunflower seed oil, shea butter, vitamin E
- Best For: Color-treated or over-processed hair
- Size: 9 fl oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate-free, and color-safe | Might be too heavy for fine hair |
| Deeply hydrating for overly processed or dry hair | |
| Antioxidant-rich ingredients to prevent from color dulling |
Best for Fine Hair: Ouai Fine Hair Conditioner
- Why We Love It: Fine hair needs hydration too—even with understandable hesitancy on a formula making your lengths limp from product buildup. “Fine hair simply means that individual hair strands are thinner in diameter, which can lead to the appearance of less volume and fullness,” Ly previously said. “This formula adds volume, bounce, strength without weighing the hair down.” Here, chia seed oil not only adds shine, but acts as a hair thickening agent to improve overall hair fullness and thickness.
- Key Ingredients: Biotin, keratin, chia seed oil, hemp seed extract
- Best For: Fine or flat hair that needs lightweight hydration and volume without heaviness.
- Size: 10 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Volumizing and hydrating formula | Not suited for thick or textured hair types |
| Lightweight enough to ensure thinner hair isn’t weighed down |
Best for Curls and Coils: Pattern Beauty Intensive Conditioner
- Why We Love It: Tight curls and coils needn’t look any further than Pattern’s formula—especially those with low porosity lengths. “Pattern’s intensive conditioner is a rich and ultra hydrating conditioner that restores moisture to low porosity, dry-dull hair,” Brager previously told Vogue. “The added hydration works to better define curl patterns. Meanwhile, the combination of avocado oil, shea butter, and safflower oil really aids in both strengthening and moisturizing deep into the hair shaft.”
- Editor’s Experience: “Using Pattern’s Intensive Conditioner ensures my fine coils are defined and frizz free. When I’m low on time, I let the product sit on my hair for at leave five minutes—enough time to complete the rest of my everything shower; and for a more leisurely regimen, I’ll sit under a hair dryer hood for a deep conditioning treatment. Either way, my hair drinks this stuff up.” —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, shea butter, safflower oil, acacia decurrens flower
- Best For: Curly, coily, and tight-textured hair types (3A–4C), especially those with low porosity
- Size: 3 oz, 13 oz, 29 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Thick and rich formula is perfect for tighter curl patterns | Some say this conditioner doesn’t have as much slip for combing out tangles |
| Protects against breakage and improves curl definition |
Best Lightweight: Kerastase Nutritive Lait Vital Hydrating Conditioner
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- Why We Love It: If a milky toner were a conditioner, it would be this option by Kerastase—a wonderfully lightweight yet deeply nourishing conditioner designed to hydrate dry, fine-to-medium hair without weighing it down. Here, a blend of wheat, corn, and soy protein work to revive brittle hair and retain moisture. Meanwhile, the addition of niacinamide boosts natural keratin production. It smooths and detangles with ease, leaving strands feeling soft, elastic, and full of subtle shine. The texture feels rich yet fluid—luxurious enough for a treat, but light enough for daily use.
- Key Ingredients: Cetearyl alcohol , glycerin, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, iris root extract, niacinamide.
- Best For: Dry, fine-to-medium hair who want hydration that doesn’t compromise lightness or movement.
- Size: 75 ml, 200 ml
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Concentrated formula with a lightweight feel | Not rich enough for extra dry hair or thick hair |
| Excellent for detangling |
Best for Thick Hair: Moroccanoil Hydrating Conditioner
- Why We Love It: Brager finds that Moroccanoil’s formula is particularly effective on thicker or frizz-prone strands, thanks to the formula’s star ingredient—antioxidant-rich argan oil, which helps to make frizzy lengths overall more manageable. Maldonado agrees, noting that it’s a particularly rich texture, and perhaps not the best for those with finer hair. “Because of its creamy texture and nourishing oils, this conditioner is best suited for those with a full mane or naturally curly hair,” he previously said.
- Key Ingredients: Argan oil, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, linseed extract, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C
- Best For: Medium to thick, dry, or frizzy hair
- Size: 8.5 oz, 33.8 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Deep hydration for dry, frizz-prone hair | Potentially heavy for finer hair |
| Sulfate-free | Some find the scent to be potent |
Best With Keratin: Cécred Hydrating Conditioner
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- Why We Love It: Thanks to Cécred’s patent-pending bioactive keratin ferment, plus pro-vitamin B5, this strengthens your strands expertly. An African oil blend—featuring baobab, moringa, and black seed oils—along with olive oil and amino acids round out the formula, promoting shine, detangling, and resilient texture. Reviewers report smooth, shiny, and easily manageable hair across various types
- Editor’s Note: “I have fine hair but a lot of it so finding a good conditioner that goes the distance—moisturizing without coating my individual strands down—is a tricky feat. Cécred’s is exceptional though. I don’t need to use as much of the cream (as opposed to other conditioners)—a little goes a long way to lock in hydration and prep for the rest of my routine ahead.” —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: Cetearyl alcohol, shea butter, castor seed oil, coconut oil, keratin ferment, olive fruit oil, moringa oleifera seed oil, murumuru seed butter, panthenol
- Best For: All hair types—even color-treated hair, extensions, wigs, or weaves
- Size: 8 fl oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Hydrating formula fueled by botanic oils | Some find it doesn’t have enough slip for tightly textured hair |
| Ideal for frizzy or hard to manage lengths |
Everything You Need to Know
What to Look for in a Hydrating Conditioner
The secret to a hydrating conditioners lies within its ingredients. Below, Draper breaks down her favorites to look out for in a well-crafted formula.
- Biotin: Draper notes that biotin is ideal for strengthening and repairing brittle or damaged strands. The star ingredient stimulates overall keratin production to strengthen hair follicles.
- Aloe Vera: “Aloe vera is a natural hydrator. It imparts great shine and helps contributes to a balanced pH of the scalp,” says Draper.
- Fatty Alcohols: Ingredients in formulas can be hard to pronounce and not necessarily intuitive as to what their function is. Take fatty alcohols, for example, which act like liquid emollients. Cetearyl alcohol, which Draper explains "acts as an agent in softening the hair,” is often found in hydrating conditioner formulas.
- Humectants: Ingredients such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, attract moisture into the hair shaft and lock it in.
- Botanic Oils: Any number of botanic oils—whether coconut, jojoba, or more—help to smooth the hair’s cuticle and impart shine.
Which hair types should use a hydrating conditioner?
“All hair types benefit from a hydrating conditioner, and all types should be incorporating one into their wash routine. From fine and flat, to coarse and thick,” says Draper. “It all depends on how you use the formula.” She explains that the amount of product used matters depending on your hair type.
- Fine to Oily Hair: “Those with fine hair may feel that a super rich and hydrating conditioner may weigh the hair down,” says Draper, who advises using product sparingly, focusing only on the mid lengths to ends of hair. In this case, you can keep the product on for a minute or two, thoroughly rinsing it out.
- Dry to Thick Hair: The thicker and dryer the hair, the more hydration is required. “Those with extremely dry and thick hair can use conditioner more generously in volume, all over,” says Draper, who advises leaving the product on for a longer amount of time to maximize moisturizing.
How often should you use a hydrating conditioner?
There’s no definitive method to how often you should incorporate a hydrating conditioner in your routine. “Your hair will always tell you exactly what it needs,” says Draper, encouraging us to take a more problem-solution approach to our hair-care routine. “There are no hard-fast rules for your hair. Nobody knows your hair better than yourself—listen to it!”
In the case of color-treated, bleached, or excessively heat-styled hair, Draper believes there’s no such thing as over-hydrating. “If you start to notice your hair feels weighed down, and oilier than normal, just pair back your conditioning routine to every other wash.” The same concept can be applied to upping your conditioning frequency when hair starts to feel more dry and brittle.
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from professional hairstylists and colorists—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to conditioners, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, and what hair types they’re best suited for. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the Experts
- Briget Brager is Los Angeles–based celebrity hairstylist. Her roster includes Diane Kruger, Kristen Stewart, Sarah Paulson, Priyanka Chopra, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more.
- Samantha Draper is a New York–based professional hair stylist at Soho salon Suite Caroline specializing in everything from cool cuts to expert blowouts.
- Andrew Ly is a New York-based celebrity hairstylist. His roster includes Katy Perry, Sasha Calle, Anitta, Lucy Liu, and more.
- Cervando Maldonado is a Los Angeles-based celebrity hair stylist. He’s responsible for the cuts of Daisy Edgar-Jones, Naomi Watts, Miley Cyrus, Kirsten Dunst, Margot Robbie, Sofia Coppola, and more.
