Best Conditioner for Curly Hair

Choose one conditioner or a mask

Use rinse-out conditioner after shampoo, then rinse it out before styling. If you prefer a mask for this wash, use it as your conditioning step rather than adding both without a reason.

Compare where each product goes, whether it includes detangling directions and how long you leave it on.

PATTERN for sectioning; Curlsmith for a short leave time

PATTERN Medium Conditioner goes from roots to ends. For dense curls or long hair, section as needed and detangle with your fingers or a shower brush, then rinse thoroughly. The Original scent comes in 3, 13 and 29 fl oz sizes.

Curlsmith Essential Moisture Conditioner goes through wet hair after shampoo. Detangle with fingers or a tool, leave it for one to two minutes, then rinse. US sizes are 3 and 12 oz.

OLAPLEX for mid-lengths and ends; tgin’s directions are less detailed

OLAPLEX No.5 goes from mid-lengths to ends for one to three minutes, then rinses out. Choose it if you want to keep conditioner away from the roots. OLAPLEX gives 5 mL as an average but conflicting bottle-use estimates, so enter your own amount for cost per wash.

tgin Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner goes on after shampoo and rinses out. Its 13 oz product page gives no leave time or detangling steps. If you want those instructions before choosing a conditioner, PATTERN, Curlsmith or OLAPLEX is a clearer starting choice.

Plan detangling during conditioning

PATTERN and Curlsmith include detangling in their directions. PATTERN suggests sections for dense or long hair; Curlsmith has a one-to-two-minute leave time. tgin and OLAPLEX do not give the same detangling sequence.

Work in sections you can hold comfortably. If one section catches while another is easy to comb, divide it or spread the conditioner more evenly before adding more product.

Compare fragrance, silicones and protein ingredients

All four lists include fragrance. PATTERN, tgin and OLAPLEX list silicones; Curlsmith does not. PATTERN Original also lists a protein-related ingredient. These facts do not tell you which will feel lighter or detangle better.

Check the bottle if you need to avoid an ingredient. PATTERN Palo Santo is separate from Original, and Curlsmith warns that package and website formulas can differ during transitions.

Eleven more rinse-outs, from a quick rinse to 15 minutes

Leave times spread wider here: Not Your Mother’s Clean Slate says 1 to 2 minutes, Aunt Jackie’s In Control and Ouidad Curl Quencher say three, and Mielle’s Pomegranate & Honey says 10 to 15, closer to a mask. Aussie Miracle Curls gives no time: work it in and rinse.

Ouidad puts its conditioner on mid-lengths and ends with a wide-tooth comb; Mielle combs it from root to tip. Aunt Jackie’s also describes the same bottle as a co-wash and, under a plastic cap and a hooded dryer for 10 minutes, as a treatment.

Cécred’s Hydrating Conditioner sits for 1 minute and is worked through each section with a vented paddle brush. SheaMoisture’s Curl & Shine and Jamaican Black Castor Oil conditioners say 3 minutes, combed through, and Curlsmith’s Fragrance-Free Conditioner 1 to 2 minutes, detangled with it in. Bouclème’s Curl Conditioner and its fragrance-free version go on soaking-wet hair and give no time; Bouclème says to rinse them out of fine or balanced hair and that thirsty curls can keep them in as a leave-in.

On the labels, Mielle, Aussie, Ouidad and Aunt Jackie’s each list a silicone, and Aunt Jackie’s also lists hydrolyzed keratin and collagen; SheaMoisture’s two list hydrolyzed proteins and Cécred’s a keratin ferment. The table below shows each one.

Try one change on your next wash

Choose one conditioner and follow its placement and leave-time directions. Keep the amount and section size similar when comparing two washes.

If you change from roots-to-ends application to mid-lengths and ends, keep the shampoo and styler familiar. After rinsing, decide whether you want a leave-in before styling and drying.

Questions before your next wash