Best leave in moisturizer for natural hair

Rinse-out conditioners are essential hydrators that soften and smooth hair after cleansing, but the best leave-in conditioners go one step further. They linger, sink into hair follicles, and make a noticeable difference in how hydrated your hair looks. Plus, leave-ins offer a variety of extra benefits when it comes to UV protection and hair-type-specific styling help.

Leave-in conditioners are also absolute miracle workers for the time-starved among us who don't have the extra 15 minutes to wait around in the shower for an intensive hair mask to work its magic — but want to replicate some of the smoothing, deep-conditioning, shine-inducing results of using a mask, nonetheless.

Dimitris Giannetos, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist who regularly works with Camila Cabello and Jasmine Tookes, tells Allure that he loves uses leave-in conditioners when styling clients. "Think of a leave-in conditioner as a balm that kind of does it all," says Giannetos. "It can tame flyaways and add shine — even if the hair is a bit dry or damaged."

When you're shopping for leave-in conditioners, cosmetic chemist Ginger King suggests looking for ingredients like oils, fatty alcohols, and triglycerides that will "smooth the cuticles and keep the hair in place." For detangling in particular, King also notes that quaternium compounds work well, such as quaternium 4, 7, and 11 (look out for ingredient names that start with quaternium or polyquaternium).

With all these criteria in mind, we asked hairstylists to share their picks for the best leave-in conditioners to fulfill your hair hydration needs, and we added a couple of our own favorites, too. 

Co-washing, conditioning, or deep conditioning hair during a shower is one thing—but you're missing an entire piece of the puzzle if you aren't using leave-in conditioner afterwards, too. Sprays, serums, and creamy conditioners help natural hair retain moisture, wave away breakage, and add a bit of ease (and de-tangling) to your styling routine. Ahead, 11 editor-approved leave-in conditioners for curls, coils, and natural hair of any style.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1 Pattern Leave-In Conditioner

If you have curly or coily hair, a good leave-in conditioner is an absolute must. Especially if your natural texture is on the drier side, a leave-in is not so much optional as it is highly necessary. I like to keep a few on hand and rotate between them, but I decided it would be a good idea to call in an expert to weigh in on what to look for in a leave-in. Natural hair expert and founder of Juices & Botanics Haircare, Whitney Eaddy, provided me with a wealth of knowledge.

"People with tighter curl patterns should look for a water-based, hydrating leave-in conditioner that offers nourishment, restoration, and protective benefits," says Eaddy. "In my experience, people with tighter curl patterns tend to look for heavier products, but I find that lighter leave-in conditioners really do a better job of penetrating the strands and helping to mitigate dryness. Using products that are infused with nutrients, botanicals, and soft proteins is a great advantage in the hydration process. By infusing the hair with such ingredients and improving the absorption of water and nutrients, natural hair can hold and ultimately retain [more] moisture and length. This approach creates the optimal environment for healthy growth. A pro tip that I swear by is to always use both a liquid and cream leave-in. By layering them you’ll see an improvement in overall health, strength, hydration, and moisture retention."

For Eaddy's top leave-ins and a few of my own favorites, keep scrolling below.

Juices & Botanics Haircare

The Juice Replenishing Leave-In Conditioning Spray

$16

Shop Now

"This powerful formula is like a liquid vitamin for your strands. It strengthens and restores hair with ultra-lightweight moisture from root to tip. Not only does this revitalizing rice protein formula provide a wealth of shine and instant detangling, but also improves hair elasticity, manageability, and luster."⁠—Whitney Eaddy

Mielle Organics

Pomegranate & Honey Leave In Conditioner

$13

Shop Now

"This conditioner is lightweight, easy to use, and smells great! Proper detangling of your hair is a must, and this leave-in conditioner will detangle each and every strand. It will also lock in extra moisture with honey and babassu oil providing long-lasting hydration and protecting the hair with a wonderful blend of babassu oil and citrus extracts. It’s a win-win!"—Eaddy

Briogeo

Rosarco Milk Leave-in Conditioning Spray

$24

Shop Now

"This milky liquid leave-in is infused with a blend of ultra-nourishing rosehip and argan oil that helps effectively fight frizz, detangles, and restores hair's softness, strength, manageability, and moisture levels, while acting as a barrier against humidity."—Eaddy

Juices & Botanics Haircare

The Quench Cream Fortifying Leave-In Conditioner

$15

Shop Now

"This leave-in serves to seal the hair with lasting hydration and restores the natural moisture balance. It also shields the hair from environmental factors. It's a weightless formula that contains fortifying keratin, alma, and hibiscus. It gives an extra boost of frizz protection and works to improve the health and condition of the hair by filling in the gaps of any cuticle damage to provide vital nourishment and protection for the hair strands. The Quench Cream rejuvenates every strand and promotes healthy hair and length retention."—Eaddy

Design Essentials

Natural Bamboo & Silk HCO Strengthening Leave-In Conditioner

$10

Shop Now

"This Bamboo & Silk HCO Leave-In Conditioner is a targeted, highly penetrating conditioning treatment that detangles, soothes, and separates strands while also providing intense thermal protection for blowdrying and heat styles."—Eaddy

Pattern By Tracee Ellis Ross

Leave-In Conditioner

$25

Shop Now

"This blend of natural oils and honey in this amazing leave-in conditioner for natural hair perfectly seals in moisture before putting the hair into protective styles. It contains avocado, jojoba oil, and biotin. It seals in moisture, detangles, and adds extra hydration while giving soft-curl pattern definition."—Eaddy

Prose

Custom Curl Cream

$22

Shop Now

I've been using a custom curl cream from Prose for a few weeks now along with a made-for-me shampoo and conditioner from the brand and the results don't lie. My hair has never been softer or more manageable. I like mixing the curl cream with the custom hair oil to make a cocktail of extreme nourishment and hydration for my curls. 

Reverie

Milk Anti-Frizz Leave-In Nourishing Treatment

$42

Shop Now

This oil-cream formula leaves curls so soft and moisturized all day long. Although most leave-ins aim to just tame frizz, this one also repairs damage with nourishing coconut, olive, and almond oil.

Bread Beauty Supply

Elastic Bounce Leave-In Conditioning Styler Hair Cream

$28

Shop Now

I've never used a Bread Beauty Supply product I don't like, and the brand's Elastic Bounce Leave-In Conditioning Styler is really no different. It features ultra-hydrating ingredients like quinoa protein and mango butter to revitalize your strands and help reduce breakage and dryness.

Oribe

Hair Priming Lotion Leave-In Conditioning Detangler

$38

Shop Now

Luxury haircare brand Oribe is known for its lush formulas and the brand's leave-in conditioner is perfect for tighter curl types. It detangles with ease and contains mango seed butter and cupacu to provide extra hydration and slip for the hair. It can also act as a heat protectant if you'll be heat styling for the day.

Moroccanoil

All in One Leave-In Conditioner

$30

Shop Now

If your curls or coils are on the drier side, Moroccanoil's leave-in conditioner is the one for you. It provides up to 72 hours of hydration with ingredients like argan oil, vegetable-based keratin, and a conditioning superfood blend.

Curlsmith

Curl Conditioning Oil-in-Cream

$26

Shop Now

Curlsmith's rich oil-cream texture is great for protective styles and adds extra moisture to dry, thick hair. The addition of rose of Jericho (a desert plant that survives up to three years without water), carrot and sesame oil in the formula also help prevent further moisture loss.

What is the best leave

Which moisturizer is best for natural hair?

What's a good moisturizer for African American hair?

Is leave