A Hairstylist Says These Are the 13 Best Deep Conditioners

Table Of Content

• FEKKAI Shea Butter Intense Mask
• What does deep conditioner do?
• Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Super Nourishing Coconut & Fig Hair Masque
• What to Look For in Deep Conditioner for Bleached Hair
• Best Deep Conditioner Overall
• These Expert-Approved Deep Conditioner Treatments Will Rejuvenate Dry, Damaged Hair
• Mizani Scalp Care Deep Conditioner

No need to rinse, just add to your hair after your shower and watch your hair become revitalized, soft, and manageable – those with thin hair will notice a thickening effect as well. This curling iron — made with naturally curly hair in mind — has three interchangeable barrels that make it easy to get the curl shape and size that's right for you. Now it's time to kick back and relax for a few as the deep conditioner does its work.

FEKKAI Shea Butter Intense Mask

The Best Hair Masks 2024 The Strategist - New York Magazine

The Best Hair Masks 2024 The Strategist.

Posted: Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

If your hair is on the thinner side, Garrett recommends this Christophe Robin option. "It's lightweight but because of the aloe vera in the formula, it's super hydrating and helps increase shine and reduce frizz," she says. Just use a small amount after shampoo and make sure to rinse out thoroughly. “Most hair masks can indirectly help with growth by protecting hair strands, moisturizing hair, and preventing breakage,” says Dr. Neera Nathan, a board-certified dermatologist and the chief dermatological advisor of Vegamour. Adding a mask to your arsenal is a surefire way to arm your hair with the nutrients needed to remain strong and healthy.

What does deep conditioner do?

Those with dry or coarse hair (regardless of damage level) can—and should! —use a moisturizing, protein-free deep conditioner every week (or every other week for fine hair), then incorporate a protein-filled deep conditioner once a month. Deep conditioners are also packed with conditioning surfactants that stick to your strands and act as a sealant to prevent water loss, while also penetrating deep into your strands to hydrate. Our team then combined these results with our own research of fan-favorites plus stylist-recommended picks to create this list. After just a few uses of this creamy deep conditioner, your hair will be left feeling softer and stronger than ever. Borage oil helps to strengthen the hair follicles to prevent breakage while the lack of parabens and sulfates makes this gentle, clean formula the perfect choice for color-treated locks.

Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Super Nourishing Coconut & Fig Hair Masque

Equally, shampoo and conditioner are only the bare basics for your hair care routine, deep conditioner being an important product to add to it. Deep conditioning treatments are typically recommended anywhere from once a week to once a month, depending on your texture. Thick and coily hair textures may benefit from frequent use (since the hair tends to get drier due to the lack of oils reaching the strands), while people with finer hair can opt for it once a month. “Winter months may require the use of a conditioning treatment more frequently,” she says. Due to the lack of moisture (i.e., humidity) in the air, it’s common for your hair to be drier or brittle in colder temps. Even if you're a no-fuss, "get up and go" kinda gal, you'll still want to protect your tresses from environmental pollutants, which can latch onto hair and impact your overall scalp and hair health.

With these expert pointers in mind, we researched and tested the best conditioners available today. After evaluating each formula's ingredients, benefits, effectiveness, and value, we narrowed it down to these 19 options worth buying. This article was written by Allison Faccenda, a lifestyle, pop culture, and commerce writer with experience in video content creation. She was previously a market writer at BuzzFeed and produced short-form video content for their various social platforms. To write this article, she spent hours researching the best conditioners and spoke with Audrey Oberg, a hair colorist at Love Lane Salon in New Jersey. The important rule to keep in mind is “moisture over protein,” meaning when in doubt, load up on the protein-free formulas as often as you want, and save the protein-heavy formulas for once-monthly treatments.

Fhi Heat Unbrush

The Genesis hair mask is an exemplary member of the collection; ingredients like edelweiss native cells and ginger root toil behind the scenes, delivering smooth, shiny locks. If you’re already a Cheirosa 62 devotee, you’ll love this Sol de Janeiro hair mask, which possesses the signature sweet scent. Meanwhile, cupuacu, murumuru, and tucuma butters provide a burst of hydration, giving strands the strength to grow longer and healthier. Mielle went beyond viral on TikTok for its Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp Hair Strengthening Oil, which nourishes the scalp to encourage hair growth. The hair mask in the same line deserves a second look, too; by strengthening parched, fragile hair with biotin, aloe, and honey, it helps stop strands from breaking faster than you can grow them.

Best Deep Conditioner Overall

Ceramides work to smooth the hair shaft while prickly pear oil helps hydrate and soften, thanks to its high concentration of vitamin E. The texture feels luxe and creamy, though it doesn't leave a residue behind. Over time, the mask works to repair existing damage and prevent new damage from occurring. Plus, it boosts the intensity of your hair color—something folks with color-treated hair will be especially happy about. Because leans heavily on prickly pear oil, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the pear fragrance is pretty potent. The scent is a bit strong and perfumey, so keep this in mind if you're sensitive to fragrance.

It treats the scalp to a dose of TLC, gently removing buildup or flakes while nourishing your hair from the roots down. The entire line is pretty amazing, but if you're just looking for conditioner, No. 5 is a stellar choice. Originally used by professional colorists to minimize damage caused by bleach and dye, this beloved haircare system has quickly become a household name. Like all haircare items from the brand, this one is formulated with a patented molecule that repairs broken bonds within each hair shaft.

"Finer and thinner hair types should also deep condition, but not as much as thick hair," says Hurtado; she recommends every two weeks. "Overconditioning can weigh the hair down and even leave it feeling greasy and oily at the roots." Deep conditioning "helps restore shine, helps reduce frizz, improves moisture, and nourishes, especially for color-treated hair that is overly processed or damaged," says Hurtado. In addition to these benefits, deep conditioning can keep your hair in better shape for longer than post-shampoo conditioning can. "They last longer and some can benefit for up to 12 washes" if you have a solid daily haircare routine, says Jimieson.

Compared to regular conditioners, deep conditioners typically have a higher concentration of nourishing ingredients, making them more effective at saturating your hair with hydration. They also sit in your hair for longer than typical conditioners, giving them additional time to soothe your strands. Deep conditioner can be beneficial for just about any hair type and texture, with the exception of very oily hair. Deep conditioning treatments work best on freshly shampooed hair, especially when they’re packed with essential oils and free of alcohol and silicone. You can DIY your way through the damage, or cut costs by purchasing one of the many hair pick-me-ups in the sprawling haircare aisles of your favorite stores, just waiting for their new home.

It'll leave your hair silky smooth, thick and hydrated, ready for you to style. Use this sturdy, professional-grade brush to fight frizz, spread moisture throughout your hair, and add shine to locks without luster. If you've been spending a lot of time with the blow dryer over the winter, it's a good idea to part with it and try something a little different.

Plus, it contains nourishing macadamia and saw palmetto oil, enhancing its moisturizing capabilities without weighing hair down. Babbitt has more than 15 years of experience styling hair of all types, and he swears by this shine-enhancing, sulfate-free formula from Mizani. He also uses the product as a detangler, a cutting lotion (a milky product used during hair trims that eases the friction and potential irritation of scissors and shears), and a daily leave-in conditioner for curly hair. He raves that the formula smells "fresh and honest." Talk about a quadruple threat. These hair masks work harder than run-of-the-mill shower conditioners, whether they’re used in ten-to-fifteen minute intervals or applied overnight. In the immediate term, “Deep conditioners bring moisture back to the hair and help reduce hair breakage,” Kimble explains.

Before joining GH in 2021, she was a style and beauty reviews fellow at Insider, testing viral trends, reviewing sustainable brands and more. She's a graduate of the University of Florida's School of Journalism, with a specialty in magazines and mass communication. "After working with and getting to know your hair, he or she can definitely help point you in the right direction," says Ford. Rachel Bodt is a senior Colorist at Red Door in New York City and is a brand ambassador for Matrix haircare. Her work has been featured in a number of magazines and she regularly collaborates with Balenciaga during their Paarif Fashion Week Shows. Her clients have included Kate Moss, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Tilda Swinton, Michelle Williams, Emily Blunt, and Marisa Tomei.

To find the best deep conditioners, we tested 25 products and sent each one to 22 women. Testers used the label-blinded product at home at least four times over a two week period before completing a survey rating attributes such as ease of use, performance and overall satisfaction on a five point scale. The top 10 performing products were then tested in the Lab for their ability to condition hair using the Instron, a tool that measures how much force is needed to comb through a hair swatch in wet state. This mask from Briogeo promises to strengthen damaged hair, prevent breakage, improve texture, and leave natural hair moisturized. You can use it a few times a week in place of your normal conditioner, leaving it on for at least 10 minutes before rinsing to reap the full benefits.