Frequently Asked Questions
What do leave-in conditioners do?
“Think of a leave-in conditioner as a balm that kind of does it all,” says Dimitris Giannetos, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist who considers moisturizing leave-ins a styling must. “They can tame flyaways and add shine—even if the hair is a bit dry or damaged,” Giannetos adds. Scalia adds that leave-ins aren’t just for adding moisture—they should solve a specific need or final result, like heat protection, repairing split ends, soothing the scalp, etc.
TL;DR Leave-in conditioners are miracle workers for those of us perpetually in a rush—we may not have 15 minutes to wait for a hair mask to work its magic, but we still want hydrating hair care.
What ingredients should I look for in leave-in conditioners?
Look out for humectants like hyaluronic acid, says Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut. “[Hyaluronic acid] revives dry strands and restores softness in just one minute,” she explains. “Just like your skin, your hair loses moisture daily—from heat-styling, environmental stressors, and even washing. Without proper hydration, it becomes dry, brittle, and prone to breakage.”
“Look for products with lightweight, moisturizing ingredients like hydrolyzed silk, vitamins B and E, and biotin,” New York City-based hairstylist Vanessa Ocando told Allure. “They help strengthen the hair, lock in moisture, and support elasticity, all without the heaviness.”
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn’t want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls—right?
For our review of the best leave-in conditioners, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and hair stylists to find the most hydrating, strand-softening formulas out there. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.