The Best Clean Conditioners
for Shiny, Sexy Hair
Whether your hair is kinky, curly, frizzy, straight, or super fine, keeping it healthy and shiny is easier than you think, with a great (clean, of course) conditioner. Different hair types need different degrees of moisture, which is why finding the right conditioner for your hair can make such a difference. To boost shine and softness, minimize frizz, eliminate tangles, or preserve and brighten your color, go clean and super moisturizing and you can’t go wrong.
-
THE SMOOTHING
BRUSH
Philip B. Paddle Brush goop, $190SHOP NOW -
FRIZZ-FIGHTING
TOWEL
Aquis Lisse Luxe Hair Towel goop, $30SHOP NOW -
FOR ALL HAIR
TYPES
Grown Alchemist Nourishing Conditioner goop, $49SHOP NOW -
LEAVE-IN
Rahua Hydration Detangler
+ UV Barrier goop, $32SHOP NOW
Weight and texture are generally good indicators of the way a product is likely to behave in your hair: If you’ve got a fine texture, a light cream or lotion conditioner will give you shine without weight; oils are probably going to be too much. But a light texture doesn’t mean “for fine hair only.” For instance, the relatively light cream conditioner from Sangre de Fruta might seem to be too little for hair with more texture or curl, but its high concentrations of botanical oils help make even very kinky hair smoother and softer.
-
Sangre de Fruta Garden of Earthly Delights
Botanical Conditioner goop, $52SHOP NOW -
Rahua Hydration Conditioner goop, $36SHOP NOW
If you’ve got curly, kinky, or coarse hair, the more conditioning, the better. Using a hair serum as a preshampoo treatment is a way to ramp up the shine. So is adding a hair mask to your routine in the shower (where the steam opens up the hair cuticle, allowing the nourishing ingredients to really sink in); you can use it in place of conditioner. And add yet another moisturizing step—working in a leave-in cream once you’re out of the shower while curls are still damp—if you need more.
-
Crown Affair The Renewal Mask goop, $58SHOP NOW -
goop Beauty goopglow restore
+ shine Hair serum $48/$44 with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
Rahua Leave-In Treatment Light goop, $45SHOP NOW
If you color your hair, conditioners tailored to protect color do make a noticeable difference (though any conditioner will help to some degree). Never condition directly after coloring—until color is set, oil of any sort will dissolve it. After that, however, go crazy with conditioner to keep your hair vibrant and shiny (most coloring processes leech out shine like nobody’s business, so you need to put it back in).
-
Innersense The Renewal Mask goop, $30SHOP NOW -
Rahua Color Full Conditioner goop, $40SHOP NOW
-
Reverie Milk Anti-Frizz
Leave-In Conditioner goop, $42SHOP NOW
Dry hair also benefits from layering conditioning treatments and—if you’ve got the time—a little heat. Before getting in the shower, work a treatment like Rahua’s Omega 9 Mask through your ends and turn your blow-dryer on them for five minutes, as the heat will help the oil penetrate deeper. Use a rich conditioner in the shower, then finish with a leave-in or an oil once you’re out.
Whatever your hair type, making the shift to clean hair care can make an incredible difference, and not only because clean products, without all the fillers and texturizers to make your hair feel as if it’s softened, use oils and butters that actually soften and condition your hair. Conventional hair care is a beauty category that is especially laden with potentially harmful ingredients. And it’s important to note that the parabens, preservatives, and synthetic fragrances (an ingredient in which brands can hide any number of undisclosed chemicals) common in conventional shampoos and conditioners are applied directly onto your scalp. When you go clean with your hair routine, in place of potentially harmful chemicals, you get hydrating oils, plant extracts, and nourishing butters that work to make hair healthy and radiant for smooth, shiny-hair days ahead.
Extra Credit: Scalp Treatments for Shiny Hair
Depending on the formula and your hair type, you can do two hair treatments at once: a scalp treatment at the roots, and a hair mask or oil on the ends.
Need help figuring out where to add these into your routine? Have a specific question? Send a message to the pros at [email protected] for personalized assistance.
