Key ingredients: tamarind seed, vitamin E, panthenol, hydrolyzed proteins | Who it’s for: all hair types | Fragrance-free: no
Best Customizable: Prose Custom Leave-In Conditioner
Why it’s worth it: Custom anything scratches a hard-to-reach itch in our brains, and the pros at Prose nail it every time. After a quick but comprehensive quiz about your hair—covering everything from your zip code (for determining hard water content) to oiliness tendencies to density and texture—the site whips up a leave-in conditioner formula tailored to your specific needs. No matter the make, you’ll get a bottle of heat protection up to 450°F, frizz control, and all-day shine. Once you meet your match, you can order a one-off to take your formula for a spin or subscribe for automatic refills.
Key ingredients: depends on your consultation (examples include oat oil, acacia collagen, pea protein, and fermented rice water) | Who it’s for: people who want custom care | Fragrance-free: optional
Frequently Asked Questions
What do leave-in conditioners do?
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 to give our hair a little extra love. “Think of a leave-in conditioner as a balm that kind of does it all,” says Dimitris Giannetos, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist who works with celebrities like Camila Cabello and Jasmine Tookes, and 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.
What ingredients should I look for in leave-in conditioners?
What’s shopping for a new hair-care product without considering chemistry? Cosmetic chemist Ginger King suggests ingredients like oils, fatty alcohols, and triglycerides that will “smooth the cuticles and keep the hair in place.” For detangling in particular, King notes that compounds like quaternium 4, 7, and 11 work well (and to look out for ingredient names that start with quaternium or polyquaternium).
Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut, notes that humectants like hyaluronic acid in hair care can be key. “[Hyaluronic acid] revives dry strands and restores softness in just one minute,” she tells Allure. “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.”
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?