Best Leave In Conditioner for Frizzy Hair

The best leave in conditioner for frizzy hair is the one matched to your hair's thickness and how much frizz you deal with, not the one with the biggest promise on the bottle. This page brings together leave-in sprays, lotions and creams that smooth and soften frizz-prone hair between washes. If frizz is only part of the problem, you can also compare all leave in conditioner in one place. Below is how we would choose.

Why hair frizzes

Frizz is mostly dryness showing. When the outer layer of the hair is rough or lifted, the strand pulls moisture out of the air, swells unevenly and stops lying flat. That is why frizz gets worse on humid days, after lightening or colour, and through lengths that have had years of hot tools.

A leave-in conditioner stays on the hair instead of rinsing away. It smooths the surface and leaves a light coat that slows that moisture swap. It doesn't change your hair. It helps the hair you have sit better until the next wash.

Spray, lotion or cream: choose by thickness

Start by checking the formula weight: spray, lotion or cream.

• Fine or straight hair: a light spray. Creams can sit on fine hair and make it look flat or oily by lunchtime. Mist it through damp lengths and ends only.
• Medium or wavy hair: a lotion or milk. Enough slip to smooth without dragging the movement out. Waves that frizz more than they hold have their own page: our best leave in conditioner for wavy hair.
• Thick, coarse or curly hair: a cream. It has the weight to keep frizz down through the day and helps curls group together. For curl-specific picks, see the best leave in conditioner for curly hair.

Not sure where you sit? Start lighter. It's easy to add a second pump. It's harder to rescue hair that has been weighed down.

Coloured, lightened or damaged hair

Chemically treated hair frizzes more because the surface is rougher to begin with. If keeping your colour looking fresh matters as much as the frizz, look at leave in conditioner for coloured hair. If breakage and split ends come with it, start with leave in conditioner for damaged hair instead.

Leave-in, mask or treatment?

They do different jobs, and plenty of frizzy hair needs more than one.

• Leave-in conditioner is the everyday layer. It goes on after each wash and makes styling easier.
• A mask goes on in the shower once a week and gets rinsed out. It's the deeper conditioning step. See our hair mask for frizzy hair picks.
• A leave-in treatment is more concentrated and usually goes on in smaller amounts on the driest lengths. Compare the best leave in treatment for frizzy hair.

For mild frizz, a good leave-in on its own is often enough. If your hair still feels rough the day after washing, add a weekly mask before you pay more for a stronger leave-in.

When a leave-in won't fix it

Some frizz isn't a product problem. Short broken hairs and new growth around the hairline will stick up whatever you put on them. A rough towel rub and a hot blow-dry with no nozzle will undo most of what a leave-in does. Pat hair dry, apply your leave-in while it's damp, and dry in the direction the hair grows. Those changes cost nothing.

If you want to sort the whole routine, from shampoo and conditioner through to styling, browse our frizzy hair products.

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