Best Wella Conditioner

The best Wella conditioner is the one built for your hair's main need, so start there, not with the scent or the bottle. Wella Professionals splits its conditioners by need: colour care, repair, moisture, curls, volume and blonde care. Name the one thing your hair struggles with most and the shortlist gets small fast. To see the whole brand side by side, browse our Wella Professionals range.

Read your hair before you buy

Look at your hair once it is dry, not while it is wet in the shower. Dry hair shows you what it needs.

• Colour looks dull or fades between appointments. Choose a colour care conditioner and rinse in cool water. Blondes can swap in a toning conditioner now and then to keep brassiness down. It does not need to go on every wash.
• Ends snap, split or feel like straw. That is damage, often from bleach, heat or tight styles. A repair conditioner is the place to start, and the ends need it most.
• Hair feels rough, dry or puffs up in humid weather. That is a moisture gap. A richer, hydrating conditioner suits thick or coarse hair best.
• Curls look loose or frizzy. Curls need a conditioner with plenty of slip, so you can detangle without pulling the pattern apart. Comb it through with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb.
• Hair goes flat by lunchtime. You need less weight, not more. A volume conditioner, kept off the roots, is the better match for fine hair.

If two of these sound like you, buy for the one you notice every day. You can always add a second product later.

Match the conditioner to the shampoo

Your shampoo cleans and rinses away. Your conditioner is the step that stays on the lengths, so it does most of the work you can feel. Still, the two should agree. A heavy moisture conditioner after a volume shampoo can cancel out the lift you paid for. A light conditioner after a repair shampoo can leave damaged ends wanting more. If you want a pair that already matches, start with the best wella shampoo and conditioner. If you only need to replace the wash step, see our best wella shampoo for your hair type.

When a conditioner is not enough

A conditioner sits on the hair for a minute or two. For bleached, coloured or very dry hair, that is often too short. Add a mask once a week and leave it on for longer. Look at our best wella hair mask page to pick one that suits the same need as your conditioner.

How to use it

• Squeeze the water out first. Conditioner on dripping hair slides straight off.
• Work it through the mid-lengths and ends. Only take it to the roots if your scalp is dry too.
• Leave it for a couple of minutes, then rinse well. Leftover conditioner looks like greasy hair the next day.
• Use the amount your hair needs. Long, thick hair takes more. Short or fine hair takes less.

Signs you picked wrong

If your hair feels coated or limp a day after washing, the formula is too rich for you. Use less or go lighter. If it still tangles and feels dry after rinsing, go richer. Hair changes with colour, heat and the seasons, so the right conditioner last winter may not be the right one now. Switching is normal. Salon clients swap products all the time.

AMR stocks the Wella Professionals conditioners next to the matching shampoos and masks, so you can compare the full routine in one place.

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