The best conditioners proven to leave hair soft and shiny in our testing

Score: 86/100

Since its launch in 2020, K18 has been busy shaking up the haircare industry. Often compared to brands that have been around for decades, its unique approach, which looks to simplify your haircare routine with the help of one powerful peptide, makes it stand out from the crowd.

According to the brand, the K18 Peptide reduces protein loss, helping to strengthen hair. It’s used here alongside polysaccharide – a biomolecule that tackles any inflammation around hair follicles, helping to promote new hair growth and shield against UV rays, pollution and heat styling.

Our testers said the conditioner left their hair feeling “thick, shiny, and not frizzy”, with “no stickiness or unpleasant smell”. Its protective properties also promise to preserve your hair colour for longer. It takes a few shakes to get the luxurious creme out of the bottle, but, on the plus side, you won’t be left scooping spills off the shower tray...

Score: 86/100

As you could expect with anything created by Beyoncé, this nourishing conditioner comes beautifully packaged in a sleek, luxurious pot, which went down well with our panel for its shelfie appeal.

And it feels as good as it looks, leaving our panellists’ hair looking “moist and hydrated”. One tester loved how easy it was to detangle their strands after using it, avoiding breakage, which is great for curly, textured hair that can’t be brushed every day.

It’s formulated with a blend of moisturising butters and oils (12 to be exact) and contains no silicones or parabens, which can be harsh on your hair.

With added hyaluronic acid and squalene, this conditioner takes hydration seriously, and all our testers agreed their hair felt healthier after use.

Score: 85/100

Have you experienced dry, brittle ends and snapping after years of bleaching? Bottle blondes will know the struggle, which is why finding a nourishing conditioner is vital.

This one delivers a dose of silkiness to ends, according to our panel. It was also praised for its “divine, salon-like scent”, helping to keep hair looking and feeling fresh days after washing.

Take care when dispensing it, though, as a few testers found that it comes out quite quickly and you don’t need a lot of product. In fact, one panellist said it transformed their dry hair in just a couple of applications despite only using a small amount. Liquid gold!

Score: 79/100

If you have curly hair that tangles easily, this conditioner will work wonders for you. “Detangling with a curly brush while having this conditioner on was so easy,” said one of our testers. They added that it was much easier to manage after it was rinsed out, too.

Its creamy texture was also a standout feature and is down to the star ingredient: colloidal oats. When oats are used in hair and skin cosmetics, their soothing, moisture-locking properties help create the perfect foundation for healthy hair growth.

We also tested the matching shampoo and the sulphate-free formula didn’t irritate scalps, while still lathering well – practically unheard of when it comes to sulphate-free formulas.

Score: 75/100

Curly, textured hair is naturally drier as it’s harder for the oils from the scalp to reach the strands, but a good conditioner can help replenish those ends. Plus, to keep those curls looking bouncy rather than frizzy (if that’s your desired look), it’s unlikely you’ll brush between washes, which means you’ll need one with good detangling properties, too. Enter Curlsmith, an entire haircare range dedicated to the curly cause.

It performed well with our testers, with one loving how it left their ringlets “bouncier and springier” than their usual conditioner. This is thanks to ingredients such as olive stem cell extract and linden buds, which nourish the hair cortex from the inside out, leaving curls looking fuller and thicker.

Some found the pump dispenser a little stiff, making it hard to control how much came out, but others loved the packaging, with one praising the “lovely smell and nice pump dispenser”. You can’t win ’em all.

Score: 75/100

Whether you choose to rinse it out or leave it in, this silicone-free conditioner will give you the hydration boost your curls need. It works well on dyed hair too, as one of our testers with over-processed and heat-damaged locks said it “brought them back to life”. We love a hair revival.

It’s formulated with peptides from plant proteins, which encourage healthy, strong hair growth, as well as protecting curls from breakage during those dreaded detangling sessions. A few points were knocked off for the smell, which was described as “bland”.

Score: 73/100

Let the baobab oil and protein in Arkive’s All Day Extra conditioner put the shine, resilience and bounce back in your curls. Though testers found that they needed more than the advised grape-sized amount, once rinsed out, many were left with volumised, softer hair that wasn’t weighed down by the product.

“I’ve never had such thick hair in my life!” exclaimed one tester, while another added: “It’s simply the best conditioner I’ve ever used.” Big statements all round.

Are sweaty commutes or hot holidays threatening your salon-worthy blow dry? Well, Amika’s latest smoothing and taming conditioner is your hair’s ultimate armour against humidity.

It’s made for medium-to-thick, coarse, wavy and coily hair types, or anyone who’s prone to frizz. There’s a host of ingredients that help treat frazzled flyaways and lacklustre curls, delivering long-lasting smoothness. Aloe vera leaf juice helps hydrates hair, and sea buckthorn follows up to seal moisture in. There’s also the hardworking extended humidity shield, aka heat-activated smoothing molecules to keep your hair in place.

The brand claims that it’s clinically proven to lock out frizz for up to 72 hours, which lifestyle writer Madeleine put to the test. “It kept my wavy hair looking straight and sleek through a weekend of festivals in a heatwave,” she says. “With many more similar outings coming up, it’s safe to say I’ll be using this for the foreseeable.”

Haircare brand Rahua has a range of enriching and luxurious formulations, and this conditioner is the perfect example. Though it’s rich in texture, it puts bounce and volume into your hair, leaving it feeling thicker and healthier. This is down to the omega-9-rich Rahua oil, which strengthens and fortifies strands without compromising on body. Alongside it is volumising lemongrass and emolliating shea butter, which hydrate and seal cuticles to avoid moisture loss.

This balance of hydrating and volumising results without weighing locks down makes it the perfect conditioner for medium-to-thin hair types. No more battles with your hairbrush either, as it works a treat for detangling hair, too.

Our curly headed Household Advice Writer, Ella Duggan, swears by this strengthening, detangling and softening conditioner from Mielle Organics. “It leaves my hair feeling utterly buttery and smooth every time,” she says.

The formula works to add moisture and definition to her coils, while also defending against frizz. This is down to the scalp nourishing, breakage-reducing rosemary and mint oils. These powerhouse ingredients also help to stimulate hair growth as they improve blood circulation to the scalp.