The 10 Best Drugstore Conditioners of 2023 For Tangle-Free Hair
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Pantene Miracle Boost Rosewater Conditioner is a reliable classic.
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A good conditioner is an essential part of any hair care routine. Sure, shampoos do a lot of the dirty work like rinsing out excess grease, oil, and debris, but conditioners finish the job. They coax out tangles, smooth the cuticles, and add slip to the strands. “The key to healthy hair is having the proper foundation from the start,” Lacy Redway, Unilever stylist and celebrity hairstylist. In other words, finding the right product pairing is the secret to consistent good hair days.
That being said, conditioners overpopulate the shelves in both luxury retailers and drugstores. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to find the right conditioner for your hair type. The good news is that finding an effective conditioner does not have to be expensive. Thankfully, the drugstore is filled with quality options loved by both professionals and shoppers.
In order to find the best conditioners at the drugstore, we interviewed top celebrity hairstylists for their favorite picks and put some new launches to the test. We incorporated new conditioners into our every haircare routine and measured their effectiveness. Then, we compiled our favorites and top expert picks into this list.
From stick straight strands to tightly wound coils, we found the best, affordable conditioners. Read on to discover the best drugstore conditioners for every hair type, concern, and situation.
Pantene Miracle Moisture Boost With Rosewater Shampoo
Best Overall
What We Love: The pump makes it easy to dispense the product.
What We Don’t Love: The scent is a little strong, so keep that in mind before buying.
Formulated for all hair types, this thick (but not too thick) cream hydrates strands and breaks down snarls. Rosewater and vitamin B5 are the stars of the ingredient list, because they help nourish hair without coating it in a heavy film. The easy to use pump makes getting enough product super simple. Our tester notoriously hates conditioners for the heavy, matte feel post rinse. She reported that her hair felt silkier and smoother after just one wash, but be warned, the scent is fairly strong. If you are sensitive to fragrance, try a different option on the list.
Size: 13.5 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Weightless Frizz Protection Conditioner
Best for Fine Hair
What We Love: This conditioner hydrates without weighing strands down.
What We Don’t Love: We wish the bottle was a little bit bigger for the price.
Fine hair is more prone to tangles and snarls. However, it can be difficult to find a conditioner that hydrates without weighing fine hair down. Unilever stylist and celebrity hairstylist, Lacy Redway loves this option for those with fine hair. “This one is great for finer hair, because its lightweight formula is perfect for hydrating and strengthening hair and managing unwanted frizz,” she says. For another way to maintain volume, Redway recommends adding conditioner to the mid-shaft and ends of your hair to minimize weighing down your roots.
Size: 13.5 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
OGX Thick and Full Biotin + Collagen Conditioner
Best for Thin Hair
What We Love: The nourishing blend of ingredients helps keep hair healthy and full.
What We Don’t Love: The shape of the bottle makes it difficult to get all of the product out.
Everyone dreams of thick, luscious hair, but unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with a full mane. This conditioner can’t make more hair grow on your head, but it can make it look that way. Biotin, collagen, and wheat protein plump up skinny strands which help add overall volume and body.
Just note: All OGX bottles have their signature rounded top, but it can be hard to get all of the product out of the bottle.
Size: 13 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
Sexy Hair Texture Shoreline Texturizing Conditioner
Best for Wavy Hair
What We Love: The ultra-thick texture feels extra hydrating.
What We Don’t Love: The added texture can make hair tougher to comb through after using.
Wavy hair can range from a slight bend to surfer-style ripples. To coax out shapely texture, look for products that emphasize your wave rather than detract from it. This option offers an ultra thick texture for a boost of hydration, but it also adds extra texture or body. Celebrity stylist Danielle Priano loves this conditioner for a relaxed, I-woke-up-like-this look. “It makes the hair so wavy and with a beachy vibe,” she says.
Size: 10.1 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
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Ouidad Curl Quench Moisturizing Conditioner
Best for Curly Hair
What We Love: This formula is super hydrating, so it is great for color-treated curls.
What We Don’t Love: We wish that it was a larger size for the price.
Curly hair needs moisture. “For textured and/or curly hair, you want conditioners that will strengthen, hydrate and moisturize your natural curls,” recommends Keka Heron, an Atlanta-based professional hairstylist. “Natural oils help limit frizz.” Heron specifically recommends this option from Ouidad because of its ingredients. It includes lemon extract to enhance shine, vitamin B5 to nourish, and aloe to soothe the scalp.
Size: 10.1 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
Creme of Nature Butter Blend & Flaxseed Leave In Conditioner
Best for Coily Hair
What We Love: This versatile pick does double duty. Use it as a leave-in to help detangle or as a rinse-out for shiny strands.
What We Don’t Love: We couldn’t find anything we didn’t like about this formula.
Just like curly hair, coily hair looks best when it is hydrated. Moisturized coils retain their shape, and maintain shine. Heron loves conditioners with argan oil, because it helps keep frizz at bay. She recommends this for how it adds slip and detangles. “It helps stretch hair and it increases elasticity,” says Heron.
Our favorite part is how the product multitasks. Every curly girl is different, so they deserve options that fit their hair’s needs. This versatile styler can be used as a leave-in or a rinse-out depending on your preference.
Size: 12 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
L’Oreal Paris EverPure Glossing Conditioner
Best for Color Treated Hair
What We Love: The easy-to-squeeze tube allows you to get to the very last drop.
What We Don’t Love: This conditioner is designed to be used as part of a three step system, so using it on its own probably will not yield the best results.
Colored hair is often the most damaged, in part because coloring alters your hair's pH level. Chemical processing tends to make your hair more acidic. This results in the lifting of the follicle which then results in a loss of moisture, frizz, and breakage. Celebrity hairstylist, Jonathan Columbin (who is a L’Oreal ambassador)i recommends the EverPure Glossing line to deliver much needed moisture. “This three step system is perfect for restoring the hairs’ pH level – especially after coloring,” says Columbini, “This ensures your hair stays shiny and increases the longevity of your color.”
Size: 8.5 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
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Tresemmé Moisture Rich Conditioner
Best for Dry Hair
What We Love: This family sized bottle is priced under $10.
What We Don’t Love: While the size is ideal, the shape of this bottle is hard to handle in the shower. We wish it had a pump.
Another favorite from Redway, this conditioner is designed to quench parched hair. “It was formulated to leave your hair feeling stronger and effortlessly manageable,” Redway says, “It makes your hair the perfect canvas to create any look.” At a whopping 23 ounces, this bottle is the biggest option on our list, and it is priced under $10. Regardless of your length and thickness, this budget friendly buy is guaranteed to last in your shower.
Size: 28 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
Dove Nutritive Solutions Conditioner Intensive Repair
Best for Damaged Hair
What We Love: Designed for damaged hair, this conditioner improves the look and feel of processed strands.
What We Don’t Love: The scent is strong and can be polarizing.
From heat styling to unnecessary friction to coloring, there are a number of ways to damage your hair. Thankfully, using the right conditioner can help keep your hair in shape. Redway recommends this conditioner for anyone experiencing breakage and or looking to repair their hair. “It is formulated with a patented ingredient complex which means it can stop up to 98% of daily damage,” she says. Redway also suggests applying mid-shaft and down to the ends as this prevents build up at the root.
Size: 12 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner
Best Leave-In
What We Love: Sure, it works as a leave-in conditioner, but it has nine other uses as well.
What We Don’t Love: This product is a bit pricey for the drugstore.
Conditioners are most commonly found in the shower, but this spray allows you to take all the benefits of your bottle on the go. Our tester struggles to find styling products, let alone leave-ins, that don’t weigh her fine hair down. That is until she tried this one. Not only does this weightless spray smooth, but it also detangles, enhances shine, eliminates frizz, protects against heat, and adds shine. In other words, it does it all. Use it on wet or dry hair, and prepare for good hair days ahead.
Size: 10 oz. | Hair Type: All | Scented: Yes
What to Keep in Mind:
Ingredients
Like all cosmetic products, it is important to pay attention to the ingredients on the label. Heron recommends looking for products that include hydrating ingredients like shea, coconut, jojoba, and argan oil. If you are looking for strengthening ingredients, she suggests keratin, wheat protein, collagen, milk protein, and amino acids. She also suggests looking for water soluble ingredients to retain moisture and cause less frizz.
Size
For hair types wavy through coily, conditioner tends to run out quicker than shampoos. To avoid this, try to use two quarter-sized dollops of conditioner for each use.
Your Questions, Answered
Do drugstore conditioners expire?
Drugstore conditioners, like all other cosmetics, have an expiration date. This is usually located on the back corner of the bottle. A small bottle will display a number, and that indicates how many months the product should be used. Just like your other beauty products, the expiration time on your conditioner will depend on the ingredients inside the bottle.
If you are concerned about whether or not your conditioner is expired, pay attention to the texture and smell. If the smell is off and the texture is clumpy, it is time to go shopping.
What does a conditioner do?
Simply put, conditioners smooth, detangle, and nourish the hair. This protects the hair from damage like breakage and split ends. Conditioners also add slip to the hair which helps cut down on mechanical damage from combing and brushing.
Why Shop With Us
Anneke Knot is a full-time fashion and beauty freelance writer. Before freelancing, she wrote for Real Simple and Health magazines. Now, she writes about beauty and fashion for multiple publications. In order to find the best drugstore conditioners, Knot put top hair hydrators to the test. In addition, she interviewed professional hairstylists, so they could provide their recommendations.
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