For everyday detangling
To loosen tangles you can choose a rinse-out conditioner, applied after shampoo and then rinsed, or a leave-in spray or milk, which stays in the hair and in some formulas also helps tame it while you blow-dry. Oribe's Signature Conditioner is the everyday conditioner for every hair type, and the same house's Run-Through Detangling Primer is a light, heat-protecting leave-in spray. Antica Barbieria Colla's Balsamo Erbe has a creamy texture and loosens even the most stubborn knots without breaking the hair.
Conditioners for damaged, fragile hair
On lengths stressed by styling and treatments, use a repairing conditioner. Oribe offers the sulfate-free Gold Lust Repair & Restore Conditioner, which combines age-old oils and extracts with modern technologies. After coloring and bleaching you can use Medavita's Instant Bond Repair, a conditioning cream that works on the hair's bonds. Shu Uemura has the Ultimate Reset Extreme Repair Conditioner, with rice extract, which leaves hair repaired and easy to comb from roots to ends.
Other formulas nourish or work on the hair's structure. Marlies Möller's Golden Caviar Mask Conditioner, with caviar extract, works as both mask and conditioner and nourishes even the most damaged hair. Shu Uemura's Silk Bloom Restorative Conditioner, with ceramides, vitamin E and argan oil, helps restore the structure of damaged hair. For fiber strength Oribe has the Hair Alchemy Resilience Conditioner, and the Hair Alchemy line also has a strengthening mask that the house offers to prevent breakage.
To protect your color
After coloring, a conditioner designed for color is the better choice. Oribe's Beautiful Color Conditioner is formulated for color-treated and over-processed hair and also protects it from UV rays. Alterna's Replenishing Moisture Conditioner rebalances moisture in dehydrated, dull hair and protects its color.
For blonde, gray and white hair there are dedicated conditioners, some to remove yellow tones. Oribe's Bright Blonde Conditioner is a purple conditioner that corrects yellow tones in blonde and silver hair, and the same house's Silverati Conditioner removes dullness and yellow tones from white and gray hair and hydrates it. For bleached or highlighted hair, Shu Uemura has the restructuring Yubi Blond Full Replenishing Conditioner, with Japanese white peony.
To hydrate dry, curly and frizzy hair
Dry hair needs a moisturizing conditioner, and very dry hair a mask. Oribe's Signature Moisture Masque is the intensive version of the Signature Conditioner for very dry hair. For hair weakened by smog, humidity and fine particulate matter, Shu Uemura has the Urban Moisture Hydro Nourishing Conditioner, a nourishing conditioner with moringa and red algae. Augustinus Bader's The Conditioner is an ultralight, intensely hydrating conditioner that can also be used as a mask for hair and scalp.
For curls and frizz you can choose between an intensive conditioner and a leave-in spray. For wavy, curly and coily hair, Oribe has the Eternal Curls Intense Conditioner, an intensive conditioner that hydrates and detangles. On frizzy or flyaway hair you can use Aldo Coppola's Latte Ristrutturante Estratto di Buganvillea, a leave-in spray.
For fine hair and the scalp
On fine or flat hair you can use a volumizing conditioner. Shu Uemura's Muroto Volume Lightweight Care, with ceramides that strengthen the fiber, and Marlies Möller's Lift-Up Volume Conditioner, with cotton extract and volumizing polymers, are designed to add body. Oribe's Serene Scalp Densifying Conditioner, developed with a trichologist, is aimed at thinning hair.
When the discomfort is on the scalp, choose a conditioner that also suits the scalp. Oribe's Serene Scalp Balancing Conditioner is a calming conditioner the house offers to hydrate and soothe the scalp. Medavita's Hair & Scalp Balancing Conditioner, with jojoba, panthenol and olive, is a lightweight conditioning, detangling emulsion suited to scalp and hair.
Alongside the conditioners there are the shampoo and hair masks collections, and the whole department is in the haircare section.
Frequently asked questions
What does conditioner do for your hair?
Conditioner detangles hair after shampoo and leaves it soft and shiny. Oribe's Signature Conditioner, for example, smooths the cuticle and loosens knots. Some formulas also have targeted functions, such as Medavita's Instant Bond Repair, which rebuilds the bonds of damaged hair, or Oribe's Eternal Curls Intense Conditioner, which hydrates wavy, curly and coily hair.
How do you use conditioner?
A rinse-out conditioner goes on after shampoo and is then rinsed out, as the product sheets for Acca Kappa's Balsamo Muschio Bianco and Shu Uemura's Ashita Supreme Conditioner indicate. For the Hinoki Conditioner, Le Labo recommends rinsing thoroughly. Aldo Coppola's spray milks, such as the Latte Uso Frequente, stay in the hair instead.
Should you put conditioner on your roots?
Yes, if the formula is also designed for the scalp. Oribe's Serene Scalp Balancing Conditioner is offered to hydrate and soothe the scalp, and Medavita's Hair & Scalp Balancing Conditioner is a sebum-balancing emulsion suited to scalp and hair. Augustinus Bader's The Conditioner can also be used as a mask for hair and scalp.
When should you use a hair mask instead of conditioner?
A mask is for when your lengths are very dry or fragile and you want an intensive treatment. At Oribe, alongside the everyday Signature Conditioner, there is the Signature Moisture Masque, a deeply hydrating mask for the driest hair, while the Hair Alchemy Strengthening Masque penetrates the hair to strengthen it from within.
What's the best conditioner for color-treated hair?
Choose a conditioner formulated for color. Oribe's Beautiful Color Conditioner hydrates over-processed hair and shields color from UV rays; Alterna's Replenishing Moisture Conditioner rebalances moisture and protects color. For bleached blonde hair there is Shu Uemura's Yubi Blond Full Replenishing Conditioner.
What conditioner works for fine hair that gets weighed down?
Among the volumizing conditioners there are Shu Uemura's Muroto Volume Lightweight Care and Marlies Möller's Lift-Up Volume Conditioner. Alternatively, you can use Aldo Coppola's Latte Uso Frequente Spray, with rose and chamomile essential oils, which detangles without weighing hair down and is also recommended for fine hair.
What is a leave-in conditioner?
It's a conditioning spray or milk that stays in the hair after washing, detangles damp hair and preps it for drying. Oribe's Run-Through Detangling Primer is also heat-protecting, and Aldo Coppola's Latte Ristrutturante alla Buganvillea tames flyaway hair while you blow-dry. The Latte Doposole Aquamare hydrates hair exposed to sun, salt water and chlorine.
What conditioner is best for white or gray hair?
White and gray hair needs a conditioner that removes yellow tones and hydrates. Oribe's Silverati Conditioner is formulated specifically for it, reducing dullness and yellow tones while adding moisture. For blonde and silver hair the same house offers the Bright Blonde Conditioner, a purple conditioner.
