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Smooth, soften, and moisturize waves, curls, and coils.

A bottle of Adwoa Beauty Hair Milk Leave-In Conditioner with Melonberry on a windowsill

Byrdie / Kimberly Souza

We ranked each product based on its effectiveness, hydration, consistency, and ease of tool.

Its one of those products that improves the styling process from start to finish.

After leaving her hair to air dry she was amazed by how soft and shiny it was.

Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Target

Dry, brittle ends felt nourished and strands just seemed healthier in general.

Best of all, her curls were smooth and frizz-free throughout the day.

A little goes a long way with this product; three or four sprays did the trick.

Photos of a person’s hair before and after using Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Leave-In Conditioner

Byrdie

It looks a lot shinier too.

Just spray it on and crimp or place hair as you wish, then let air-dry.

Our tester noticed an immediate difference the moment she scrunched the creamy formula into her wet strands.

Adwoa Beauty Hair Milk Leave-In Conditioner with Melonberry

PHOTO: Adwoa Beauty

It smelled like a dream, too.

It definitely smoothed and detangled my hair without weighing it down.

Instead, opt for a leave-in conditioner that adds bounce, like this pick from Cantu.

Photos of a person’s hair before and after using Adwoa Beauty Hair Milk Leave-In Conditioner with Melonberry

Byrdie

It seriously worked wonders on ourfine-hairedtesters locks.

She was beaming over how thick and full her usually fine hair was after using the formula consistently.

It feels healthier and much, much strongerless brittle.

As I Am Jamaican Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: As I Am

This weightless conditioner absorbed into our testers hair quickly and didnt leave any residue behind.

The spray didnt weigh her hair down like the cream formulas shed tried in the past.

Instead, it left her hair smooth, shiny, and bouncy.

A before and after photo showing the effects of using As I Am Jamaican Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner

Byrdie

It didnt address frizz as much as shed hoped, but the mountain of other benefits outweighed that.

I didn’t realize how much my hair grew until I compared the before and after pictures.

My hair typically grows very slowly.

Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-in Conditioner

PHOTO: Amazon

After smoothing two pumps of the leave-in conditioner through her hair she noticed improved curl definition and touchable softness.

It could have been better at reducing frizz and imparting shine though.

Our tester raved about how soft it left her strands.

Photos of a person’s hair before and after using Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-in Conditioner

Byrdie

Her strands felt soft, smooth, and tangle-free all day.

It helped tame frizz, too, although she still had some static.

Enter Verb Curl Leave-In Conditioner, which wowed our tester with its frizz-taming capabilities.

Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Amazon

Her hair drank up the serum-like formula, becoming bouncy and defined when it dried.

The product made her hair feel and look healthier, but her favorite part was thedrastic reduction of frizz.

This conditioner made my hair curlier and smoothed everything down, even in humid weather.

A before and after photo showing the effects of using Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Byrdie / Mia Ingui

“Leave-in conditioner can be used every day or every wash,” Spino tells Byrdie.

It can be treated like anycurly-hair styling product: applied to wet or towel-dried hair after showering.

Leave-in conditioner is generally applied after washing and conditioning your hair and before styling it.

A person holds some Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner in their hand

If youre going to air-dry your hair, its recommended that you apply products just before you scrunch it.

Youll look a bit like Shirley Temple, but dont worry!

When the curls fully dry, massage your scalp to loosen them.

A before and after photo showing the effects of using Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner

Leave-in conditioner and curl cream are not considered interchangeablethey can both be used in your hair care routine.

A leave-in conditioner adds moisture and slip to your hair.

Acurl creamis more of a styling product.

A person holds some Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner in their hand

Curl creams enhance the natural shape of your curls and help define them.

They arent always designed to moisturize your hair, though some definitely add moisture while they define curls.

She has fine, curly haira tricky-to-style combo that has required excessive product experimentation over the years.

Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream with Argan Oil

PHOTO: Amazon

Leave-in conditioners are a critical part of her hair care routine.

Photos of a person’s hair before and after using Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream

Byrdie

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Amazon

A before and after photo showing the effects of using Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Byrdie / Caitlin Noto

A person shows the color and texture of Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner

A before and after photo showing the effects of using Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner

A person shows the color and texture of Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner

Pattern Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Sephora

Photos of a person’s hair before and after using Pattern Leave-In Conditioner

Byrdie

R+Co SUN CATCHER Power C Boosting Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Amazon

A before and after photo showing the effects of using R+Co SUN CATCHER Power C Boosting Leave-In Conditioner

Byrdie

Verb Curl Leave-In Conditioner

PHOTO: Amazon

Photos of a person’s hair before and after using Verb Curl Leave-In Conditioner

Byrdie

A person holds Melanin Haircare Multi-Use Softening Leave In Conditioner in the palm of their hand

Byrdie