CONDITIONER - LEAVE-IN
We’ve only been trialling products in this category for a couple of years, but we can hand on heart say that the entries keep getting better and better, with five winners this year – including a product that specifically targets curls and coils.
Leave-in conditioners provide extra moisture, protect from damage, help detangle, make styling easier and add shine – not least leave-ins can help beat the dreaded frizzies. They’re generally applied to damp, towel-blotted (not rubbed) hair. We advise strictly following manufacturers’ instructions, because they’ve figured out the how-to that best delivers on the product’s promises. In some cases, fine straight hair might apply a little leave-in conditioner after shampooing and comb through, whereas thick, curly, dry, damaged and/or coloured hair could probably use a normal conditioner before the leave-in. Like we say, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. Really pays off, here.
GOLD AWARD K18 Leave In Molecular Hair Mask
Well, whaddya know. K18 also submitted this product to the HAIR MASKS category, sending us another 10 samples to distribute – and it won a Gold there, too. (That’s quite an achievement, trust us.) It’s quite hard to get your head round K18 via their jargon-y website, but basically, what this product promises is to ‘reverse hair damage in four minutes’ – and importantly, you DO NOT use a regular conditioner first. But we think you’ll get the best and clearest insights on this leave-in product from reading our testers’ comments.
£55 for 50ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Both my hair, and my daughter's hair, were definitely less flyaway and frizzy after using this product. My four-year-old has long, fine, curly hair that gets really frizzy and matted, as she hates me messing around with it to enhance her curls. After using this, her hair was much less prone to frizzing and her curls were much more defined: Less Stig of the Dump, more mermaid-esque!’ • ‘Initially I found it hard to remember NOT to condition my hair before using this, but it became much easier once I started using it regularly. Would I buy it again? 100 times, yes!’ • ‘Made my hair look shiny even when curled, and seemed to make hair sleeker with less frizz’ • ‘My hair, after three uses, was not at all frizzy, looked tame, and was totally tangle-free. So easy to use and no need for conditioner’ • ‘Love, love, love!!! This product is a total game-changer when it comes to hair. I have always used really good products but could never get it to look how I wanted – it always seemed to be a bit frizzy and dry looking. From the first time that I used K18 I knew that it was different as my hair looked and felt like it used to do before any hair colouring when I was young! Made it so much easier to style and it seemed to dry faster, too’ • ‘Wow, wow and wow! I have never ever tried a product like this – this is miracle in a bottle, a hair superhero, the myth came to life and so much more! God Bless the people who created this! I would rate it a 20, if I could.’
£55 for 50ml - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD and BEST NATURAL Trepadora Babassu Quench Leave In Curl Primer
Curls and coils? This is for you! We’re delighted to have put plenty of products targeting the specific challenges of curly hair through their paces in this year’s Awards, identifying some great finds. In this case, the winner is a ‘curl primer’ which spritzes onto hair to deliver some smoothing, glossing ingredients that include coconut, Sacha Inchi, babassu and Crambe Abyssinica oils, as well as cocoa butter, among other hair-tamers. Founder Keisha Jo Lawler is a self-confessed ‘obsessive product junkie’ whose previous venture became a go-to online resource for curly haired women across the UK and Europe. Her own curl-enhancing haircare range , Trepadora, was born out of that.
£27 for 300ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I love how this makes my hair look and feel!! It means I need to use one less product/step in getting my hair looking good and feeling good; it has turned my hair into a sleeker, curlier version of itself; I even have a swish when I move my head – something I only usually get when my hair has been professionally blow-dried! So, money and time saved plus looking better - it wins on all fronts!’ • ‘Definitely de-frizzes my hair; it looks smoother and much better behaved than usual, feels lovely, but not greasy or weighed down, which that can happen with rich or leave-in conditioners’ • ‘Surprisingly conditioning considering its texture - it is thinner than the conditioners I usually use. But I have been told my hair looks healthier; I have more manageable, shiny curls, and this primer does not weigh my hair down’ • ‘My coils became easier to manage, more defined, and the primer allowed for me to retain my coils for longer. My husband noticed the difference and complimented me on my new hair style!’ • ‘This was really good for my hair as my hair is normally unmanageable and very frizzy but after using this, I was able to leave my hair out of a ponytail. I would recommend this product to anyone with a large amount of frizz. My hair felt light, and it didn't feel sticky in any way like it has done with other products. I had some really nice compliments about my hair, too.’
£27 for 300ml - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD OUAI Leave In Conditioner
This spritz-on conditioner ‘detangles, hydrates and fights frizz’, offering thermal protection to guard against dryness and reducing hair breakage by up to 52%, OUAI claim – but can also be used to air-dry hair, from which you’ve squeezed the water. Then, simply comb through hair with a wide-toothed comb. The prestige brand OUAI was originally founded by celebrity hair stylist Jen Atkins, who ‘set out on her mission to offer an alternative to the industry’s one-size-fits-all approach’ – but actually, this is suitable for all hairtypes, a fairly high-tech formula that also includes panthenol, tamarind street extract, hydrolysed proteins and vitamin E.
£26 for 140ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘10/10 (guessing I can't give 12!!!!) The dream leave in product. Super-easy to apply; I sprayed and raked it through. 100% delivers on its claims – and more, offering heat protection into the bargain’ • ‘Has a beautiful fragrance which is not overpowering, which I keep getting a gentle waft of. The bottle looks barely touched; even though I have a lot of hair which can be thirsty and I use this all the time, I suspect a bottle will last me a long time – so although not cheap, it’s worth it’ • ‘All I wanted in a leave-in conditioner and I will replace when it runs out, time and time again. Made my hair more moisturised and eliminated frizz. Felt as if I had used a deep conditioner’ • ‘I’ve been asked what I am using on my hair as it’s so improved. Helped calm any frizziness after each application, leaving hair looking smooth and shiny. If you can afford it, a must-have hair conditioner; you don’t need to use a lot to get great results. Hard to believe that just a couple of squirts detangle and smooth, leaving hair shiny and sleek’ • ‘I love, love, love this product; it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ve got loads of heavier creams, serums and sprays and products that I’ve tried before in my quest but none of them do what this does. It says that it smooths the hair cuticle to reduce frizz and flyaways and that's exactly what it does do. Will definitely be re-ordering more very soon.’
£26 for 140ml - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD It’s a 10 Miracle Leave In Product
Last year’s Gold winner, this is from a range that has rapidly become a huge, cult success since landing in the UK, founded by former hairdresser Carolyn Aronson. It doubles as a detangler and as a heat-protectant spray, promising frizz-free definition for curls, softness and bounce, as well as creating a mirror-smooth finish on straight styles. It contains naturals including sunflower seed and green tea leaf extract with silk amino acids, to help bring out shine while making hair stronger and healthier with every use. It’s Carolyn’s own hero product from her brand, the one she launched with, still her desert island product – and ours.
£18.50 for 120ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘10 (I would give this 20 if I could!). I hope this never goes out of production; I'm tempted to stock up just in case. I loved the smell from the first application, and more importantly, the product actually delivers everything it says (which is a lot and it’s all true)! I have fine hair, with an unruly wave underneath that I find increasingly difficult to tame. Even after blow-drying my hair (air-drying just leaves me with a wavy frizzy mess) it normally looks like I’ve been in a windstorm so I have to straighten my hair after blow-drying. Not any more! I have been able to dry my hair after using this and there is no frizz or windswept look’ • ‘Makes hair look glossy (not greasy) and feels silky and soft after use; I couldn’t stop touching my hair after using this. I shall forever be grateful for Beauty Bible for introducing me to this product’ • ‘My husband commented that my hair is not looking like a bird’s nest anymore. This leave in conditioner actually does what it promises: conditions, softens, smoothes, de-frizzes and so much more without making the hair look limp or greasy. Infact the name says it all…It's a 10!!!’ • ‘I didn’t notice any difference in my hair until I had been using it for several days. Once I had noticed the difference, I wouldn't be without it; my hair is better condition and I love how soft it is, and easier to control.’
£18.50 for 120ml - click to buy
BRONZE AWARD Urban Retreat Leave it Conditioning Styling Lotion
It’s part leave-in conditioner, part-styling lotion – so we dithered about where to feature this winner. It’s also a frizz-buster! But ultimately, since this mist-on treatment adds ‘a glossy shine to any type of hair’ – well, here it is. Among the more natural ingredients are a pea sprout derivative, mineral-rich nasturtium and an extract of something called Urtica dioica (which turns out to be… nettle root!) Urban Retreat products, which have done well in the 2023 Awards, can be purchased via their network of sales consultants, but we always insist that winners must also be available direct from a brand’s own website – as theirs are.
£15 for 150ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Over the years, I have tried lots of leave-in conditioners and masks and can honestly say that none has worked as well as this. My hair felt amazingly soft and smooth, as if I'd had an in-salon treatment. It even works well on dry hair: a few spritzes on towel-dried hair and a comb through was all that was needed to deliver super smooth shiny hair. I loved the feel of my hair, too, and couldn't stop stroking it!’ • ‘I really wished this product was around when I had a couple of perms pre-lockdown and tried many, many deep conditioning, anti-frizz mainly oil based products, none of which worked as well as this one. I can't recommend this product highly enough’ • ‘Winner, winner! As I tend not to use a hairdryer, most styling products either make my hair look wet through the day or become hard in my hair. This does neither and holds my hair in style but without letting me know it’s there at all’ • ‘Since using this, people have complimented me on the colour and condition. Helped highlight the colour and certainly made it more shiny and softer looking; the dry bleached area of my hair seems to drink this up and I did notice that I have fewer split ends, as a consequence’ • ‘I’ve really loved using this. Very easy to work through the hair, smells good and doesn’t weigh the hair down or make it look flat after use. Great volume, and instant glossy hair.’
£15 for 150ml - click to buy