Olaplex No. 5 Conditioner Works Wonders on Dry Hair (2025)

Dry, coarse and frizzy hair is a major beauty bummer: In fact, when we surveyed 2,100 women about their top hair woes, nearly 30% cited coarse, dry strands. Dry hair can come from "chemical damage from permanent coloring or relaxants, mechanical damage from brushing and heat damage from hot tools like curling and flat irons," all of which can affect the structure of your hair fibers, says Danusia Wnek, a chemist in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab. Your hormones, age and ethnicity also impact your hair's health. And while shampoos remove oil, conditioners replace it in the areas where we want to add back moisture and hydration, says Blair Murphy-Rose, M.D., F.A.A.D., board-certified cosmetic and medical dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York.

Our Beauty Lab experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute constantly test the latest and greatest in haircare. Our tests run the gamut from deep conditioning masks to hydrating shampoo-conditioner combos. We test products on hair swatches for variables like strength, softness and color vibrancy after use. Plus, we solicit real feedback from consumer testers who try tens of options and give their honest notes on each conditioner's color protection, volume, smoothing, strengthening and beyond.

How to find the best conditioner for dry hair

Investing in a good conditioner means getting hair that's smoother, softer, better hydrated and less prone to breakage – but it all starts with the ingredients.

Shop by buzzword. "Conditioners contain cationic surfactants that are attracted to hair so they actually coat fibers, making strands feel softer, detangled and easier to comb," says Wnek. Look for words like "moisturizing," "nourishing," "replenishing" and "softening" on the bottle.

Check for key hydrating ingredients. Along with cationic surfactants, look for emollients, oils and humectants, says Dr. Murphy-Rose. "Humectants attract and bind water. Emollients and oils lock in moisture, detangle and protect the cuticle and soften, as well as aid detangling," she says. Celebrity hair stylist Sabrina Porsche also suggests looking for proteins, aminos acids and oils like jojoba, castor, argan and tea tree as key ingredients

Check out the GH Beauty Lab's top conditioner picks below as well as ones beloved by GH editors, hair stylists, dermatologists and verified shoppers. Pair them with the best shampoos for dry hair.

• Best Overall Conditioner for Dry Hair: Herbal Essences Bio:Renew Coconut Milk Conditioner
• Best Value Conditioner for Dry Hair: Dove Hair Nutritive Solutions Daily Moisture Conditioner
• Best Drugstore Conditioner for Dry Hair: SheaMoisture Moisture Retention Conditioner
• Best Lightweight Conditioner for Dry Hair: Garnier Whole Blends Replenishing Conditioner
• Best Conditioner for Dry, Frizzy Hair: John Frieda Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Conditioner
• Best Conditioner for Dry, Natural Hair: Pattern Heavy Conditioner For Coilies
• Best Conditioner for Dry, Damaged Hair: Briogeo Super Moisture Conditioner
• Best Conditioner for Dry, Thick Hair: Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner
• Best Conditioner for Dry, Color-Treated Hair: unwash Bio-Cleansing Conditioner
• Best Conditioner for Dry Hair and Sensitive Scalps: MONDAY GENTLE Conditioner
• Best Scented Conditioner for Dry Hair: SUAVE Coconut Infusion Deep Moisture Conditioner
• Top Salon Formula for Dry Hair: Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner
• Best Deep Conditioner for Dry Hair: It's a 10 Miracle Deep Conditioner Plus Keratin
• Best Sulfate-Free Conditioner for Dry Hair: Living Proof Full Conditioner
• Best Leave-In Conditioner for Dry Hair: Oribe Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream
• Best Conditioner for Dry, Curly Hair: Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Shea Curl Defining Conditioner

This affordable option topped our Beauty Lab'smoisturizing test. Made withcoconut extract and aloe,it was also a favorite among our testers. "It made my hair feel soft and manageable," said one. Another said,"It made my dry hair much more moisturized."

This Dove pick was the most popularconditioner with our testers. A whopping 100% of them said they were satisfied with the product and would continue using it in their beauty routine. Comments included positive reviews about itssubtle fragrance and frizz-fighting abilities.

Keep this drugstore conditioner formulated with shea butter, argan oil and sea kelp shower-side. One pump gives the perfect amount to soften your hair without feeling greasy. It's labeled as sulfate-free, meaning colored hair types can enjoy without the worry of stripping away their latest dye job. A GH associate editor raved, "It's my tried-and-true conditioner because it always cleanses without irritating my sensitive scalp."

While some super moisturizing conditioners can feel heavy and make styling difficult, 91% of our testers said this one did not weigh down their hair. It earned high scores for conditioning, and one tester raved about the results. "I am very surprised and pleased with how much movement my hair has after drying it!"she said.

As the name suggests, curly-haired people will love this conditioner. It scored the highest for leaving hair feeling soft and hydrated, and it was also the easiest to rinse. While it wasn't as conditioning as the others, testers appreciated that it reduced frizz and tamed flyaways.

When that shower drain catches way too many stray hairs, it's time to invest in a conditioner that's specifically designed to lessen breakage and strengthen hair.It'sformulatedfor fine, dry hairand free of sulfates, parabens and silicones.

Pantene's conditioner tied with Herbal Essences for conditioning hair, and many testers enjoyed the fruity and floralscent. Of the many positive comments, this one made us excited about the potential for a speedy morning routine:"Normally brushing through my hair takes a while, but using this made it a much easier and quicker process,"one tester said.

Fight color fade with the conditioner that wonbig in our cleansing conditioner study. In fact,95% of testers agree that it has the best scent among all the color-treated hair conditioners we've tried.It ranked highest for leaving hair sufficiently conditioned, according to consumer tests. One tester said it made their hair"soft and healthy looking."

It's all in the name. This budget buy uses a gentle, softening formula that offers high-end results. An associate editor at GH reports that the conditioner works wonders on her dry, sensitive scalp. "It somehow blesses me with a good hair day every time I use it," she said. "Plus, it certainly does not break the bank."

Though it should definitely go on your ends, this bottle will probably end up under your nose. The"yummy"coconut scentwas a plus among our testers, and it earned extra points for its price.

Our lab results showed significant conditioning effects, but it weighed hair down slightly. If you're willing to pay extra, prepare yourself for majorly moisturized hair. "Itleft my hair feeling like silk," said one tester. "Super soft and smooth."

While you certainly can't walk back damaged hair, this one almost seems like pressing"re-do." Winningthe GH BeautyLab's deep conditioners and hair maskstest, its nourishing formula lived up to its "miracle"claims afterearning a perfect score for its ability tocondition hair and prevent damagein theLab's wet-combing test.Onetester said it made their color-treated, damaged blond hair "more manageable."

Over 16k Sephora shoppers love this Living Proof conditioner in all its lightweight, detangling glory.It aims to please by offering volume and lift even on air-dried hair. One Sephora reviewer said the sulfate-free formula still offers some "slip" andanother noted "it only takes a nickel to quarter-sized amount of conditioner to coat."

Don't let leave-in conditioners slip under your radar, especially this highly rated detangler. This featherweight conditioningcreamdoubles as a post-wash treatment and as a touch-up styling cream on dry hair.GH's Beauty Director loves its taming, smoothing effect on flyaways,plus,she says"the brand's signature luxurious scent is amazing."

Blended with hair-loving ingredients like shea butter and rice amino acids, this Briogeo conditioner for curly hair works to revivenatural textures. OneUlta reviewer, in particular, said, "my hair can't get enough protein, and had an instantly great reaction to the shampoo and conditioner! My previously limp waves were brought to LIFE."