Wavy hair is one of the most beautiful and desirable hair types. However, it is also one of the most difficult hair types to work with, especially when you have only just recognized that you have textured hair to begin with.
This year is the year to begin treating your hair right. As a result, there is an abundance of people who are making content to help identify your hair, and many of the folks watching are just finding out they actually have wavy hair, instead of frizzy straight hair.
There are tons of products for both curly and straight hair and even more guides on how to style these hair types. Although both have their issues with developing your own hair routines, wavy hair is uniquely difficult in that it has issues from both sides of the spectrum.
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You have to have a hydrating conditioner to get those waves to form, while not being too heavy to pull down the waves into straight locks with no volume. You also need to brush your hair out to stop it from tangling, but when you do, you destroy the waves you had been so carefully working to create.
One of the most essential steps in developing a wavy hair routine is creating the best hair routine for your specific hair issues. Some people have issues with their hair being too flat, while others have hair that is always frizzy.
Others have issues where their hair doesn’t hold enough protein, moisture, shape, or texture. As a result, there are many options to care for wavy hair, and it can be super difficult to sort through, especially for a novice.
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But one thing that everyone can agree on is that wavy hair needs a good conditioner. Thus, we have created this list of the 16 best conditioners for wavy hair so you can give your hair everything it needs to look its best.
This conditioner is great for wavy hair because it is both moisturizing and hydrating to the hair without causing it to be weighed down. Meaning that it is able to let the curlier parts of the hair form the curls, while the straighter parts of the hair don’t frizz or lose volume.
The product is created by Blu Atlas which is a male skincare brand that produces unisex products created in consultation with a panel of dermatologists. This means that you can be sure that your products are created with scientifically proven ingredients.
One of those ingredients is argan oil. Argan oil is a common hair care ingredient because it is so nourishing, and is able to hydrate the hair and make it soft and pliable. Argan oil is also responsible for acting as an antioxidant, so it can reduce damage to the hair and have an anti-aging effect.
Other key ingredients in this conditioner are avocado oil - a soothing ingredient to stop frizz - and barley protein. These ingredients help you avoid the most common issues in wavy hair which are frizz, breakage, and dullness.
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The last star ingredient in this conditioner is white tea extract. This is a calming extract that has an anti-inflammatory effect on the scalp, which is great for wavy hair prone to dandruff.
Wavy hair is prone to dandruff because it is often slathered in products that can build up while you figure out how to do your hair. It is also prone to being dry if it is more on the curly side.
White tea extract is a humectant which means it is able to draw more moisture to the surface, which helps hydrate and stops flaking. It is also antimicrobial and has an anti-aging effect through the antioxidants.
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These ingredients make the conditioner from Blu Atlas one of the best options for wavy hair and put it at the very top of our list of the 16 best conditioners for wavy hair.
2. Wet N Wavy Vitamin E Leave-In Conditioner
Conditioners come in a variety of forms. In this case, Wet N Wavy has come up with a leave-in conditioner that helps you through the styling process without struggling with tangles from the curls in your hair.
The use of a leave-in conditioner is a great idea for people with wavy hair because it prevents tangles as you brush through and style it. This product is especially good because it is enriched with vitamin E, which helps defend the hair from damage.
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This product can also be added to dry hair, and does not need to be preceded by shampoo. It can be used as a detangler alone, as it is able to condition the hair and allow the comb or brush to slip through without causing damage.
Wet N Wavy also sticks around in the hair and creates a beautiful shine. It helps to define wave patterns throughout your locks, and builds stronger hair that doesn’t form split ends.
This versatile product is great for a variety of situations and helps to treat damage, as well as prevent further damage. Thus, we have decided it deserves second place on our list of the 16 best conditioners for wavy hair.
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3. Davines LOVE Curl Conditioner
If you think you have wavy or textured hair, it is a great idea to try some conditioners that have been developed for curly hair. These products are often curl-enhancing and frizz reducing, which is usually what people with wavy hair are after.
This product is developed in Italy, and is suitable for wavy, curly, or combination hair. It also has added ingredients that help to provide nutrition to the hair and the scalp.
The star ingredient in this conditioner is vitamin B5. This is a nourishing ingredient that provides the scalp and hair with a protective vitamin that is often lacking in hair. Additionally, it helps to strengthen the hair while soothing the scalp.
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4. Love Ur Curls LUS Conditioner
Love Ur Curls is another conditioner that is well-suited for curly-haired people. It is a great one to try when you aren’t sure what the texture of your hair is, you just know that it has some kind of texture.
It is suitable for curly, wavy, and coily hair. These are all hair types that have some form of curl, but the curl can form different patterns and can be different tightnesses, which means that they need to be treated uniquely. That’s what makes this product so great, it is able to treat all the different types of curls without causing problems for other hair types.
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The ingredients in this conditioner are shea butter and moringa oil. Shea butter is a well-known product for hair conditioning and is great for hydrating and moisturizing hair. It is also full of nutrients and antioxidants.
Moringa oil is a less well-known, but key ingredient. It is able to create a shine in the hair while giving more nutrition to the curls and allowing them to be strong enough to form their individual patterns.
The product is also cruelty-free, vegan, and dermatologist tested. This means that it is a great choice for a buyer who wants to have the best impact not only on their hair but also on the environment and the world around them.
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5. Umberto Giannini Banana Butter
Another leave-in conditioner, this vegan formula is designed to rehydrate curly hair. It is perfect for people with wavy hair who have often straightened or treated their curls to create a straighter look.
This is an ultra-hydrating formula, which means that it may be too heavy for some people with waves. However, if you have often treated your hair poorly, then the curls may need a little extra moisture.
Banana butter leave-in conditioner works over several hours to restore the bounce to the curly parts of your hair, as well as repair it and give the curls more strength. You can also use this conditioner as a detangling agent during the styling process, but it shouldn’t be used on dry hair.
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The product is fully vegan and cruelty-free. It contains natural products, with a feature ingredient of banana. The banana complements the shea butter, coconut oil, and brazil nut oils that give moisture and nutrition to the curls.
6. Vitamins Leave-in Conditioner Cream
Vitamins conditioner cream is another leave-in conditioner developed through the use of keratin. Keratin is a key part of the structure of the hair. When keratin is lacking, it causes thin nails and hair that are prone to breakage.
Wavy hair naturally is prone to breakage because it has a lot of tangles and a variety of hair types. In addition to Keratin, this conditioner contains a herbal nutritional blend for added strength to the hair follicle.
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The added strength is not just good for creating more defined curls. It also helps reduce split ends and increase the growth of the hair. Additionally, keratin gives extra gloss and shine to the hair which makes it look healthier.
Dryness and damage are also common features of wavy hair. This is because wavy hair is typically controlled through the use of heat and other chemical forms of relaxing it. These treatments are often damaging to the hair.
Embracing your natural hair often means a period of time when the hair doesn’t look as good as you want it to. Using a conditioner that contains a keratin product can help heal the hair and speed it through this dry and damaged phase.
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7. ON Natural Premium Oil-Free Curl Defining Conditioner
This conditioner is a great product for hair that is wavy, curly, or damaged. It is a curl-defining conditioner that is free of sulfates, parabens, and mineral oils.
The key ingredient in this conditioner is coconut milk. Coconut is great for hair because it boosts hydration and offers a multitude of nutrients. That is to say, it helps address the two most common issues with hair, which are moisture and lack of proteins or vitamins.
The other ingredients in this conditioner include shea butter, jojoba oils, olive oils, aloe vera, and vitamin E. These are well-known ingredients in a range of conditioners that are excellent for hydration and moisturizer.
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Vitamin E is particularly helpful in a conditioner for wavy hair due to its damage-repairing properties. In addition, aloe vera contains antioxidants and other moisturizing products which help repair the hair in conjunction with vitamin E.
8. Saphira Divine Mineral Cream Conditioner
This conditioner is a great one for people with wavy hair that also have oily hair. Lots of other products are so moisturizing that they add more moisture than is necessary, especially if your hair isn’t dry to begin with.
This conditioner specializes in making the hair smooth and conditioned without being weighed down by moisture. It is still a very hydrating formula, but it doesn’t add oils to the scalp.
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The ingredients in this conditioner are derived from Dead Sea minerals, as well as African shea butter, and black seed oil. The minerals from the Dead Sea are important for making the hair strong and nourished.
African shea butter and black seed oil are also unique ingredients. These hydrate the hair without weighing it down, and without causing moisture build-up that makes hair seem greasy.
9. Ashba Botanics Leave-in Conditioner
This is another leave-in conditioner that has novel ingredients like baobab and mongongo oils. It is great for wavy and curly hair because it hydrates the hair to a balanced moisture level that provides shine without looking greasy.
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Baobab oil is a great product that helps protect and strengthen the hair. Meanwhile, mongongo oil hydrates the hair through the provision of vitamin E.
Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant that reduces damage from the sun and the effects of aging. It also reduces the number of free radicals in the hair, which are damaging molecules that can cause breakage and dullness.
Another ingredient in this conditioner is quinoa, which provides moisture and protein to the hair. It reduces dryness and helps to reduce frizziness overall. This is a great conditioner for wavy hair because it creates more curls and reduces frizz.
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Although this conditioner is a leave-in, it is not designed as a detangler. It will work to help reduce friction in the hair, but it won’t be as heavy as some detanglers. Plus, it really lets your curls shine.
10. Project Beauty Hairgurt
Hairgurt is a conditioner that is based on yogurt proteins. It also has an accumulation of other products that are common in conditioners, like a variety of oils, vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids.
The yogurt proteins help strengthen the hair, which is vital because wavy hair can be quite weak from overusing products and styling tools. It is also often very tangled, which means people tend to rip through it when brushing it.
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This blend is full of great vitamins from the variety of oils that are in the conditioner. These include antioxidants, vitamin E, and vitamin C, all of which help restore damaged locks. It is also free of parabens and sulfates that are sometimes included in other conditioners. These are bad for wavy hair because they strip away moisture and weigh curls down.
11. Eco Love Conditioner
Unlike most of the products on this list, this conditioner is not marketed toward curly hair. Rather, it is designed for people with dry and damaged hair, which, as we have discussed, often includes people with wavy hair.
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Eco Love is a moisturizing conditioner best for normal to dry hair. It is also organic and has a moisturizing effect through the use of carrot, pumpkin, and sweet potato extracts. This helps to soften the hair and repair it from its dry and frizzy state.
These products also are enriched with several essential oils, which help nourish the hair and provide everything it needs to grow. In addition, this conditioner contains dead sea minerals that help the hair repair itself and reduce frizziness.
12. Jour d’automne Smoothing Balm
The Jour d’automne Smoothing Balm is marketed towards reducing frizz rather than creating curls. It is designed for wavy hair specifically, as frizziness is such a big issue for people with this hair type.
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This product smooths hair down and creates a polished style with soft curls. It is highly concentrated and is only used in small amounts, which is great because it means the product lasts a long time.
In addition, the product has a novel technology known as fluoro technology. These are small smoothing molecules that help reduce frizz. These molecules are able to carry other ingredients into the core of the hair, offering you the best possible results.
These fluoro technology molecules create a shield over the hair to protect it from damage. It is great for people with wavy hair as this hair type is very prone to damage. It also reduces the drying time, which is a bonus because wavy hair can be very thick.
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Finally, this product is anti-aging and color protecting, so you can use it even when you have colored hair. It is also vegan, gluten-free, and has no sulfates, parabens, or sodium.
13. Alaffia Hair Care Everyday Coconut Conditioner
This product is specifically formulated for wavy hair and is made with virgin coconut oil. It also has a specialty ingredient, ginger extract. Ginger extract is added to protect curls and create waves in hair that is chronically dry.
Coconut oil is perfect for dry hair because it is rich in vitamin E, which is necessary to repair the damage, as well as protect the hair from further damage. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that offers anti-aging effects by reducing free radicals.
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Ginger extract is also great for invigorating the scalp, and encourages faster hair growth. Wavy and curly hair can have a bit of a problem when it comes to growing. Adding ginger extract promotes blood flow which helps make the hair grow a bit quicker.
This conditioner should be used in the shower on wet hair, and allowed to sit on the hair for up to one minute. It should then be rinsed fully off. It is sulfate-free, with no parabens and no synthetic fragrances, colors, or mineral oils, making it a very gentle conditioner that won’t be damaging even when left on in the shower.
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14. Zetiling Hair Curl Enhancer
This is a great conditioner for wavy hair because it adds moisture to the hair through the base of glycerin. It is a defining conditioner, meaning it will help give the hair its characteristic wave or curl.
Elasticity is an essential component for hair that is wavy, as it needs to stretch without causing the hair to break. Elasticity in this case comes from a combination of the glycerin components and Moroccan argan seed oil.
The conditioner penetrates the hair and nourishes it to help improve and strengthen individual hair strands and make the wave more defined. Zetiling Hair Curl Enhancer is the perfect defining product because it can heighten the shine of the hair as well as tame frizz.
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This product is also great for dry hair. It will revitalize your curls by giving them flexibility and suppleness. Additionally, this conditioner is especially good for hair that has been chemically treated and has been damaged.
15. SunBum Conditioner
SunBum is a small business that has designed products for hair that is wavy or curly and often exposed to the sun. Environmental damage from the sun is one of the prime causes of dry and damaged hair, which prevents the creation of defined curls.
SunBum conditioner can be used daily, as it is lightweight enough to not weigh down the curls. It is important to condition wavy hair as often as you can without making it greasy, as this helps to keep the curls defined.
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Under- or over-conditioning is one of the main problems with styling your hair at home, as this step will define how your curls turn out and is hard to get right without training. A lightweight conditioner like this one gives you a bit more leeway in terms of what you can and can’t get away with.
SunBum is also full of great nourishing ingredients like coconut oils and proteins from unique sources like seaweed and kukui nut oil. This means it is hydrating, lightweight, and contains enough protein to give the curls the nourishing boost they need to form those great waves.
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16. Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
The final product on our list of the 16 best conditioners for wavy hair in 2023 is the pure nature argan oil deep moisturizing conditioner. This is the only deep conditioner on our list, and it is a great product.
Deep conditioners should be used by people with textured hair because it gives the hair an extra bit of shine and a hydration boost. However, it is too hydrating to be used every day, meaning your wavy hair can be maintained in its healthiest state by treating it every few weeks. You may also want to use a deep conditioner after coloring your hair, using heat styling tools, or exposing it to the elements for too long.
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This conditioner also contains a UV thermal protectant that reduces the amount of damage the hair receives from the sun. If you can, using a product that has a thermal protectant is a great choice, and reduces aging and damage to the hair.
Moroccan Argan Oil conditioner is similar in composition to the other conditioners on this list but it is a bit more heavy-duty. It contains vitamins, such as vitamin E, and antioxidants to help reduce the amount of breakage your hair sustains. Also, like most products for wavy hair, this one is free of parabens, sulfates, gluten, and phthalates.
