Leave-in conditioners take care of many hair problems at once, and chemically-treated and relaxed hair benefits a lot from them, as the nourishment stays on for a long time and doesn’t get rinsed off in 5-10 minutes. Hence, I have shortlisted the best leave-in conditioners for relaxed hair that can really be your go-to products when you want the shaft just straightway to look healthier. 

I know people who have always complained about struggling with frizziness because of high humidity right after chemically straightening or smoothening their hair. And trust me, a good leave-in conditioner can be your one-stop solution. While dealing with the frizz, it also infuses a great amount of shine and life into the hair for a healthier appearance.

Furthermore, the products are an excellent option to alleviate hair damage, while making the hair soft and shiny. They also deal with advanced hair damage problems like split ends, dull shafts, and unruly appearance that can be a serious problem when you want to look your best! Based on my experience, I have come up with nine such products that will be our topic of discussion today! So, read on!

• 1
  Best for Unmanageable

  Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-In Conditioning Cream- Pack of 2

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Specially formulated for dry and frizzy hair concerns, this drugstore leave-in conditioner is a reliable product to count on after permanent hair straightening. What’s more? the plant keratin and argan oil present in the product ensures sleek strands and controls the frizz for up to 72 hours. The best part is that it shows results even at 90% humidity! Furthermore, the Leaping Bunny-certified product is cruelty-free and vegan-friendly to ensure nothing nasty is infused into your hair.

2

Best to Resist Breakage

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-in Conditioner

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Packed with Jamaican black castor oil, peppermint, and shea butter, the leave-in conditioner works on damaged hair to soften and detangle the locks. I love how it is formulated with reparative omegas, which is a revolutionary and much-needed component that helps in healthy hair growth. The product deeply conditions your hair while stimulating the scalp at the same time for a top-notch experience. Furthermore, it resists breakage by supporting elasticity during styling or treatment.

3

Best to Make Hair Soft

Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey Leave-In Conditioner

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This is a moisturizing curl primer cum detangler that works truly like magic to repair damage and prevent frizz. Specially designed for thick curly hair type 4, it prevents frizz and adds shine to your shafts after they are relaxed! The long-lasting hydration provided by the product needs special mention, and the credit goes to the tantalizing blend of babassu oil with citrus extract! Furthermore, it deeply penetrates your hair to bestow you with bouncy locks and visibly improves texture.

4

Best to Deal with Split Ends

Marc Anthony Leave-In Conditioner Spray

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Enriched with the goodness of shea butter, vitamin E, and coconut oil, the Marc Anthony leave-in conditioner spray is designed in such a way that it leaves you with softer and smoother hair. It also works as a great detangling agent for your relaxed hair while leaving the strands thoroughly moisturized. The nourishing formula makes the hair smoother and softer that will encourage you to touch your strands more often! Furthermore, the leave-in conditioner for relaxed hair improves manageability by preventing split ends and breakage!

5

Protects from Heat Damage

MIZANI 25 Benefit Miracle Milk Leave-in Conditioner

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First of all, I love how the leave-in conditioner comes in a spray bottle for ease of use! Secondly, it is formulated with coconut oil, which is a great moisturizing component, to help you detangle your pesky knots and fight frizz. Furthermore, it works as a great agent to deal with heat damage by creating a shield around your hair cuticles. It also bestows you with the softest hair while adding a great amount of shine and strengthening the strands from within.

6

Best to Promote Hair Growth

tgin Green Tea Super Moist Leave-in Conditioner

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tgin comes with a lightweight conditioner that suits almost all hair types including relaxed hair to nourish the roots and makes the shaft shiny! Packed with argan oil, green tea, white tea, and shea butter, this invigorating formula also promotes healthy hair growth by facilitating blood flow into the roots while repairing the cuticles at the same time. It prevents future damage, minimizes dryness, and deals with pesky split ends by restoring your hair's natural oils without causing any build-ups and scalp inflammation.

7

Best to Get Shiny Locks

Design Essentials Natural Kukui & Coconut Hydrating Leave-In Conditioner

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The leave-in conditioner from Design Essential, specially designed for both relaxed and natural-textured hair, packed with kukui extracts and coconut oil to deeply moisturize your hair! It deeply penetrates the hair to prevent breakage from within while instantly softening the strands for a healthier look. The intense moisture of the leave-in conditioner deals with brittle hair and promises to radiate shine with each use. I came across a review saying, “...it smells great, doesn’t leave an oily or sticky feeling to hair, and maintains curls and reduces frizz greatly! I highly recommend!”

8

Best to Deal with Humidity

Novex Mistic Black Leave-in Conditioner

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The Mistic Black leave-in conditioner is enriched with baobab oil to bring the desired shine into your beautiful relaxed locks! I am in love with how the product caters to pesky hair problems like tangles and knots while repairing frizz and split ends. It softens your strands and makes them manageable even if you have super thick and dense hair. I was also greatly pleased to come across that the product eliminates the threat of humidity when you have freshly straightened or smoothened your hair.

9

Best Smelling Formula

XO Curls Hydrating Leave-in Conditioner

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The XO Curls Hydrating Leave-in Conditioner is one of the best leave-ins for relaxed hair that comes infused with argan oil, olive squalane, Indian pennywort, and flax seeds to give you the best results! The product takes the upper hand at fighting frizz and dealing with dryness by intensely nourishing your hair from within. Furthermore, it contains effective moisturizing ingredients that reduce the split ends and breakage to help the hair appear healthy! What's more? Well, it comes with a slightly invigorating scent of lavender so that it lifts your mood when you use it!

Now that you have checked out the products, take a look at how you can pick the best one among them.

Below are the parameters to consider before purchasing a leave-in conditioner.

a) Ingredients: Moisturizing components like avocado oil, coconut oil, argan oil, vitamin E, fatty acids, amino acids, and keratin should be your lookout when you want to pick your ideal leave-in conditioner for your relaxed hair. They not only make your hair appear healthy and shiny but also ensure that the chemically straightened and smoothened hair is long-lasting!

b) Formula: If you have a sensitive scalp, choosing the formula can be a bit tricky, however, there are hypoallergenic formulas available in the market for which your scalp and shaft will not be affected. For people with dull and dry hair, a moisturizing formula will work the best that infuses a great amount of hydration into the hair. Lastly, for people with oily scalps, a water-based hydrating formula is ideal which will weigh down the hair.

c) Consistency: It depends on the porosity of your hair! If you have highly porous hair, a product with a thick consistency is what you need that will replenish the shaft better for better results. Similarly, for people with low porous hair, a lightweight consistency would be ideal!

d) Hair Concern: I understand different people have different concerns when it comes to hair care! And that's why, numerous products address different concerns. If you deal with dull hair, a moisturizing formula is ideal. If you have a hair breakage problem, a formula that strengthens from within is what you should get.

Now, let's take a look at how you can incorporate the product into your routine.

Below are the steps to keep in mind before incorporating a leave-in conditioner.

Step 1: First thing first, start with cleansing your hair by thoroughly massaging it with shampoo, to get rid of any greasiness, grime, or product buildup.

Step 2: You can apply a regular, rinse-off conditioner to your hair after squeezing out the excess water.

Step 3: This step is optional. However, when you feel like your hair needs special treatment and it is feeling dehydrated from within, you can opt for a hair mask and keep it as per the label before washing it off. On those days, you can skip your regular hair conditioner.

Step 4: Now, towel dry your hair, and take a generous amount of your leave-in conditioner. Emulsify it between your palms. 

Step 5: Apply it on the lengths of your hair thoroughly before blow drying or styling with a hot tool.

Step 6: Lastly, take a few drops of serum and apply it on the ends to lock the moisture in.