8 Best Hair Moisturizers to Repair Dry, Damaged Strands
GH Lab favorites turn straw-like strands into silk.
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In the same way you use a moisturizer for your skin, your hair needs the same daily dose of hydration. No matter your issue — split ends, brittle strands, lack of luster — there are a number of common causes for less-than-healthy-looking hair: "Sun exposure, chlorine, shampooing too frequently, not using conditioner, and washing with extra hot water are all factors," says hairstylist Eliut Rivera, owner of Eliut Salon in New York City.
If you frequently use hot tools and hair color, which usually contain dehydrating ammonia, stands can really start to show signs of damage. "Heat can cause moisture inside the hair to evaporate and upset the protective lipid balance," explains Randy Schueller, cosmetic chemist and co-founder of The Beauty Brains.
Products like split end menders, leave-in conditioners, and deep conditioning treatment masks can seal the outer layer of strands so they temporarily appear smoother and less frayed and feel softer, explains Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Beauty Lab. These products can also help protect hair from further damage by providing a coating that buffers against friction and other offenders like heat.
These top picks for best hair moisturizers are backed by our Good Housekeeping Seal, top-tested in our Beauty Lab, or editor favorites. Even better, almost all are at the drugstore!
Garnier Whole Blends Gentle Detangling Hair Milk Oat Delicacy
Garnier Whole Blends Gentle Detangling Hair Milk Oat Delicacy
This milky Garnier mist melts through knots and nourishes hair with botanicals like oat and rice extracts and aloe juice. One tester's feedback: "It was feather-light, and I could comb damp hair with almost no effort."
Matrix Biolage Advanced Keratindose Pro-Keratin + Silk Renewal Spray
Matrix Biolage Advanced Keratindose Pro-Keratin + Silk Renewal Spray
Nourish split or broken hair with a creamy moisturizer for strands. When tested by the GH Beauty Lab, Matrix's spray scored high on the measurements of conditioning ability. The leave-in conditioner and style-finisher in one was described as "The Holy Grail for hair," by one tester, it helps hair feel soft and look extra shiny.
It's a 10 Miracle Deep Conditioner Plus Keratin
It's a 10 Miracle Deep Conditioner Plus Keratin
Hair can get drier and more fragile over time. Nourish and strengthen with this keratin- and botanical-infused intense treatment mask. The winner of the Lab's Deep Conditioners test, it earned a rare perfect score for conditioning and preventing damage in a mechanical wet-combing test on hair samples. One tester's take: "This worked wonders on my over-processed hair."
SheaMoisture High Porosity Moisture Correct Masque
SheaMoisture High Porosity Moisture Correct Masque
A favorite of Associate Beauty Editor, Pia Velasco, Shea Moisture's rich mask transforms processed hair to frizz-free, smooth strands with natural ingredients like baobab proteins and shea butter.
"I apply this mask while showering and leave on for as long as possible," says Velasco. "Once I've rinsed it out, my hair feels more moisturized and smooth. My strands feel more elastic, cleaner, and soft to touch. I'm devoted!" For maximum benefits, swap in this deep conditioner or a hair mask weekly.
Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots Hair Ampoules
Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots Hair Ampoules
Pantene's pro-style ampoules contain concentrated lipids to repair hair. A tester's review: "I used the full tube on my dye- and hot tool-damaged hair and it felt stronger and even looked healthier once dry."
Oribe Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream
Oribe Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream
"This moisturizing cream packed with proteins and vitamins is a splurge, but the tube is huge and lasts forever," says April Franzino, the Beauty Director at Good Housekeeping. "Just a dab makes my strands feel silky and supple, and the signature scent smells like a high-end fragrance." It can be used as both a leave-in conditioner on damp hair and on dry hair for quick touch-ups and smoothing.
Suave Moroccan Infusion Moroccan Argan Styling Oil
Suave Moroccan Infusion Moroccan Argan Styling Oil
Revive parched strands: rub a bit of this light, argan oil-infused styling serum on ends or throughout wet hair. The GH Lab found the formula was favored by testers for its scent and how silky soft strands felt.
Herbal Essences Coconut Milk Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner
Herbal Essences Coconut Milk Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner
Damaged hair is stripped of its protective outer layer, and conditioner helps replenish it with emollient ingredients like silicones, plant oils, and butters. Herbal Essences' infusions, made with coconut extract and aloe, boasted the highest level of conditioning in GH's hydrating shampoos and conditioners test.
The GH Beauty lab's findings: This shampoo and conditioner combination performed best in a test with our Instron machine to gauge combing force in wet hair, proving strong conditioning.
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