Best conditioner for flyaway hair
For flyaway hair, Briogeo Farewell Frizz Smoothing Conditioner is our most effective pick. It combines rosehip, argan and coconut oils with vitamin E, panthenol and conditioning agents. Flyaways are usually short, dry or broken strands with a raised cuticle that pick up static and humidity. Conditioning agents carry a slight positive charge that neutralizes static, while the oils seal the cuticle so strands lie flat and catch the light. The brand describes it as lightweight, so it smooths without weighing hair down. Our ethical pick, NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Smooth Conditioner, is cruelty free and vegan, with yuzu ceramide, hydrolyzed quinoa and argan oil. The table below compares price and time to results. After rinsing, blot hair with a microfiber towel instead of rubbing, and finish blow-drying with the nozzle pointing down the hair shaft, which helps the cuticle lie flat and keeps flyaways down.
| Option | Product | Price | Price per use | Days to results | Compared with most effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most effective | Briogeo Farewell Frizz Smoothing Conditioner | US$85 | US$0.99 | 1 | |
| Cruelty free and vegan | NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Smooth Conditioner | US$50 | US$0.58 | 7 | US$35.00 less than the most effective pick, 6 more days to first results |
Why it works
Conditioning agents (silicones, cationic surfactants, fatty alcohols)
Conditioners work mainly on the hair surface. Washing leaves hair with a negative electrical charge, and positively charged cationic surfactants, the backbone of most conditioners, bind to it and cut static. Silicones such as dimethicone and amodimethicone form a thin film that lowers friction between strands and shields them from abrasion, and fatty alcohols like cetyl and stearyl alcohol add body and slip. Reviews link this to less frizz, easier combing and less grooming damage. This is well-established cosmetic science, measured mostly in the lab, not consumer trials. Effects last until the next wash, and leave-on products can make fine, straight hair look oily or dull.
Plant oils for hair (coconut, argan)
Plant oils mainly coat the hair surface, reducing friction and slowing water uptake. Coconut oil is the best studied: in a lab study by researchers at a hair-oil company, it was the only one of three oils that markedly reduced protein loss from hair, which the authors credit to its small, straight fat molecules entering the shaft. Sunflower and mineral oil did not reduce protein loss. Evidence for argan oil is thinner: one small lab study found a conditioner containing it reduced protein loss in hair treated with a lightening dye. There are no good consumer trials. Like other leave-on products, oils can make fine, straight hair look oily.
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Sources
- Shampoo and Conditioners: What a Dermatologist Should Know?
- Hair Cosmetics: An Overview
- Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage
- Hair Protective Effect of Argan Oil (Argania spinosa Kernel Oil) and Cupuassu Butter (Theobroma grandiflorum Seed Butter) Post Treatment with Hair Dye
Reviewed by Emilie Sydney-Smith