The 12 Best Hair Growth Masks & Conditioners for Your Longest, Healthiest Hair Yet

Best Overall

Redken Extreme Length Conditioner

$58 at Amazon $56 at Ulta View on Simon.com

Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Arginine, citric acid | Sulfate-Free: N/A | Cruelty-Free: No | Size: 10.1, 33.8 oz

You may think it takes a whole slew of products to add visible length and provide damage control to your locks—but we’ve found all it takes is a few hair washes with Redken’s Extreme Conditioner. We couldn’t have been more pleased with our results after using this formula for six weeks. Our tresses grew about half an inch, looked visibly more hydrated thanks to the added shine and silky feel, and boasted a more frizz-free appearance as well. The ingredients list features hair-strengthening amino acids, specifically arginine, as well as citric acid—both of which can aid hair growth.

This conditioner did leave a barely noticeable film on our strands. However, we actually appreciated this effect as it helped us see how this formula was truly keeping our hair protected, and that added nourishment locked in. Despite this, we didn’t feel like the conditioner weighed down our hair at all, even though the consistency was on the thicker side. Just remember that a little bit goes a long way with this product.

Best Budget

Marc Anthony Grow Long Conditioner

$10 at Amazon View on Marcanthony.com View on CVS

Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Castor oil | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Size: 16 oz

Like everyone has different hair goals, we all have different prices we’re willing to pay to remedy our more persistent hair issues. Consider Marc Anthony’s Grow Long Super Fast Strength Conditioner if you don’t want to splurge on products to help with hair growth. 

At only week four of the six-week testing period, we already noticed growth at our ends thanks to the caffeine and biotin found in this formula, ingredients known to work wonders for lengthening strands. We should say that we suggest getting a haircut before trying out this formula—we had some dead ends on our hair that, although we were pleased to see them grow so rapidly, caused excess tangles due to their unhealthy state. Aside from this minor flaw in her hair-testing plan, we loved how silky and smooth our hair felt above our dead ends, and the thick consistency of the formula left no icky residue behind. 

Best for Thinning Hair

Nutrafol Strand Defender Lightweight Strengthening Conditioner for Thinning Hair

$44 at Amazon $44 at Sephora $44 at Beautifiedyou.com

Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Ximenia oil, sea buckthorn oil | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Size: 8.1 oz

A noticeable lack of hair growth can manifest in various ways, such as with visibly thinning strands. If you’re seeking a formula that specifically targets this issue, look no further than Nutrafol Strand Defender Lightweight Protective Conditioner. This option strengthens and conditions hair with ingredients like hydrolyzed wheat protein, which functions as a bond-repairer to give your hair an overall smoother, thicker appearance.

While we’d been experiencing excessive shedding that made our hair appear thinner than normal, we were thrilled that this formula, which includes hair growth agents such as biotin and arginine, helped our hairline sprout newfound areas of growth. Our hair immediately felt silky-soft and tangle-free after the first wash—we have Ximenia oil and sea buckthorn oil to thank for that, which provide hair with a nourished look and feel (sans silicones, ingredients that can cause excess buildup after long-term use) and strengthen hair, respectively. 

We loved that this conditioner kept hair shedding at bay while brushing and heat-styling and prevented our hair from looking thin. Further, it has a thick consistency and an ultra-light fragrance composed of notes of bergamot, verbena, and musk, so anyone sensitive to overwhelming scents can use this conditioner on hair-wash day with ease. 

Best Thickening

Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Conditioner

$10

$9 at Amazon $17 at Ulta $9 at Target

Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Biotin, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, shea butter, avocado oil, coconut oil | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Size: 12 oz 

This formula from Mielle Organics provides the moisture that a solid conditioner should provide, along with the added benefit of thickening your locks. While we didn’t notice much added length during the testing period, we were surprised by how much stronger and therefore thicker our strands had become in just six weeks, even making our ponytails look visibly fuller.  

Ingredients like biotin, peppermint oil, and rosemary oil work to help fortify your strands, while shea butter, avocado oil, and coconut oil help to nourish them. We didn’t love the lack of instruction when it came to how much conditioner was necessary to apply and found ourselves occasionally using way too much, resulting in an oily, weighed-down look. Thankfully, through some quick trial-and-error, we were able to determine the proper amount to apply, which gave our hair the thickness, shine, and silkiness that it was missing.

Best Mask

Kérastase Genesis Masque Reconstituant Hair Mask

$70 at Amazon $68 at Sephora View on Target

Type: Mask | Key Ingredients: Arginine, ginger root extract | Sulfate-Free: N/A | Cruelty-Free: No | Size: 6.8 oz

Nothing shows you have hair damage quite like the presence of breakage, which can manifest via split ends and frizzy, frayed, or stuck-out strands. If breakage is holding your hair back from looking its longest and strongest, consider this hair mask from luxury haircare brand Kérastase. While some hair products leave our hair feeling limp and scraggly, that was not the case with this formula. Not only did we notice some hair growth, but we also realized that our hair felt significantly smoother and shinier, and displayed a noticeable increase in volume and bounciness after blow drying. 

And, despite the frequency with which we use hot tools, we noticed a lot less breakage and split ends after using the mask for six weeks. Ingredients like arginine and ginger root extract likely played a huge role in these standout results. They prevent harsh factors like chemicals and heat from damaging your strands and promote hair growth, respectively. The only thing we didn’t love was how strong the scent was initially, but thankfully, it eventually faded away.

Best for Fine Hair

Davines Nounou Hair Mask

$44 at Amazon $18 at Sephora $44 at Davines.com

Type: Mask | Key Ingredients: Blueberry extract, aloe vera leaf juice, coconut oil | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Size: 8 oz

Masks and conditioners for hair growth typically don’t just contain growth-stimulating ingredients, but also some heavy moisturizers to help with factors like dryness, strengthening, and damage reduction. While we love when products provide other benefits, sometimes the add-on of oils and butters can weigh down fine hair types, preventing them from reaping the benefits of the formulas they’re using. Luckily, we discovered the ultimate mask for fine hair: Davines’ NOUNOU Mask. 

After using the mask, we found that our fine hair was much more hydrated, and therefore much smoother and free of visible frizz. We could also tell our strands were longer, even though the formula didn’t have much effect on the overall thickness or volume of the hair. These results are likely due to the mask’s ingredients, like jojoba seed oil, which can absorb into your hair and remedy dryness without any greasiness and promote hair growth as well. Tomato extract deserves a special shout-out—it’s chock-full of vitamin C, which can help infuse antioxidants into the hair. 

Best for Shedding

Viviscal Densifying Conditioner

$13 at Amazon

Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Biotin, keratin, citric acid, zinc oxide | Sulfate-Free: N/A | Cruelty-Free: Not listed | Size: 8.45 oz

While occasional hair shedding is pretty common, that doesn’t mean you have to settle for an excess of hair in your brush or your shower drain. One of our testers typically deals with “handfuls” of hair fallout post-wash and after styling and brushing her locks, yet after the first week of using this product, she noticed that she wasn’t experiencing this issue anymore. 

The ingredients in this formula—including biotin, an essential B vitamin, keratin, citric acid, and zinc oxide—led to remarkable results, specifically hair that looked and felt stronger, thicker, and more voluminous. The formula is definitely thick, yet it didn’t leave any unsightly residue or heaviness behind after washing it out in the shower. Our hair felt squeaky clean and lightweight after washing, styling felt more manageable than before, and the added shine and reduced frizz were bonuses. However, we do wish it delivered a bit more in the way of actual hair growth.

Best for Chemically-Treated Hair

K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Molecular Repair Hair Mask

$75 at Amazon $75 at Sephora $75 at K18hair.com

Type: Mask | Key Ingredients: K18PEPTIDE | Sulfate-Free: N/A | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Size: 0.5, 1.7 oz

If your monthly maintenance routine consists of a hair treatment or two (we’re talking color, hair relaxers, etc.) and your length is suffering the consequences, don’t fret. Although frequent chemical treatments can result in damaged tresses (which can prevent hair growth in the long run), leave-in hair masks like this one can help restore your locks. While we didn’t receive any damaging hair treatments before testing, our hair definitely lacked luster and had visible frizz, dryness, and breakage at the ends. However, after testing this product, these symptoms of hair disrepair showed significant improvement.

We were initially skeptical about the way this product is applied. Purposely not applying conditioner and instead working the mask through our tresses without washing it out? Seemed strange, especially since we were worried that the product might leave a residue. Luckily, that didn’t happen—instead, this formula transformed our damaged locks to end up smoother, shinier, and visibly more voluminous than before. We believe these effects are due to K18’s signature peptide ingredient, the K18PEPTIDE, or sh-Oligopeptide-78, which functions as a bond-builder to tackle the look of damaged strands and bring hair back to life.

Best for Dry Hair

Briogeo Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Superfood Mask

$39 at Amazon $39 at Sephora $39 at Ulta

Type: Mask | Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, chia seed extract, kiwi extract, spinach extract, biotin | Sulfate-Free: Yes| Cruelty-Free: Yes | Size: 2, 8, 33.8 oz

Hair dryness and a lack of hair growth can go hand in hand, so it’s a good idea to get your dehydrated hair in check with a mask like Briogeo’s Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Superfood Mask. We were more than pleased with the results of incorporating this mask into our hair care routine, because not only did the formula help lengthen and strengthen our locks, but it also functioned as a deep conditioner with superb moisturizing effects. Ingredients like avocado oil and chia seed extract provide nourishment, vitamin C from kiwi extract has hair-protecting antioxidant properties, and spinach extract and biotin assist with hair growth and strengthening.

One tester with 3A/3B-type hair (aka super curly) found that the thick, nongreasy consistency of this formula worked well on her curls and left them looking fabulous (even without supplemental curl styling products). Her hair was shiny and silky after brushing and drying post-wash, not to mention her curls felt thicker and more voluminous. We only wish that this mask could have done more to tame our excess frizz, yet the other benefits were enough to keep us using this mask at least once a week.

Best for Curly Hair

Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask

$18 at Amazon

Type: Mask | Key Ingredients: Blueberry extract, aloe vera leaf juice, coconut oil | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Not listed | Size: 8 oz

It can be tricky to tell whether or not your hair is actually growing if you have curls. If you’re not sure, it doesn’t hurt to set it up for optimal growth and overall health with a hair mask like this one from curly hair-focused brand CURLS. One tester, who has naturally curly hair that she typically straightens with a flat iron, found this formula made her curls bounce back to their normal state with no issue. Her hair was left feeling nourished, extra-soft, stronger, and with a blueberry-esque smell to it. Best of all, she had several people point out how long her hair was getting (if that doesn’t demonstrate a product that truly works, we don’t know what does!)

Blueberry extract is the star of this formula as the fruit (as well as other berries) is made of chemical compounds known as proanthocyanidins, which are thought to assist with hair growth. What’s more, the included aloe vera leaf juice and coconut oil function as a moisturizer for dry and damaged locks and can bring your curls back to life if any dehydration has inhibited their bounciness and definition.

Best for Damaged Hair

Kevin Murphy Young Again Masque

$57 at Com.au $57 at Ecosmetics.com

Type: Mask | Key Ingredients: Arginine, Baobab seed oil | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Size: 40, 200, 1000 mL

Anyone who has general, all-around damage (aka split ends, breakage, dullness, etc.) can find relief with a nourishing hair mask such as Kevin Murphy’s Young Again Mask. The formula includes arginine, which remedies the effects of damage on your hair, as well as hydrolyzed quinoa and Baobab seed oil for an ultra-nourishing post-wash feel. 

We especially loved using this mask post-heat-styling or at the beginning of the week, as we felt it brought our locks back to a healthier state. Our hair looked silky, smooth, and frizz-free, with a stark difference in volume and thickness and a subtle difference in the length of our ends. One of our testers with fine, 1C-type hair felt her locks were transformed—she was elated to find a product that remedied her brittle ends without having to resort to regular hair trims.

Best for Shine

Carol’s Daughter Fortifying Conditioner

$14

$12 at Amazon $13 at Ulta $12 at Target

Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Castor oil | Sulfate-free: No| Cruelty-Free: Yes | Size: 8.5, 11 oz

If you’re seeking out ways to add luster as growth, The Goddess Strength Fortifying Conditioner from Carol’s Daughter is one of our new go-to options to achieve these goals. We couldn’t rave enough about the way our hair shone as we wrapped up the six-week testing period. 

Castor oil is the main ingredient responsible for this newfound shine, and we love how it also can stimulate hair growth; ginger and black cumin seed further assist with lengthening, thickening, and moisturizing dull, dry strands. All in all, there was no doubt that our hair was noticeably longer, thicker, fuller, and smoother compared to its state at the beginning of testing.