The Best Dry Conditioners to Nourish Hair On the Fly

When it's been three nights, two workouts, and one sweaty commute since you last washed your hair, you turn to dry shampoos to sop up the oil pooling at your roots, lend your mane a clean fragrance, and make your locks look and feel like they got a good scrubbing a few hours ago — not a few days ago.

But when your days-old hair gets dry and frizzy on the shaft, your split ends feel brittle, and your tresses are looking lackluster, turn to dry shampoo's lesser-known, miracle product of a cousin, dry conditioner.

Typically made with lightweight, fast-absorbing dry oils like marula, argan, and jojoba, dry conditioners improve the hair's condition or suppleness without requiring you to hop in the shower and lather up with a full-on conditioner, says Kerry E. Yates, trichologist (hair and scalp specialist) and founder of Colour Collective. Like dry shampoo, you can spritz dry conditioner on your locks to tackle everyday hair problems: A light spray of dry conditioner can help prevent fly-aways and static throughout the low-humidity fall and winter seasons and keep your ends from looking fried and crunchy if you're overdue for a cut, says Yates. Since you won't have to wet your hair to get the benefits, dry conditioners are also ideal to use after getting a blowout to refresh your look without totally ruining it, she explains.

What's more, you don't need to pick between using a dry shampoo or dry conditioner — the two can actually work in tandem when used as spot treatments. If you have super oily roots but your hair shafts are dull and dry, you can revive those areas with an isolated spritz of dry conditioner without adding to the grease problem up top, says Angela C. Stevens, a licensed master stylist in West Hollywood. This technique is especially useful for color-treated hair, which can get greasy around on the roots and almost gritty on the shaft, she adds. "The dry conditioner won't give it texture, but it will help soften and smooth the hair and make it shiny without weighing it down," explains Stevens.

Still, spraying dry conditioner on your locks with reckless abandon can do some damage. "Applying to the root hair can make the hair look heavy, which is a definite no no for fine hair people," says Yates. "In addition, doubling up on dry shampoo plus dry conditioner can clog your follicles, and long-term exposure can lead to hair loss." Just like regular conditioner, dry conditioner is best applied to your mid-lengths and ends — not your roots — so focus your spritzes on those areas, she says. After you apply a light layer, which Stevens recommends doing about 10 inches away from your head, run a boar-bristle brush through your hair to evenly distribute the product, says Yates. Remember, dry conditioners should supplement — not replace — your normal conditioner, says Yates, but if you're looking to transform your stale tresses into soft and supple ones with a quick mist, stock up on these expert-approved dry conditioners.

Voloom Shine On Dry Conditioner

With the help of marula oil, this dry conditioner not only revives overall dry hair, but it also softens and smooths, which is exactly why Yates loves it so much. "Marula oil does a brilliant job of improving shine and condition, especially on damaged ends," she says. And you don't need to worry about your locks feeling heavy: One Amazon shopper says the product adds shine, but "does not add weight and does not add 'stickiness.'"

Buy It: Voloom Shine On Dry Conditioner, $20, amazon.com

amika Silken Up Dry Conditioner

A favorite of Stevens, this dry conditioner instantly eliminates the inevitable static your hair deals with in the middle of winter, along with restoring softness and shine. The key ingredient is provitamin B5, which will help protect your hair from breakage, reduce split ends, and smooth your locks. (Also, it smells so good, you'll want to use it like perfume.) One of the best parts, though, is that it won't make your hair feel heavy, sticky, or full of product, says one shopper. "I detest the feel of product in my hair, and the Amika products have never left me feeling as if I have played in the hair aisle in a store," they wrote. "I don't think I can live without this stuff!!!"

Buy It: amika Silken Up Dry Conditioner, $25, amazon.com

Batiste Dry Conditioner

Bursting with citrus, mango, and peach scents, this dry conditioner earns a spot on the winners' podium just for its tropical scent. Plus, it hydrates dry ends, calms frizz, restores softness, and smooths out fly-aways in a single spritz, giving it high marks in Stevens' book. And reviewers can't get enough: "This product is INCREDIBLE," wrote one shopper. "Absolutely does not make your hair greasy, and makes it so soft and manageable like it was just washed…I am so happy with this product, and it smells GREAT."

Buy It: Batiste Dry Conditioner, $10, ulta.com

Kevin Murphy Young Again Dry Conditioner

This dry conditioner does exactly what the name implies: Make your tresses feel young and fresh once again. The product contains provitamin B5, which Yates says helps revive hair and camouflage dry ends, as well as immortelle to moisturize and sunflower seed extract to prevent hair from drying out. As one reviewer put it, this dry conditioner "leaves my hair touchable soft and smells great." Another bonus: The formula is designed to help detangle strands, so you won't create breakage as you brush. (

Buy It: Kevin Murphy Young Again Dry Conditioner, $28, amazon.com

Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist

The most affordable dry conditioner on this list, this mist uses jojoba oil to nourish hair and tame fly-aways and provitamin B5 to make dry ends look much healthier. So it's no surprise reviewers are calling it a "godsend": "I have long, thick, wild hair," wrote the shopper. "It is wonderful on the ends of my hair. It finishes with subtle sheen, not grossly shiny and allows me to get my brush through and helps my hair lay right. I love this product and hope it never goes away!" But if you still aren't convinced to give the product a shot, know it has a refreshing coconut milk and peach scent you'll love.

Buy It: Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist, $7, target.com