6 Best Leave-In Conditioners For Bleached Hair 2023 | Products For Blonde Hair

Using good leave-in conditioners for bleached hair can prevent your newly colored and processed hair from looking like straw.

I’ve got dark-colored hair and it can get quite boring. But for blonde or lighter hair colors to stick, it becomes necessary to bleach your hair to remove the dark hair pigments.

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While it’s a very common procedure, bleach is a strong chemical that can break down the protein molecules in hair strands, leaving them frayed, dry, and damaged.

So it becomes necessary to use a good leave in conditioner for bleached blonde hair to keep it healthy and soft. 

Leave In Conditioners	Best For	Chief Ingredients
L’Oreal Elvive Total Repair Leave In Conditioner	Dry Hair	Almond Oil, Keratin Protein
Shea Moisture Strengthen and Restore Condition	African American Hair	Shea Butter, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Peppermint, Apple Cider Vinegar
Sachajuan Leave In Conditioner	Oily Hair	Hydrolyzed Red Algae
Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother	Severely Damaged Hair	Camellia Seed Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil
Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique Milk	Heat Protection	Royal Jelly Extracts, Guar Gum, Wheat Protein

What is the best leave in conditioner for bleached hair?

After looking at the leave in conditioners in the market and testing them out, I’ve noticed that the Shea Moisture Strengthen and Restore Condition is the best leave in conditioner for bleached hair.

Shea Moisture Strengthen and Restore Condition is the best leave in conditioner for bleached blonde hair according to me. It doesn’t contain silicone and a majority of the ingredients are organic. It helps repair damage, removes tangles, and prevents frizz too. It’s also well-suited for African American hair texture. 

How I selected the best leave-in conditioners for bleached hair?

I started off by testing the top and popular hair conditioners in the market for bleached blonde hair on the given parameters. I then rated them on a scale of 1-5 with help from my hair care experts.

• Moisturizing – A good leave-in conditioner for bleached hair should be nourishing as the bleaching process can strip moisture from your tresses.
• Smoothing – Bleaching also damages the hair cuticle, leaving it open and causing your hair to look frizzy. So leave-in conditioners for bleached hair should have some sort of smoothing effect.
• Damage Repair – As mentioned, the hair cuticle is damaged due to bleaching, leading to dehydration, split ends, breakage, etc. The conditoner should fix these issues too.
• Affordability – Lastly, I tested the leave-in conditoners for bleached hair based on their price and affordability.

Top Leave-In Conditioners For Bleached Hair 2023

L’Oreal Elvive Total Repair Leave In Conditioner

It’s no secret that bleached blonde hair requires more care and attention. But all of these hair care products can wreck your monthly budget.

So I’m glad the L’Oreal Elvive Total Repair Leave In Conditioner helps repair and protect bleached hair and is also super affordable.

This leave in conditioner promises to prevent up to 95 percent of breakage. It did leave my bleached hair less tangled and dry. 

And yes, there was considerably less hair fall. But in the long run, my locks felt too greasy and weighed down. 

If you want one good reason to buy this condition is the heat protect formula that claims to shield your hair from damage till upto 450-degree fahrenheit. 

So if you, like me, love to use hair curlers or straighteners every other day, this is a good pick.  

The L’Oreal conditioner also comes with nourishing ingredients like almond oil and proteins. But unfortunately, there’s also dimethicone. 

This is a type of silicone commonly used in hair styling products, especially creams and conditioners. 

It makes the consistency of the product smoother and gives it a nice slip. And it’s also the reason why some conditioners instantly leave your tresses soft and shiny. 

But a drawback of dimethicone is that it can build up on your hair, causing it to appear limp in the long run. 

This is not too shocking considering the price range. But if voluminous hair is a must, you can try out something without silicones.

I also tried using a good shampoo for oily hair to remove build-up when I was using this leave-in conditioner. 

Pros:

• Detangles hair
• Moisturizing
• Protein formula helps repair damage and split ends
• Affordable
• Almond oil formula is light enough for fine, thin hair
• Protects from heat damage

Cons:

• Silicones cause product build-up
• Contains fragrance and artificial dyes

Moisturizing – 4.5/5

Smoothing – 4/5

Damage Repair – 4.5/5

Affordability – 5/5

Shea Moisture Strengthen and Restore Condition

African American hair (type 4 texture), is naturally black. So bleaching is inevitable if you want blonde or light-colored locks. 

But this can damage your curls which are already prone to breakage, tangling, and frizz.

So it’s always good to find hair products that are good for Afro-textured hair, like this leave-in conditioner by SheaMoisture.

The super-rich conditioner comes with ingredients like organic shea butter, coconut oil, peppermint, and apple cider vinegar that helps repair damage and moisturize hair.

There’s also Jamaican black castor oil that is packed with omega fatty acids that help repair damage on a molecular level.

I was also impressed by the lack of sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, and phthalates in this leave in conditioner. SheaMoisture doesn’t test on animals either.

While this is a holy grail product for African American women, I don’t think it’ll work just as well on fine and straight hair. It can leave your hair weighed down and greasy.

So you can check out the Sachajuan conditioner or Kerastase if you have straight hair instead.

One thing I felt could be better about this conditioner is the packaging. It comes in a round box and it can get a bit messy to dip your fingers in there every time.

I also felt that the formula of the newer batches of this cream has become a bit too thick. It was very runny and easily applied on curls before.

Pros:

• Super moisturizing
• Good for coarse, damaged hair
• Good for African American hair
• Prevents split ends and breakage
• Cruelty-free 

Cons:

• Too heavy for straight hair
• Not suited for oily scalps
• New formula is too thick 

Moisturizing – 5/5

Smoothing – 4.5/5

Damage Repair – 4/5

Affordability – 3.5/5

Sachajuan Leave In Conditioner For Bleached Blonde Hair

A lot of leave in conditioners can leave hair greasy and dull. So if you want something more lightweight, you should try the Sachajuan Leave In Conditioner for bleached blonde hair.

This product contains hydrolyzed red algae as the chief ingredient. This helps repair any damage caused by bleaching and regular use of hair dyes.

It has a very light, almost-watery consistency that slips through your hair easily. Even fine hair can use it regularly without the fear of it weighing it down. 

I did not like the fact that this conditioner contains silicone! So if you’re using it on fine, straight hair, do not forget to use a clarifying shampoo regularly. 

It’s also very expensive. So I feel you should check out more affordable products like the Olaplex conditioner (still pricey, but not as much as this one). 

Oh, and the smell of this product is very strong. Some users might like the sweet smell. For me, it was too much. 

I also had a bit of trouble with the spray nozzle of this conditioner. While this design makes it super hygienic and easy to use, the nozzle keeps getting stuck for some reason. 

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Volumizing
• Good for fine hair

Cons:

• Contains silicones
• Perfume too overpowering for some users
• Very expensive

Moisturizing – 3.5/5

Smoothing – 3.5/5

Damage Repair – 4.5/5

Affordability – 3/5

Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother

Bleaching hair can lead to the bonds in your hair molecules weakening. This leads to all sorts of trouble like frizz, hair fall, dryness, tangles, etc.

So this Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother helps repair these bonds, leaving your tresses smoother and silkier.  

It even repairs split ends, leaving your hair looking healthier and reducing chances of breakage.

I especially liked how lightweight this product was! 

Most damage repair conditioners are very rich, but this has a very runny consistency that gets absorbed in seconds. 

I also had a lot of problems with flaways since bleaching my hair blonde left it quite frayed. This conditioner seemed to take care of this too.

Unfortunately, this one has silicones too. But it’s a great conditioner for what it’s worth.  

It’s a bit pricey, but still affordable. It’s not as costly as the Sachajuan one but it’s not in the drugstore range like L’Oreal either. 

Pros:

• Repairs overly processed hair
• Repairs split ends
• Leaves hair soft and smooth
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Expensive 
• Contains silicones
• Not suitable for African American hair

Moisturizing – 3.5/5

Smoothing – 4.5/5

Damage Repair – 5/5

Affordability – 3.5/5

Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique Milk

If you’re looking for a leave in conditioner for bleached blonde hair that not only repairs damage but also protects your tresses, this is it.

The Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique Milk helps undo damage, moisturizes dry hair, adds shine and protects hair from heat damage.

I use this conditioner before using a hair straightening device or blow dryer. And it keeps my locks from getting frayed and burned by the constant heat application.

The chief ingredients here include royal jelly extracts, guar gum, and a host of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins that help strengthen chemically processed hair or rebonded hair.

Unfortunately, this one too contains silicones. So be prepared to use a clarifying shampoo.

It’s priced around mid-range, and as you need only a little product, this conditioner ends up being very practical. 

Pros:

• Repairs damage
• Protects from heat styling products
• Smoothens hair

Cons:

• Contains silicone

Moisturizing – 4/5

Smoothing – 4/5

Damage Repair – 4/5

Affordability – 4/5

L’anza Healing Blonde Hair Reconstructor

I recently tried out a new conditioner from the brand, and I have to say, I was impressed.

The conditioner is lightweight, and it leaves your hair feeling soft and smooth. It also protects the hair color vibrancy by forming a protective film against the UV rays and heat. The vitamin C and antioxidants leave your hair shinier and healthier.

Maybe, this isn’t a big deal but the conditioner has a fruity smell, which I really liked. And yes, this is from perfumes, but honestly it isn’t that big of a deal unless you have sensitive scalp.

It left my hair feeling healthy and shiny. The guava extract helps remove deeply embedded pollutants from the hair, while the grapefruit extract refreshes and revitalizes the hair.

Overall, I am very happy with this conditioner. It provides multiple benefits for your hair, and it is affordable too.

I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality conditioner that provides multiple benefits for their hair.

Pros:

• Antioxidants in the conditioner helps repair damage
• The UV protective shield helps prevent damage

Cons:

• Contains added perfumes that won’t suit sensitive scalp

Moisturizing – 4/5

Smoothing – 4/5

Damage Repair – 4/5

Affordability – 4/5

How Does Bleach Damage Hair

Bleach is basically a chemical that penetrates deep into the hair shaft to remove the melanin pigment from it. This involves opening your hair cuticle to let the bleach molecules inside.

And when the hair cuticles are left open a lot of moisture inside the hair strands escapes. Plus the open cuticles make hair look rough, frizzy and less shiny.

Hydrogen peroxide and bleach can also have a negative effect on the keratin protein on the hair. It can weaken the bonds between the keratin proteins making hair lose it’s structural integrity.

So the more you bleach your hair or the higher concentrations of bleach you use.

Bleached blonde hair is a gorgeous look! But your hair can suffer a lot of damage while you get this stylish hair color.

So a good leave in conditioner for bleached blonde hair helps repair any breakage and keeps your locks looking soft, healthy, and shiny. 

This review can help you pick the right product for your hair based on your hair texture, scalp needs, level of damage, budget and other considerations.

Also Read:

Best Hair Mask For Bleached Hair

What To Do When Bleached Hair Turns Green

How To Remove Semi-Permanent Hair Dye From Bleached Hair

Hydrating Water Based Leave In Conditioners For Natural Hair