Going gray doesn’t just mean a color change—texture and even hair type can also change with age. The best conditioners for gray hair help with this shift by targeting brassiness and yellow undertones, dullness, and dry or coarse textures.
“As we age, gray strands often feel drier, rougher, and more wiry,” says celebrity hairstylist Mia Santiago. “That’s because we make less oil and lose pigment that keeps hair soft and shiny.” With these changes in mind, Santiago says a good gray hair conditioner can keep it soft, smooth, and shiny instead of dry, frizzy, and dull. “Think of it as your hair’s daily drink of water, with a side of glow.”
To give your grays a refresh, start with your conditioning routine. Ahead, we spoke with top hairstylists on which formulas they recommend, including ones with and without purple pigments. And check out our list of best shampoos for gray hair for more options.
The best conditioners for gray hair, at a glance
- Best Overall: Arey Smooth Conditioner, $32
- Best Drugstore: L’Oreal Paris EverPure Silver Care Sulfate Free Conditioner, $9
- Best Brassiness: Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Purple Conditioner, $22
- Best Gentle: Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Purple Conditioner, $37
- Best Low-Maintenance: dpHUE Cool Blonde Conditioner, $28
- Best Repairing: Amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Repair Conditioner, $28
- Best Hydrating: Aveda Blue Malva Conditioner, $36
- Best Deep Conditioning: Kérastase Blond Absolu Cicaflash Conditioner, $25
Best Overall: Arey Smooth Conditioner
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- Pros: Designed specifically for aging hair; formulated with ultra-nourishing oils for hydration; doesn’t weigh down hair
- Cons: Not a purple shampoo
Purple conditioner is used to brighten and tone gray hair, but using it every wash can actually dye hair and result in a lavender tinge. For those in between washes, Santiago says to reach for the Arey Smooth Conditioner. This hydrating formula is safe for all hair types, including dry hair and curly hair. It’s designed specifically for aging hair and features nourishing ingredients such as watermelon oil, sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter to soften gray or going-gray hair. It’s also enriched with barley protein, which can strengthen strands for less breakage and overall damage.
Best Drugstore: L’Oreal Paris EverPure Silver Care Sulfate Free Conditioner with Peptides, Ever Silver
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- Pros: Budget-friendly formula; Designed specifically for gray hair; a strengthening formula with vegan peptides for moisture; targets frizz
- Cons: Not the most hydrating formula on our list, so it’s best for occasional toning
Save money at the salon and at home with the L’Oreal Paris EverPure Silver Care Sulfate Free Conditioner with Peptides in Ever Silver. This formula is conveniently available on Amazon and designed to get rid of brass and brighten the overall look of natural and color-treated gray hair for under $10 a bottle. The conditioner is made for all hair types and includes vegan peptides to strengthen hair while also providing a dose of moisture. That said, it’s not the most hydrating option on our list, so this is a great choice for those occasional toning needs in between using another moisturizing conditioner for gray hair, such as the Arey Smooth Conditioner.
Best Splurge: Oribe Silverati Conditioner
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- Pros: Formulated to brighten and condition gray hair; protects hair against environmental aggressors; prevents discoloration
- Cons: Expensive formula
The Oribe Silverati Conditioner is a hair conditioner for gray hair that can do it all, and comes highly recommended by both Santiago and Cavalcante. “Oribe really nailed it with Silverati,” says Cavalcante. “It feels luxe, smells amazing, and instantly softens wiry grays while boosting shine and canceling out yellow.” This gray hair conditioner has a higher price tag, but it’s totally worth the splurge since it delivers intense hydration and can brighten and tone hair color. The formula is also enriched with ingredients such as European silver fir extract to protect strands from environmental aggressors for a more vibrant and youthful-looking ’do, plus the Oribe Signature Complex, which is specifically designed to protect against elements and reduce oxidative stress, photoaging, and natural keratin decline (which can occur with age).
Best for Brassiness: Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Purple Conditioner
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- Pros: A classic purple conditioner formula that brightens and tones yellow, brassy gray hair; reduces dullness; effective on a range of blonde hair and gray hair colors; excellent value
- Cons: Some customers say it’s not hydrating enough (while others say it’s nourishing)
When it comes to purple shampoo and conditioner, Clairol is a classic and the Shimmer Lights Purple Conditioner is a classic formula that hairstylists—including Santiago—swear by for reversing the look of yellowing gray hair. With its rich purple hue, the conditioning formula can reverse yellow tones and brassy hues in hair while also reducing dullness for more revitalized strands. The conditioner is also infused with hydrating ingredients that can contribute to more supple-looking strands, including jojoba oil, coconut oil, and argan oil. Though it’s worth noting that some say this formula isn’t hydrating enough for you, so if your hair and scalp are on the drier side of the spectrum, you might want to follow up with another conditioner when using this to brighten hair color at home.
Best Gentle: Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Purple Conditioner
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- Pros: A gentle, color-safe formula; prevents breakage and repairs damaged hair
- Cons: The deep lavender hue is too pigmented for daily use (unless you want purple-tinged hair)
For a gentle purple conditioner for gray hair that can actually repair damage and prevent future hair breakage, Cavalcante says the Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Purple Conditioner is the real deal and recommends it all the time to his clients. “It’s gentle, color-safe, and packed with protein [to] strengthen fragile grays while keeping the tone bright and icy,” he notes. The conditioning elixir is enriched with keravis, which is a type of protein complex that can protect against breakage, as well as astaxanthin to help heal damage for more vibrant, supple-looking strands.
Best Low-Maintenance: dpHUE Cool Blonde Conditioner
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- Pros: Includes ingredients specifically for softening and detangling strands; the violet-colored formula counters any brassiness in blonde and gray hues
- Cons: One of the smaller bottles on our list
When conditioning and toning gray hair, a formula designed for cool blonde hair, such as the dpHue Cool Blonde Conditioner, can help brighten gray strands in just one wash. The conditioner is enriched with silk proteins and hibiscus flower extract to detangle strands and leave hair feeling softer, plus a light violet tone to target brassiness. Cavalcante swears by this formula and says it’s “a great one for clients who don’t want to commit to a full toning treatment.” He recommends swapping it into your routine once or twice a week to keep grays bright and hydrated.
Best Repairing: Amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Repair Conditioner
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- Pros: An excellent choice for dry, overprocessed strands from bleach; formulated with vegan proteins for strand strength; can target the harshest brass and orange tones
- Cons: Not ideal for daily use (instead, use it as a weekly treatment)
Cavalcante says to reach for a bottle of the Amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Repair Conditioner if you have ultra-parched strands. “I love using this on gray hair that’s feeling dry or overprocessed,” he notes. “It tones beautifully but also repairs and strengthens, which is key as hair ages.” The formula features vegan proteins derived from quinoa to strengthen strands and boost overall vitality, plus a bond-fortifying technology to target hair most prone to breakage. This Amika purple conditioner is nourishing enough for daily use, but its deep purple hue could cause gray hair to look lavender over time, so it’s best to use it in your routine weekly or as needed.
Best Hydrating: Aveda Blue Malva Conditioner
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- Pros: Doesn’t over-tone or dry out hair; designed specifically for gray colors; nourishes and strengthens strands with coneflower
- Cons: On the pricier side for the amount of formula
The Aveda Blue Malva Conditioner is another top pick for gray hairs and one that Cavalcante calls a classic. “It’s gentle, plant-based, and gives hair a soft, silvery glow without over-toning or drying it out.” The conditioning formula is enriched with blue malva for its subtle color-correcting pigments, plus coneflower (a.k.a., echinacea) to deeply nourish and strengthen strands. While it’s not the most expensive option on our list, it is a bit pricey for the amount of formula. However, a little goes a long way, and since it’s technically a purple conditioner, you don’t need to use it daily to get the best results.
Best Deep Conditioning: Kérastase Blond Absolu Cicaflash Conditioner
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- Pros: Lightweight formula; enriched with hyaluronic acid for added moisturizing perks; helps protect against breakage
- Cons: Its masklike qualities might be too moisturizing for some preferences
If you need something that can really work like magic on your hair, Cavalcante says the Kérastase Blond Absolu Cicaflash Conditioner is his go-to for clients with gray or silver hair. “It gives you that deep nourishment like a deep-conditioning mask—but without the weight—and keeps the tone cool and clean,” he notes. This purple conditioner for gray hair is formulated with hyaluronic acid for extra-hydrating benefits, plus it includes edelweiss flower to protect and soften strands.
Frequently asked questions
Does hair texture change when it goes gray?
Hair texture can change throughout our lives due to several factors, including aging. “As we age and hair turns gray, it typically becomes coarser, drier, and more fragile due to a reduction in natural oils and the loss of melanin,” says Rogério Cavalcante, a hair stylist and owner of The Second Floor Salon in New York City. “This can result in hair that feels wiry, less smooth, and more prone to frizz or breakage.”
Does moisture change hair texture?
Getting adequate hydration through conditioner can absolutely change hair texture and “transform your strands from straw to silk,” says Jessica Ruby, owner of the Flamingo Lounge Hair Salon in Los Angeles. “Gray hair tends to be coarse and dry, so if you’re not using something rich and smoothing, it’s going to look and feel dull.”
How can I brighten my gray hair?
Purple conditioner is the best way to brighten gray hair. “It’s like a magic filter for your hair—it knocks out any yellow or dull tones and brings back that silvery sparkle,” says Santiago. She adds that purple shampoo is like a little hair refresh in a bottle and can tone, soften, and make gray hair look bright, plus save you trips to the salon.
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