An optically clear, transparent or translucent hair conditioner in the form of a water-in-silicone oil emulsion is described. Said hair conditioner contains a silicone surfactant, a hydrophobic, nonsurfactant silicone compound present in the hair conditioner in liquid form, a basic or cationic nitrogen atom-containing hair-conditioning compound, a nonionic, silicone-free surfactant, a polyhydric alcohol and an electrolyte. The hair conditioner can be used as a leave-in hair treatment or as a hair rinse.