The Best Shampoos and Conditioners for Fine Hair
If you have fine, flyaway hair, you probably already realize it needs extra attention. When cared for properly, fine hair can be beautifully soft and glossy, with enviable shine. But if the right products aren’t used, it can also be prone to tangles, dryness, and damage.
Fine and fragile locks can also be more prone to grease and oiliness, so people with this hair type may be tempted to use shampoo a little more frequently than those with other hair types. It’s important to find the right shampoo and conditioner and not to overuse hair products: you want something that will hydrate your hair and make it more manageable without weighing it down.
But don’t panic. Although fine-haired people face challenges, there are plenty of options out there when it comes to grooming products. Whether you’re looking for tousled volume, or a clean, natural look, there’s something out there for you. Read on to discover our top 15 best shampoos and the top 15 best conditioners for fine hair in 2023.
Best shampoos for fine hair
1. Blu Atlas Shampoo
This invigorating and strengthening shampoo from New York men’s haircare and skincare brand Blu Atlas is gentle enough to use daily. It will leave your locks looking clean and fresh, but it won’t strip any natural moisture from your fine hair.
It’s made with 98% natural ingredients: coconut-derived surfactants act as cleansers while saw palmetto and vegan biotin strengthen strands. Jojoba protein repairs hair, while aloe vera calms the scalp.
Blu Atlas is a vegan and cruelty-free brand with no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances – you can use this shampoo safely in the knowledge that it’s good for your hair and good for the environment. It comes in two scents, original and delicious coconut apricot.
2. Living Proof Full Shampoo
This top-rated shampoo cleanses and adds volume to fine, limp hair. It has a sweet, fruity scent, and its natural ingredients, including amaranth peptides and marine algae, repair stressed-out strands and give your hair extra oomph,
It’s eco-friendly and safe: there are no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, silicones, or formaldehyde. You can follow it with the matching Living Proof Full Conditioner for extra body and fullness.
3. MONDAY Haircare Volume Shampoo
This award-winning shampoo comes from a New Zealand-based hair care line. It’s recommended for people who have hair that’s not only fine but also oily: it will replenish your hair and give it shine and body without making it look heavy or greasy. Ginger root and panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) promote volume and scalp health.
It’s dermatologically tested with no parabens or SLS, and a cute recyclable bottle – an eco-friendly choice and a suitable option for those with more sensitive skin. In addition, the gardenia scent is subtle and fresh.
4. Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume
A common complaint people with fine hair have is that their hair tends to be flat, lanky, and limp. This shampoo is designed to counter that: it’s for those who want to supersize their hair and adds volume and bounce back.
Watermelon, lychee, edelweiss, and coconut extract cleanse the hair, while the moringa seed extract gives this shampoo a fresh and natural perfume. It’s cruelty-free and free from parabens and sodium chloride.
Oribe is named after the late Oribe Canales, the hairstylist famous for his larger-than-life hairstyles in the ‘90s. So, you definitely know you’re in safe hands with this brand.
5. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Volume Shampoo
There’s nothing more frustrating than knotty, unmanageable hair. If you’re tired of having dry, tangly fine hair, this thickening shampoo might be an attractive option. It’s a lightweight, volumizing shampoo that nourishes your mane and makes it more manageable. People with thinning hair describe this shampoo as a lifesaver due to its detangling effect.
This shampoo is also free from parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and formaldehyde – so you know your hair is in good hands.
6. IGK Hair First Class Charcoal Detox Clarifying Shampoo
If you use many products when you style your fine hair, then having a good clarifying shampoo that you can use occasionally is a must. This shampoo is highly recommended for fine-haired people who love their sprays, mousses, and gels – it will cleanse your hair thoroughly without drying it out or damaging it.
Infused with tea tree oil and witch hazel, it also smells scrumptious. Charcoal is great for absorbing excess oil which can weigh fine hair down. It’s received some great reviews and is suitable for straight, wavy, and curly hair.
7. Doux Sucka Free Moisturising Shampoo
This moisturizing shampoo is designed for Afro-Caribbean hair and restores dry, lifeless locks. It includes shea butter and silk aminos for that perfect silky head of hair you’ve been dreaming of – and it has a fresh, unisex scent. It’s sulfate and paraben free and color-safe. The shampoo also protects the hair from sun and heat damage, which is perfect for those hot summer months.
8. OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo
Specifically designed for fine hair, this shampoo is part of a Parisian-inspired line from celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkins. There are many reasons to say “yes” to this shampoo, which has no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or gluten.
The shampoo is color-safe with nourishing chia oil (which helps to reduce frizziness and promote shine, as well as being great for your skin), and it’s said to create volume and repair stressed strands and split ends. With a light scent, it’s great for men as well as women.
9. Verb Sea Shampoo
Designed for those who love a grittier, more tousled look, the Verb Sea Shampoo is infused with green tea, kelp, and sea salt. It’s nourishing but will leave you looking like you’ve just been to the beach. It’s perfect if you prefer a more natural style – and it’s particularly great for wavy hair.
The shampoo contains no parabens or gluten and is cruelty-free and vegan. If you have issues with tangles, though, you might also like to take a look at Verb Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner instead, which is designed to provide sleek, weightless moisture.
10. OGX Thick and Full Biotin Strengthening Shampoo
Growing fine hair long can sometimes be difficult – instead of luscious locks, many of us are left with straggliness and split ends. However, users of this shampoo have reported that it’s enabled them to grow their hair longer than ever before, with the inclusion of biotin and collagen to stimulate cell turnover.
This shampoo has a beautiful floral scent that combines bergamot, jasmine, and vanilla, making it perfect for those who want a quick volume boost and an indulgent sensory treat.
11. Biolage Volume Bloom Shampoo
This paraben-free shampoo restores softness, bounce, and shine to flat, oily hair, with cotton as a key ingredient. Biolage claims it will give you 70% more volume after a single wash when used along with Volume Bloom Conditioner.
Its floral fragrance and lightweight cleansing effect have made it a hit with customers. Worth a try if you’re looking for healthier-looking, more manageable hair.
12. L’Oréal Paris Botanicals Lavender Soothing Shampoo
Specially formulated for people with very fine hair and sensitive scalps. This shampoo includes fragrant lavender essential oil, which will have a calming effect on your hair and an instantly uplifting, relaxing effect on your mood.
It’s 100% vegan with natural formulas. With no parabens, silicones, or colorants, it’s a soothing option if you have damaged or fragile hair. But be aware that the fragrance is strong!
13. Philip Kingsley Body Building Weightless Shampoo
This formula, designed for men and women, contains keratin and natural cellulose for a dramatic volumizing effect. This shampoo will also leave your hair moisturized, shiny, and more manageable – without leaving greasy, clumpy residue behind.
This brand has a full range of “bodybuilding” hair products, including Conditioner and Maximizer Strand Plumping Cream.
14. L’Oréal Paris Everstrong Thickening Shampoo
L’Oréal claims this shampoo will leave your hair 15x stronger – so if you’re worried about breakage and fine, thinning hair, this might be a good product to have in the bathroom.
It’s sulfate, surfactant, and salt-free, and infused with rosemary for a fresh herbal scent. Customers say it works well on both dry and oily hair and promotes hair growth.
15. Pureology Full Volume Shampoo
This deep cleansing shampoo doesn’t come cheap, but it’s received some great reviews from customers, who say it leaves their hair squeaky clean. It removes buildup and adds more volume and shine.
Infused with wheat protein and eucalyptus, this Pureology shampoo contains a unique AntiFade Complex to protect color. It’s also vegan and sulfate free, making it as great for the environment as it is for your hair.
Best conditioners for fine hair
1. Blu Atlas Conditioner
A moisturizing and restoring conditioner that works wonders on dull or dry hair, the Blu Atlas conditioner is a bathroom staple for any modern man. Like the shampoo, the Blu Atlas Conditioner is lightweight and gentle. Ingredients include barley protein, white tea, argan oil, avocado oil, and protein to enrich fine hair and restore shine.
This intensely hydrating conditioner is great for all hair types – particularly hair that’s dull, frizzy, or damaged – and comes in classic or coconut apricot scent. Best of all, it’s paraben, phthalate, sulfate and cruelty-free, and vegan. Take care of the environment as much as you want to take care of your hair!
2. Love Beauty and Planet Volume and Bounty Thickening Conditioner
This vegan, sulfate, and paraben-free conditioner is infused with coconut water and mimosa flowers, giving it a beautiful fresh scent. Customers describe it as being intensely moisturizing and volumizing without weighing down their hair.
For best results, it can be used in conjunction with the brand’s thickening shampoo.
3. Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Conditioner
Designed for fine and color-treated hair, as well as damaged hair and curly hair, this hydrating conditioner strengthens and adds vibrance and shine. It claims to double hair resistance to breakage (when used in conjunction with the matching shampoo).
Infused with African manketti and argan oils, Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Conditioner is fragrant and luxuriant.
4. Biolage Volume Bloom Conditioner
Limp hair becomes shiny, plump, and voluminous with this conditioner, which is said to add up to 70% volume with a single application. It’s also good for a lightweight bounce, with many customers also saying it’s a good de-frizzer during the winter or during high humidity.
This Biolage conditioner is also cruelty-free and vegan and comes in a recyclable bottle.
5. Christophe Robin Delicate Volumizing Conditioner
Famous stylist and colorist Christophe Robin first started launching consumer products in 1999, and since then, his shampoos and conditioners have been incredibly popular. This brand caters to most hair types, but the recommended conditioner for fine or damaged hair is the Delicate Volumizing Conditioner with rose extracts. It enhances color and luster and detangles without weighing hair down. This vegan formula is suitable for straight, wavy, and curly hair.
6. Oribe Conditioner for Magnificent Volume
The Oribe Conditioner for Magnificent Volume is particularly good for flat, fine hair. It’s a body-building gel designed to leave hair strong and bouncy with more body and shine: customers say they’re left with hair that feels silky and fresh after using this conditioner.
One of our favorite aspects of this conditioner is how delectable it smells, and the fact that it’s suitable for straight, wavy, and curly hair. Best of all, it’s paraben and sodium chloride-free.
7. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Volume Conditioner
This salon-grade, silk-powder-infused conditioner is plumping, hydrating, and softening, while specifically targeting fine hair. It’s also phthalate, and formaldehyde-free and infused with rosemary, coconut and sunflower oil, giving it a beautiful scent.
The Bumble and Bumble Thickening Volume Conditioner can be used along with Bumble Thickening Spray for stronger and more substantial locks. Take care of the health of your hair, with this unique formulation made without formaldehyde, sulfate, parabens. This brand is also committed to no animal testing.
8. Living Volume Full Conditioner
Customers report that the Living Volume Full Conditioner gives a sleek, “blow-dried effect” without even using a hairdryer! Like the shampoo, its ingredients include amaranth peptides to build volume, and marine algae extract to protect hair from environmental damage.
The conditioner is paraben, phthalate, formaldehyde and SLS free, and has a light citrus fragrance.
9. Verb Ghost Conditioner
Verb claims this weightless conditioner will repair hair while also adding moisture and de-frizzing strands. If your fine hair tends to go a bit haywire in humid weather, the Verb Ghost Conditioner might be worth looking into. Infused with moringa oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, and green tea, this well-loved conditioner is paraben-free, gluten-free, sulfate-free, and vegan.
10. Virtue Full Conditioner
The Virtue Full conditioner is well-loved in men and women for good reason. The thick formula thickens and moisturizes for increased luster and volume. It’salso vegan, cruelty-free and sulfate-free.
The unique selling point of the Virtue Full Conditioner is that it’s enriched with Alpha-Keratin 60ku. This keratin protein is said to be almost identical to the natural keratin produced in human skin and fingernails. So this increases the strength of the luster of fine hair, resulting in thicker, shinier, locks.
People who use the Virtue Full Conditioner say it leaves your hair softer as well as stronger, and is a great way to repair damage and restore shine.
11. The Mane Choice Ancient Egyptian Anti-Breakage and Repair Antidote Conditioner
Inspired by one of the world’s oldest and most glamorous civilizations, this conditioner is designed for badly-damaged hair. It may also suit you if you frequently straighten your hair or if you need to detangle knots.
The Mane Choice Ancient Egyptian Anti-Breakage and Repair Antidote Conditioner is infused with exotic oils, including Kalahari melon oil, oleaster oil, and mongongo (manketti) oil.
People who use this product say your hair will be left feeling smooth and supple. We love that this conditioner is cruelty-free and also free from parabens, sulfates, and formaldehyde.
12. R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Conditioner
If you want to turn your fine, wispy locks into an 80s’ hairdo, the R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Conditioner might be for you. Saw palmetto, berry extract, and coconut oil nourish your hair and your scalp, while cardamom, pineapple, tangerine, lavender and bamboo will leave your locks smelling fantastic. The inclusion of biotin reduces excess hair loss and keeps your strands looking thick and healthy.
The R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Conditioner is vegan, cruelty free and gluten-free. It’s also free from parabens and sulfates, petroleum, and mineral oil.
13. Briogeo Blossom and Bloom Biotin Ginseng Conditioner
Biotin is a compound commonly known in the hair care industry. It thickens strands, while ginseng is great for your scalp and hair follicles, promoting health and growth. The Briogeo Blossom and Bloom Biotin Ginseng Conditioner contains biotin alongside maltodextrin, which boosts volume.
Anecdotally, this sweet-smelling conditioner is best for dry hair – you should avoid it if you struggle with oiliness, as it can make the texture of your hair a bit chunkier.
Briogeo’s Blossom and Bloom Biotin Ginseng Conditioner is made without formaldehydes, phthalates, mineral oil, and sulfates.
14. Amika 3D Volume and Thickening Conditioner
This vanilla-scented formula leaves you with hair that’s thicker, shinier, and healthier. One of the active ingredients is sea buckthorn, a rare plant source of omega-7 (the fatty acid usually found in fish oil), which provides nourishment for your hair and scalp.
If you really want to supersize your fine hair, Amika also has thickening sprays that can be used in conjunction with this conditioner.
Those who are eco-friendly will be impressed by Amika’s refillable conditioner pouches. The Amika 3D Volume and Thickening Conditioner is also free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and petrolatum.
15. OUAI Fine Hair Conditioner
Customers say the OUAI Fine Hair Conditioner adds moisture, volume, and manageability to your hair without leaving you with any greasy buildup – but it’s so lightweight that it might be more suitable for fine and oily hair, rather than dry and tangled hair, which needs more intensive hydration. Like the shampoo, it’s also free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and gluten.
Frequently asked questions
What hairstyles suit fine hair?
Fine hair can be hard work – but with a bit of effort, it’s quite easy to make the most of your locks. A starting point is talking to your hairdresser about which styles would suit you best. Many women find that a layered bob or similar hairstyle works well. A haircut like this can actually make your hair appear fuller. Popular male hairstyles for fine hair include a tousled, windblown look or ultra-short, texturized hair.
What’s the difference between fine and thinning hair?
Fine hair is a natural variation that is often genetic. If your hair is thinning, on the other hand, you are experiencing hair loss. Thinning hair can be caused by aging, stress, childbirth, or by a condition such as alopecia or iron deficiency anemia. If you’re losing hair and you’re unsure why it’s best to talk to a health professional.
When styling both fine and thinning hair, the usual advice hairdressing professionals give is to try to add volume for a fuller and healthier look.
How often should fine hair be washed?
Fine hair gets greasy very quickly (sometimes within hours of washing) due to the sebaceous glands on the scalp, so it’s tempting to shampoo your hair daily. However, professionals don’t recommend this as it can dry out and damage your hair. Instead, to keep your hair looking clean and healthy, try to shampoo your hair three to four times a week and condition once or twice a week.
How do I condition fine hair?
When conditioning, avoid your scalp and focus on the rest of your hair. You don’t want leftover hair product to add to the buildup of grease and oiliness in the scalp area, causing your hair to look lank and dirty.
Also, make sure you pick the right product – it’s a good idea to do your research into the best shampoos and conditioners for fine and thin hair.
What other products should I use?
Volumizing mousses and thickening sprays are a good choice for those who want more body. To apply a volumizing mousse, comb a small amount through your hair while it’s still wet. Remember to blow dry afterward. Some people with fine hair avoid doing this as they’re worried about breakage, but the heat from blow drying actually activates the mousse.
To apply a spray, it’s often best to spray the product into the palm of your hand and then work it through your hair. Dry shampoos or volumizing powders can be carried with you during the day, just in case you need a touch-up.
Clarifying shampoo is another product you might like to invest in if you use a lot of gels, mousses, and sprays. Typically, clarifying shampoos should be substituted for your normal shampoo about once a week. This type of shampoo will get rid of any residual buildup and leave your hair looking completely fresh and clean.
Just remember to pick a recommended shampoo for finer hair, as if you choose a shampoo that’s too strong, it can rob you of a lot of moisture and shine. Asking your hairdresser to recommend a clarifying shampoo to suit your hair can be helpful.
Why are so many products sulfate (SLS), formaldehyde, phthalate, and paraben free?
In recent years, there has been more publicity about the negative side effects of some chemicals used in makeup and other beauty products. These include parabens (preservatives traditionally used in cosmetics), sulfates (SLS), phthalate, and formaldehyde.
Concerns about endocrine disruptors – which interfere with the body’s hormones – have led consumers and companies to become more cautious about using phthalates and parabens in hair care products. Some of the best shampoos and conditioners for fine hair are free from these chemicals because they are known to dry out the hair and make it more brittle.
Sulfates are another ingredient many manufacturers are choosing to ditch. They have been linked to irritation of the eyes, skin, mouth, and lungs. Many manufacturers are also trying to eliminate formaldehyde, which can cause irritation, hair loss, dermatitis, and breathing difficulties in excessive amounts. If you’re curious whether your shampoo contains these ingredients, just take a look at the label. Usually, manufacturers will clearly say no parabens or no SLS.
Some people prefer their hair products to be vegan or gluten-free, and this is also something that’s often clearly marked on the product label. “Cruelty-free” means no animal testing was used in the creation of the product.
Can I straighten and blow-dry my fine hair?
You can use straighteners and a hair dryer on your hair, but it’s a good idea to use a protective product on your hair first to stop any heat damage. For instance, something like Living Proof Restore Instant Protection is designed for fine, frizzy, and damaged hair.
You will probably only need to put your hair dryer on medium speed when drying. Some experts prefer blow-drying to air-drying fine hair because air-drying means the roots will be weighed down by moisture at the end of the strand, leaving you with hair that’s limp and flat on top.
Can I perm or chemically straighten my fine hair?
You can perm fine hair, but experts recommend you ask your stylist for a body wave rather than tight curls to reduce the risk of damage. It’s also suggested that you keep your hair in tip-top condition in the weeks before your perm and use a strengthening and volumizing conditioner. Dying your hair right before getting it permed is also not recommended, as it puts too much stress on your locks.
You can also chemically straighten your fine hair, but avoid at-home treatments and talk to your stylist first. Some professionals will experiment using just a small portion of your hair to see how well it responds to the chemicals involved. As with a perm, it’s good to try to ensure your hair is as healthy as possible before the procedure. Some straightening options are truly permanent, but if you just want a temporary effect, keratin treatments can be a good choice for fine hair.
