The 12 Very Best Shampoos for Fine Hair

Sulfate free vs. non–sulfate free

Scent

Size

Contains sulfates |Scent:Fresh |Size:8.45 fl oz.

I know that I’ve made the right choice with my best overall when each new expert I interview endorses it; that’s been the case with this Kérastase bodifying shampoo. Beauty writerLinda Dyettwas the one to put it on my radar initially. It “contains the same hyaluronic acid that hydrates and plumps the skin. It has a similar effect on my hair,” she says. “Think of the hyaluronic acid as kind of like filler for your hair,” adds stylist andsalonownerChristine Bellemare.

It does indeed plump, and although it contains sulfates (which I tend to avoid), my hair hasn’t felt stripped at all. Instead, it feels healthy and soft thanks to the hero hyaluronic acid and ceramides included in the formula. It also feels more substantial: I’m charting that down to the gluco peptide, which is an ingredient that strengthens your existing hair by thickening the hair follicles.

Dyett adds, “It’s also got a complex called intracylane that, intriguingly, was inspired by a chemical process used in glassmaking. It appears to fill in surface gaps on and thicken individual strands of hair.” Intracyclane is a molecule that enters and strengthens strands of hair, from root to tip. It also has that salon-smelling fresh, musky, floral scent — the final touch to help me name it our best shampoo for fine hair overall.

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Fruity| Size:12 fl oz.

If you’re on more of a budget, I can’t recommend Monday enough — it’s quickly become my favoritedrugstore hair-careline. Its volume shampoo is a quarter of the price of the Kerastase shampoo, and it’s also sulfate free (in fact, every other shampoo from here on out is sulfate free, if you know that’s something that you want to avoid).

Though it’s cheap, the ingredients list is packed: It contains ginger extract and coconut oil, the fatty extracts and nutrients from each nourishing thinner hair. Many fellow Strategist writers have also recommended it to me. It smells great (a non-synthetic floral smell), and I’ve noticed my hair has a little more volume after a blow-dry. Fellow Strategist writerDominique Parisohas noticed that it adds “a good amount of body and, most important, a lot of shine without weighing my hair down or making it look greasy.” She adds that while she’s tried plenty of pricier options before, Monday’s shampoo is “the only one that ever gets my hair compliments.”

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Fruity, woodsy| Size:8.45 fl oz.

Before Kérastase came along, Davines Volu was my favorite shampoo for my thin hair. I was curious about it since Strategist beauty columnistRio Viera-Newton(who also has fine hair) recommended it. In the few months that I used it, it did not disappoint. When I let my hair air-dry, it was far less limp, but after blow drying I could clearly see the bounce all the way from the root. This is thanks to theturnip extract, which gives body (partner it with the root spray from the same brand for some serious oomph). It lost the top spot as I believe that Kérastase just has far betterthickening qualities. But if your hair is super flat no matter how you attack it, this shampoo is a great volumizing option. It’s still a favorite of Brooke Jordan, owner and master stylist at the Bird House in Gowanus, who told me that the shampoo is a favorite of his as it’s free of parabens and sulfates, gentle enough to use every day, and detangles the hair so you don’t need to use conditioner (though if your hair is superlong, he suggests using a very small amount of conditioner on just the ends to get rid of knots; otherwise, he says, skip it altogether). If your fine hair feels more flat than thinning, this is my recommendation.

Sulfate free vs. non–sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Citrus, floral, woodsy |Size:8 fl oz.

It’s hard to believe that a volumizing shampoo could be heavy, but as someone who has tested all kinds of shampoos for my fine hair, I can tell you that many are. Some are designed to thicken up fine hair by coating each individual strand, which often feels heavy or even makes my hair feel dirty, as if itneeds to be washed. This volumizing shampoo from Vegamour is super-lightweight and leaves my hair extra clean (but not stripped) so it has lift at the root and overall bounce. It does slightly thicken up wimpy strands with a mix of rice proteins and arrowroot, but it didn’t leave my hair with that coated feeling.I used it several times, and the effect was always the same: soft, bouncy, shiny, and thicker-looking.

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Floral| Size:8.5 fl oz.

In hair care, a lack of moisture is the cause of an overwhelming amount of issues.If your hair falls under the fine anddry category(maybe it’s natural, maybe you’ve fried it with bleach), it’s a careful balance to address those concerns. You want ingredients that are hydrating but not so heavy they’ll weigh your thinner hair down. Moroccanoil Moisture Repair (another solid drugstore option) does just this. It hydrates the hair by using argan oil, which is an ingredient you’ll definitely have heard of (and maybe even moved on from), but as it’s so antioxidant-rich, I think it’s a dry-hair-care staple. This shampoo then addresses the thinning aspect by using keratin, the protein that’s naturally found in hair, to coat and thicken from root to tip. And although it’s not a budget option,stylist Jon Carlos De La Cruzadvises using the product sparingly (“a little bit goes a long way here,” he says), meaning your bottle will last. My other advice is to focus your conditioner on mids and ends only: It’ll help you avoid weighing your roots down.

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Floral, lavender| Size:8 fl oz.

Thin and oily hair is a recipe for frequent washing. “It’s easy to say that you shouldn’t wash your hair very often, but a lot of my clients with fine hair tell me it drives them crazy to wait too long,” says Jordan. Iknow that frequent washing can be super stripping, so I reached out to expert stylistGregorio Ruggeri of Salon Ruggerito ask what he recommends in that situation. His solution was New Wash. “My clients who have fine hair and wash their hair every day have found the right type of body-boosting components from using New Wash,” he says.New Wash is technically a shampoo-and-conditioner replacement, which means it’s more like an essential-oil-based hair cleanser that washes hair without any suds. It’s formulated without detergents or synthetic compounds, doesn’t dry hair out, and leaves hair conditioned and tangle-free. Because it’s a two-in-one product, it’s no-fuss and ideal for someone looking for a streamline, low-maintenance routine. For those who need more convincing, former Strategist writer Molly Young gave the shampoo a ringing endorsement, writing, “The results are wild. My long hair air-dries perfectly, with no ‘squeaky’ texture. It is shiny and falls in loose waves, like it did when I was a kid. I don’t need to blow-dry it. My chronic flaky scalp is gone forever.”

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Citrus| Size:9.5 fl oz.

Curlier haircan trap oil at the root, which is why a lot of people with thick curls find that their ends become dry and brittle — and crave heavy moisturizing ingredients in their hair products. For thinner hair, those formulas aren’t appropriate, as they’ll actually weigh your hair down. Instead, I recommend Eufora’s sulfate-free formula for curly hair. It hydrates, but gently so, using tomato extracts and nourishing Moringa-seed oil. It also has keratin amino acids, which we know work with the keratin in the hair to strengthen it. I got the recommendation from Angela Taormino, of Brooklyn-based Union Beauty Salon: She adds that the formula is color-safe and can be used daily without stripping hair or leaving it feeling over-shampooed.

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Almond| Size:12 fl oz.

If you’re on a budget, Texture ID’s shampoo is a third of the price. It’s worth noticing that this is a clarifying shampoo, though — so it’s less focused on nourishing the hair. Instead, it works by removing any product buildup, “freeing your finehair curlsfrom the constraints of oils, silicones, waxes, and butters,” explains Patterson. And while it’s not packed full of those hydrating ingredients, the removal of this buildup means your hair can receive moisture from the root, “which helps spring your curls into action,” he explains.

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:Sweet and nutty| Size8.5 fl oz.

If your fine hair often ends up in tangles (or knots), the right shampoo can help you prevent those tangles from ever forming. This one was brought to my attention by fellow Strategist writerKatherine Gillespie.She finds that most shampoos make her hair too dry and fluffy. But the Bumble and Bumble shampoo is “so lightweight yet moisturizing that I can use it every couple of days with no problem.” She adds, “My hair always looks great afterward — I just air-dry it, and I always get compliments.” Even though this shampoo is free of sulfates, Gillespie reports that it lathers in an “extremely satisfying way,” leaving her hair feeling “clean but not squeaky” and not dry or fluffy, which she attributes to its namesake blend of “invisible oil”—including grape-seed, sweet-almond, coconut, safflower, macadamia, and argan oils. It’s these oils that smooth out the hair gently, preventing it from snagging up as you’re towel drying.

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free |Scent:Lemon and basil |Size:10 fl oz.

When I was researchingscalp oiling, hair-transplant surgeonDr. Ross Kopelmanstressed the importance of regular hair washing for those who notice thinning hair. Basically, the scalp needs TLC — it prevents buildup to keep things clean, and scalp stimulation encourages growth. For sparse, thinning, and fine hair, celebrity hairstylist and blonde specialistKelly Novobielskiwill use only the products professionally tested to target those concerns:For thinning hair specifically, that product is Paul Mitchell’s tea-tree shampoo. It has plenty of the good stuff, like naturally derived strengthening peptides, turmeric, and ginseng.

Sulfate free vs. non–sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:coconut water| Size:13.5 fl oz.

I have fine strands and the occasional bout of dandruff. I find a lot of anti-dandruff formulas are harsh and drying, making my fine strands feel more flat and brittle. This budget-friendly shampoo feels very gentle on my hair. It’s made with only nine ingredients, including plant-based cleansers and moisturizers. There are no heavy or hair-stripping additives. It’s especially formulated for oily hair, so it leaves hair extra clean and bouncy after using — less itchy and flaky, too.

Sulfate free vs. non-sulfate free:Sulfate free| Scent:ginger and spearmint| Size:10 fl oz.

Trust me when I say I’ve tried a lot of anti-dandruff shampoos looking for one that didn’t leave my fine hair limp or dry. The anti-dandruff ingredient in this one is 2 percent salicylic acid, which is a keratolytic exfoliant. That means it loosens up the outer layer of dead skin cells so flakes and hair-flattening buildup wash away more easily. Plus, it has conditioning ingredients to make hair feel soft and manageable. Unlike heavy dandruff shampoos that strip natural oils too aggressively, the salicylic-acid approach is gentler on the scalp and strands. I alternate the Ouai with a thickening shampoo when I have a flaky flare-up.

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