You might already have a go-to shampoo, but curating a hair care routine for your exact hair type can be a game changer. The best shampoos for fine hair help to gently remove buildup, which can weigh down strands and cause flat hair. Anyone who has fine hair knows how hard it is to find weightless hydration in their shampoo, conditioner, heat protecting creams, and other hair styling products.
But, not all fine hair has the same hair care needs. “Sometimes we confuse hair density with hair texture,” says hairstylist Savannah Chaney. “You can have a ton of hair and density, but your strands are actually fine.” Within that, your fine hair can be curly, straight, wavy, coily, or somewhere in between. No matter the exact shape of your hair, she recommends to always keep a cleansed scalp and avoid hair care products that are marketed for thicker hair (yes, even if you have a lot of density). “Most shampoos for thick hair contain a lot of moisture which can be too heavy for fine hair, weighing it down.”
Below you’ll fine shampoos for dry, oily, color-treated, curly, and even breakage-prone hair types—all approved for fine hair. We turned to a variety of hair care experts and fine-haired Glamour testers who have tried these hair shampoos first-hand.
The best shampoos for fine hair, at a glance
- Best Shampoo for Fine Hair Overall: JVN Embody Daily Volumizing Shampoo, $21
- Best Shampoo for Fine, Thin Hair: ROZ Foundation Shampoo, $39
- Best Shampoo for Fine, Dry Hair: Kiehl’s Amino Acid Shampoo, $40
- Best Shampoo for Fine, Oily Hair: Alterego Filler Shampoo, $58
- Best Shampoo for Fine, Color-Treated Hair: Ranavat Regenerative Shampoo, $48
- Best Shampoo For Fine, Curly Hair: Rahua Classic Shampoo, $36
- Best Volumizing Shampoo for Fine Hair: Oribe Shampoo For Magnificent Volume, $49
- Best Clarifying Shampoo For Fine Hair: The Ouai detox shampoo, $32
What ingredients to look for in shampoos for fine hair
Original photos by Glamour contributor Neha Tandon
What ingredients to look for in shampoos for fine hair
Hairstylist Eduardo Ponce says the best hair products for fine hair contain keratin and biotin. They will both strengthen, nourish, and hydrate hair without making your style look limp. Cavalcante recommends that you look for other lightweight-yet-hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, and peptides. “Just like in skin care, these ingredients help to strengthen the hair while maintaining a balance of moisture,” he says. It’s not just about what ingredients you should look for, though. Cavalcante also recommends that his clients with fine hair avoid extremely rich formulas. “It’s not that they are bad, but they are just not best suited for finer hair that needs cleansing, lightweight hydration, and volume.”
