Fake your way to thick tresses with these fine hair-friendly shampoos

Picture this: it's day two in the hair wash journey and your fresh tresses are looking, well, lifeless. Your once bouncy, fine strands have been weighed down by (totally natural) oils, and they’ve taken on more of a ‘wet look’. And what’s totally chic to some is quite literally your biggest pet peeve.

But what if we told you all it took to get fresher, fuller strands for longer was a simple swap? Yep, your shampoo is doing you dirty. In the unexpected cleansing twist we totally didn’t see coming, some shampoos are not fine hair-friendly. It’s time to check your silicone-infused, oil-based suds at the door and check out these fine hair approved shampoos instead….

2024's Top 3 Shampoos For Fine Hair

1. Neutriderm Hair Enhancer Shampoo, $75, Neutriderm
   
2. KEVIN.MURPHY Angel.Wash, $46.95, Adore Beauty
3. NAK HAIR Nak Volume Shampoo, $34.95, Adore Beauty

Neutriderm Hair Enhancer Shampoo

$75 at Neutriderm

Help treat thinning hair and hair fall by naturally blocking DHT with Neutriderm's Hair Enhancer Shampoo. This shampoo reduces hair thinning, encourages new growth and helps prevent hair follicle damage and hair loss. It's a safe and effective solution to grow and thicken existing hair, reversing the effects of hair thinning and recession.

Key features:

Scientifically formulated
Natural ingredients
Gentle on the hair and scalp

Available at:

$75 from Neutriderm

KEVIN.MURPHY Angel.Wash

$46.95 at Adore Beauty

Sent from the hair heavens above, this shampoo has been specifically designed to nourish, protect and calm your strands. The pH balanced formula ensures that damaged and breakage-prone strands have nothing to worry about. It even works to maximise colour retention in treated tresses. And if that’s not enough, milk proteins have been put in charge of frizz-control. It truly is an angel in disguise. 

Key features:

• Lavender extract works to calm 
• Protects against free radicals 
• pH value of 6.3-7.0

Available at:

• $46.95 from Oz Hair Beauty
• $49.99 from Amazon
• $46.95 from Adore Beauty

NAK HAIR Nak Volume Shampoo

$34.95 at Adore Beauty

NAK Hair have really gotten the knack of knowing what fine hair needs. Yep, they’re all over our oily-strand ways and they know exactly what to do about the issue. With a blend of natural and nourishing ingredients (aloe vera and hydrolysed rice protein), the formula is designed to gently bust away oils, revealing what laid beneath the whole time: beautifully bouncy body. Simply lather, rinse and repeat, and voilà, every day is a good hair day.

Key features:

• Includes hydrolysed rice protein
• Colour-treated hair-friendly 
• Reduces frizz

Available at:

• $34.95 from Adore Beauty
• $30.56 (usually $33.95) from Oz Hair and Beauty
• $27.16 (usually $33.95) from Catwalk

Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo

$56.50 at Adore Beauty

You know how we all love to do our full body workout (AKA an ‘everything shower’)? What if we told you this (sometimes tortuous) routine could have an added calming aromatherapy aspect? Sure, you can light a candle or set some incense burning. But what if completing your tasks (dutifully, might we add) was all you needed to invigorate your senses, along with seriously refreshing and stimulating your strands? Yep, Pureology have mastered the blend of ritual and cleanse with this delightfully detangling shampoo. 

Key features:

• Signature aromatherapy blend-scented
• Sulphate-free 
• AntiFadeComplex works to protect colour

Available at:

• $56.50 from Adore Beauty
• $56.50 from Look Fantastic
• $50.85 (usually $56.50) from Oz Hair and Beauty

OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo

$58 at Sephora

If you know anything about the world of haircare, you know the OUAI range. Launched in 2016 by celeb-stylist Jen Atkin, this line has truly transformed the haircare world. With all the confusion in the world of shampoos, it’s hard to know which is the right pick for you. But don’t worry; Atkin made it super simple. Look for the bottle literally labelled ‘fine hair shampoo’ and you’ll be on your way to the fresh bouncy ‘do you’ve always wanted.

Key features:

• Formulated with nourishing chia seed oil
• Infused with strengthening keratin
• Long list of ‘free-froms’

Available at:

• $58 from Sephora
• $53.41 from Revolve

Kérastase Genesis Fortifying Shampoo

$57 at Kérastase

We know this pick is rather exxy, but can you actually put a price on a good hair day? We think not! This strand-strengthening pick has been specifically designed for fine, thin hair experiencing excess hair fall. So if you fit the bill (or want to protect your tresses against future damage) then this deliciously scented shampoo is here to be your strand saviour. Antioxidant edelweiss extract works to help boost collagen production within your hair fibres, while ginger root extract protects your tresses from damaging environmental factors. Quite the combo!

Key features:

• Oil-controlling shampoo
• Helps to reduce breakage 
• Environmentally-protective ginger root extract

Available at:

• $57 from Kérastase 
• $57 from Adore Beauty
• $57 from Oz Hair and Beauty

Living Proof Full Shampoo

$51.41 at Amazon

With a simple lather, you’ll be your own living proof of why you needed to make the shampoo switch. But don’t worry, the good hair days don’t stop there. With a beautifully gentle formula that still packs a cleansing (and luxe-lathering) punch, this bountiful shampoo promises to never over-strip your hair. Instead, the paraben-free formula leaves your tresses bouncy, beautiful and protected. See? It’s living proof…

Key features:

• Paraben-free
• Formulated with hair-plumping amaranth peptides
• Gentle formula 

Available at:

• $51.41 from Amazon

O&M Fine Intellect Shampoo

$41.95 at Adore Beauty

Much like us, this shampoo is proudly Aussie made. And with that comes a range of Australian native ingredients, designed to help volumise and protect your strands. With the reconstructive prowess of keratin teamed with the flyaway taming powers of jojoba seed oil, any damage your strands once saw will be a distant memory. All while antioxidant rich lilly pilly works to plump up the volume. You and your O&M bottle will forever be known as the Aussie power couple. 

Key features:

• Infused with vitamin C-rich (and hair plumping) lilly pilly 
• Helps protect strands from oxidation with the inclusion of Aussie natives
• Lightweight formula

Available at:

• $41.95 from Adore Beauty
• $41.95 from Oz Hair and Beauty
• $32.72 (usually $41.95) from Catwalk

How do you choose the best shampoo for fine hair?

If you’ve been blessed with fine, fluffy strands, then you know your blessing is also your curse. Any oil build up ends up weighing down your already limp-erring strands. And no one wants to look like they’ve not washed their tresses for 10 days. So when picking your new shampoo opt for formulas that offer ‘weightlessness’, deep cleansing and surprisingly, volumising.

Yep, lightweight formulas and oil-busting cleansing both make total sense for fine hair, but where does volume come into play? Well like we said, fine strands often fall flat and end up looking limp against your head (a big no no amidst the ‘90s blowout resurgence). But volumising formulas are able to add in that extra added bounce and lift that our wispy locks so desperately need.

Related links: 

• Looking to add a little bounce to your tresses? These are the best curling wands to nurture your fine strands….
• These are the fine hair care rules you need to follow…
• Not sure how often you need to wash your hair? Here’s how often you should be…

Main Image Credit: Getty