Best Volumizing Shampoo for Fine Hair: 6 Volume Shampoos That Won't Weigh It Down

The best volume shampoo for fine hair is a light one: it cleans oil and product off your roots and leaves very little conditioning film behind. Our top pick for most people is Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Shampoo, which Good Housekeeping's testers rated best for not weighing hair down. If your roots get greasy by day two, choose Aveda Pure Abundance instead.

Every pick below is a volumizing shampoo, also sold as a "thickening shampoo". That means it helps hair look fuller by coating or plumping each strand and by not weighing it down. None of them grows hair.

Quick picks

Why fine hair goes flat

Volume is how much space your hair takes up. Good Housekeeping Beauty Lab senior chemist Danusia Wnek says it depends on the curl in each strand, how many hairs you have, how wide each strand is, and the friction between strands. Fine strands are narrow, so they take up less room, and anything that adds weight pulls them flat faster.

Three things usually do it:

• Oil. Sebum travels down straight, fine hair quickly. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says that if you have straight hair and an oily scalp, you may want to shampoo every day.
• Heavy conditioning. GH's lab team says volumizing shampoos "typically contain fewer conditioning ingredients", so they're less likely to weigh hair down. GH reviews analyst Chiara Butler suggests skipping formulas labeled "deeply moisturizing" or "deep conditioning" if your hair is fine.
• The wrong silicones, or too much of them. Cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong of Lab Muffin explains that a product made for coarser hair, used on finer hair, can leave you with "lank, greasy hair that sticks together." She adds that silicones aren't all the same: heavier, longer-chain dimethicones feel heavier than lighter types.

Fine hair also tends to get finer over time. Dermatologist Zoe Draelos, MD, told Good Housekeeping that "the diameter of the hair shaft diminishes as we get older."

Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Shampoo

Best for: fine, limp hair that goes flat by midday.

What we love

• Good Housekeeping's testers rated it best for not weighing hair down in the GH Beauty Lab's thickening shampoo test.
• Paul Mitchell says it's "Ideal for Fine Hair" and claims "87% More Volume" when you use the shampoo and its conditioner together, compared with untreated hair.
• Color safe, vegan and paraben-free, according to the brand.
• It comes in sizes from 2.5 fl oz to a 33.8 fl oz liter, so you can try a small bottle first.

Keep in mind

• GH found it didn't lather as well as some other shampoos in the test.

Key ingredients: panthenol and wheat-derived ingredients.

How to use: massage into wet hair, rinse, and repeat if needed. Paul Mitchell suggests following with Extra-Body Conditioner.

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Aveda Pure Abundance Volumizing Shampoo

Best for: fine hair with roots that look greasy by day two.

What we love

• Aveda says it "removes product buildup and excess oil" and enhances volume "without weighing hair down."
• It's silicone-free, with amaranth seed extract that Aveda says plumps each strand and reduces friction between strands.
• In Good Housekeeping's test, it earned top marks from testers for making their hair feel thicker.
• Aveda says it's safe for color-treated hair and suits straight, wavy and curly hair (types 1A to 3C).

Keep in mind

• It has a strong botanical scent. GH found some testers loved it and others found it too intense.
• It isn't sulfate-free: ammonium lauryl sulfate is near the top of the ingredient list.
• GH described the formula with wheat protein and aloe, but Aveda's current page lists amaranth seed extract and rice protein. The formula in stores now may not be the one GH tested.

Key ingredients: amaranth seed extract, hydrolyzed rice protein.

How to use: massage into wet hair, rinse and repeat if needed, then follow with Pure Abundance Volumizing Conditioning Rinse, as Aveda suggests. Aveda's "4X more voluminous" claim is for the shampoo and conditioner used together.

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Living Proof Full Shampoo

Best for: fine hair you color, or anyone who wants a sulfate-free formula.

What we love

• Living Proof says Full is for "anyone with fine, flat or thin hair," and that it's "safe for color or chemically treated hair."
• It's sulfate-free (no SLS or SLES), silicone-free and vegan, according to the brand.
• The brand says Full Shampoo and Conditioner leave hair with "2x the volume in one wash", based on its own lab testing against untreated hair.
• It's sold in 2 oz travel, 8 oz and 24 oz bottles, plus a 32 oz refill pouch.

Keep in mind

• We didn't find an independent test of this shampoo, so this pick rests on the brand's claims and its ingredient list.

Key ingredients: gentle, sulfate-free cleansers (sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate leads the list) and Living Proof's Sili-CLONE HairTech, which the brand offers as an alternative to silicone.

How to use: lather into wet hair, focusing on your scalp, and rinse well. Living Proof's volume claim is for Full Shampoo and Conditioner used together.

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OGX Thick & Full + Biotin & Collagen Extra Strength Volumizing Shampoo

Best for: a budget-friendly volume shampoo you can find in most drugstores.

What we love

• OGX calls it "a volume-creating powerhouse" and says "extra body doesn't mean extra weight."
• It's made without sulfated surfactants, according to the brand.
• In GH testing, it rated highly for applying and rinsing easily, lathering well and leaving hair feeling clean and easy to comb.
• Comes in 13 fl oz and 25.4 fl oz bottles, with a matching Extra Strength Biotin & Collagen Conditioner.

Keep in mind

• GH says its strong scent got mixed reviews from testers.
• Biotin and collagen are in the name, but this is a cosmetic volume shampoo, not a hair-growth product.

Key ingredients: biotin (vitamin B7), collagen and a sulfate-free cleansing blend.

How to use: a small amount goes a long way. One GH tester said she "didn't need to use a lot to produce a nice lather."

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Kérastase Densifique Bain Densité Shampoo

Best for: fine hair when you want the best-tested formula and budget isn't the main concern.

What we love

• It was Good Housekeeping's Best Overall thickening shampoo. It "scored highest for making strands feel thicker," was best at leaving hair feeling clean, and earned top points for being lightweight.
• Kérastase says it leaves hair that "appears visibly fuller and thicker-looking," and the formula is infused with hyaluronic acid.
• The 500 ml bottle can be refilled from a pouch, which cuts packaging.

Keep in mind

• GH reports that a few testers didn't like the twist-off cap.
• Kérastase markets the Densifique line for thinning hair. A shampoo can only change how your hair looks and feels. If you're losing hair, read the box below.
• On amazon.com we only saw it sold as a shampoo and conditioner set, not as a single bottle.

Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate), salicylic acid, hydrolyzed wheat protein.

How to use: apply to wet hair, massage into a lather and rinse thoroughly. Kérastase suggests using it every time you wash.

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Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Shampoo

Best for: anyone who wants a shampoo and conditioner made to work together, at a drugstore budget.

What we love

• Pantene sells the shampoo and conditioner as a pair. The brand says they remove buildup and give "lightweight nourishment to fine or thin hair."
• Pantene says it "won't weigh down your locks" and claims fullness that "lasts 72+ hours."
• It's safe for colored hair, according to the brand.

Keep in mind

• Pantene's own page uses two names, "Sheer Volume" and "Pro-V Volume & Body". Look for "Sheer Volume" on the bottle.
• We didn't find an independent test of this exact formula.

Key ingredients: Pantene lists antioxidants and pH balancers. It doesn't name a single key ingredient.

How to use: Pantene says to focus the shampoo on your scalp and roots, then pull the lather through to the ends. Apply the conditioner from the tips upward, leave it on for 1–2 minutes, then rinse.

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Good Housekeeping's chemist explains why a pair makes sense: "Companies test how well shampoos and conditioners work in tandem, so to get the benefits promised by either, you'll need to use them together."

Shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, says the AAD. Sudden loss is different. The AAD lists a bald patch that appears within a day or two, or clumps of hair coming out when you brush, as signs of sudden hair loss. If you notice either, book a board-certified dermatologist before you shop for a shampoo.

How to choose a volumizing shampoo for fine hair

1. Read the label words. Butler, from Good Housekeeping, suggests looking for "thickening," "volumizing," "lifting" or "for thin hair," and avoiding "deeply moisturizing" and "deep conditioning."
2. Match it to your roots. If your scalp gets oily fast, choose a shampoo that says it removes oil and buildup, like Aveda's, and wash as often as you need to.
3. Check for silicones in the conditioner, not just the shampoo. Most of the weight comes from what you leave on your hair. Several picks here (Aveda, Living Proof) are silicone-free.
4. Buy the pair. A volume shampoo followed by a rich, heavy conditioner undoes most of the work. Use the matching conditioner, or a light one, and only on your ends. The AAD says that with fine or straight hair, you should apply conditioner to the ends.
5. Color-treated? Look for "color safe" on the label. Every pick here except OGX and Kérastase states it on the brand page, and Kérastase says it works on colored hair.

Comparison table

FAQs

Does hair thickening shampoo really work?

Yes, for how your hair looks and feels, but only temporarily. Good Housekeeping's lab says thickening shampoos "can help make hair temporarily look and feel fuller and thicker." GH Beauty Lab director Sabina Wizemann explains that they coat hair "so strands repel each other," and use fewer conditioning agents. GH says it knows of no ingredient that permanently increases the diameter of hair.

What's the best shampoo for volume if my hair is fine and oily?

Choose one that says it removes oil and buildup, such as Aveda Pure Abundance. Wash as often as your scalp needs; the AAD says people with straight hair and an oily scalp may want to shampoo daily. Keep conditioner off your roots.

Is volumizing shampoo for thick hair a good idea?

It can be, if your hair is thick but falls flat at the roots. Thick hair often needs more moisture through the lengths, though. The AAD suggests that people with dry, textured, curly or thick hair shampoo only when needed. Use a volume shampoo on your scalp and a regular conditioner on your lengths.

Will a thickening shampoo help with thinning hair?

It can make thinning hair look fuller for a day or so, but it won't change how much hair you have. If you notice a widening part, patches or sudden shedding, see a board-certified dermatologist. The AAD says hair loss "has so many causes," and finding the cause comes first.

Should I use the matching conditioner with a volumizing shampoo?

Yes, if you can. GH chemist Danusia Wnek says brands test their shampoos and conditioners together, so you need both to get the promised results. Most brand volume claims, including Paul Mitchell's, Aveda's and Living Proof's, are for the pair, not the shampoo alone.

Start with a light shampoo and conditioner on your ends only, and wash as often as your roots need. That covers most of what makes fine hair look fuller.