The 12 best conditioners for fine hair to shop in 2024 for lightweight results
Our fine-haired writer scours the market for the best conditioner for fine hair offering a hydrated and volumised finish – including picks for thinning hair
The best conditioner for fine hair will sufficiently moisturise strands while, crucially, not weighing them down. Though it varies from person to person, fine hair is often susceptible to flatness due to too-heavy products or, if it's longer, the weight of the hair itself – so your conditioner shouldn't be too rich if you're wanting to avoid this. But, we’ve been on the hunt to try the formulas that strike the perfect balance between nourishing and lightweight, whittling them down to the best on the market to compile this very guide.
Regardless of your hair type, using the best shampoo and conditioner is at the heart of every good haircare regime. Fine hair can mean many things, you can have strands that are fine in terms of width or you may also have a head of hair that is on the thin side. This can be due to any number of reasons, from genetics to hormones or generally getting older, but as a result you may also be keen to retain as much volume in your hair as you can.
My already fine hair has become a little less dense over the last few years, thanks to a combination of genetics and hormones. For some background context, my locks have been bleached and have a very slight wave to them, plus I find my scalp gets greasy super quickly. So, with the assistance of some brilliant products and the best hair dryer for fine hair, I've been on a quest for products that will address these concerns without weighing my hair down, whilst learning the best way to make the most of what I have and leave my hair looking as voluminous as possible.
Whilst my main priorities when testing for woman&home's guide to the best shampoos for fine hair, were focused on scalp health and hair growth, as well as a much-needed injection of volume, this time around, I focused on conditioners that detangle, condition, strengthen and nourish the hair while keeping it lightweight and volumised. Ahead are the formulas I rated the best, of those that I tried, including picks targeted towards thinning hair and hair loss.
The best conditioner for fine hair or thinning hair, tested by our beauty experts
Best overall
Best conditioner for fine hair overall
RRP: £33
Not to be dramatic, but Plumping Rinse by KEVIN.MURPHY is the best conditioner for fine hair that we've ever tried - and we've tried a lot of them. It's full of nourishing and strengthening ingredients including rice protein, biotin, shea butter and oleanolic acid.
Initially, we thought it seemed a little thick for a conditioner designed for finer hair, but it felt light as a feather. Our hair felt thicker and stronger – even while still wet – and the fragrance was lovely, too. We saw instant lift and strength from root to tip. For an extra boost while styling, you can also try KEVIN.MURPHY's POWDER.PUFF, which provides weightless lift and texture while also nourishing your hair.
Reasons to buy: A sulphate-free option that adds instant volume
Reasons to avoid: It's not cheap
Best drugstore conditioner
Best drugstore conditioner for fine hair
RRP: £10.99
The clue is in this name with Shea Moisture's conditioner. Whilst shea butter is an ingredient that might normally put finer-haired consumers off, this wonder product's superfruit complex, of marula oil and biotin, nourishes the hair without weighing it down.
Although it feels a little thicker than we'd normally like, a little goes a long way with this conditioner. Its super smooth consistency helped strengthen and nourish our parched ends and reduce flyaways, all without leaving our hair looking greasy thanks to its non-heavy feel. Overall, it left our hair feeling silky smooth - and it gets plus points for its clean laundry scent.
Reasons to buy: Cruelty-free and affordable
Reasons to avoid: It's hard to fault it at this price
Best option with argan oil
Best conditioner with argan oil for fine hair
RRP: £20.85
If you’re looking for a lightweight yet nourishing conditioner for finer locks, Moroccanoil’s Extra Volume conditioner is packed full of cold-pressed argan oil and vitamin A - active ingredients that encourage the hair to grow stronger and healthier, while also leaving it looking super shiny.
Quenching our dry ends, this conditioner absorbed into our thirsty strands in no time and we were impressed by the amount of bounce our blow dry had after using it – even without the use of a volumising spray. As for fragrance, the product has a lovely scent, though it is quite overpowering and may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Reasons to buy: Gets to work fast
Reasons to avoid: Heavily fragranced
Best for straight hair
Best conditioner for fine, straight hair
RRP: £42
There's no denying that Virtue's Full Conditioner is a pricey product, but a little goes a long way and the bottle feels like it lasts forever. The most notable ingredient in this conditioner is the brand's star ingredient, Alpha Keratin 60ku, a protein complex unique to Virtue.
This conditioner's light texture instantly plumped our hair and left our crunchy ends feeling buttery soft - something we were a big fan of. We often experience unwanted frizz, but we really saw the benefit of this product after a trip to the gym on a humid day, which left our hair still looking shiny, lifted and smooth. Not only did our hair look great, but it smelt fabulous, too. A mixture of citrus, pears, spearmint and leafy greens combines to make a really clean scent.
Reasons to buy: Hydrating and reduces frizz
Reasons to avoid: Expensive
Best lightweight conditioner
Best lightweight conditioner for fine hair
RRP: £30
Crafted specifically for fine hair, this protective, detangling conditioner has a gel-like consistency offering weightless hydration. The conditioner is laden with rose oil and baobab leaf extracts, which lock in moisture without leaving behind any residue. It also maintains the hair's acid pH, which keeps coloured hair looking tip-top – always a plus in our books.
This gorgeously scented option brought back the volume and body to our hair, while also working to smooth and restore our hair fibres to a silky state. The consistency of this product also meant that our tresses, which usually look greasy fairly quickly, felt super clean even the day after washing.
Reasons to buy: Lightweight gel formula, smells great
Reasons to avoid: Quite pricey
Best for damaged hair
Best conditioner for damaged fine hair
RRP: £52
The price tag of Oribe's Hair Alchemy Resilience Conditioner is far from low, but if your hair is quite damaged and you can treat yourself, it's worth it. Working wonders for your hair, this conditioner's rich ingredients help hydrate strands and lock in moisture. Despite our initial concerns with its thicker consistency, this product felt lightweight when we rubbed it between our hands to apply,
We loved how this product helps to repair existing damage and prevent it, too. If you’re someone who uses a lot of heat on your hair or often bleaches it, this conditioner would definitely benefit your haircare routine. The results left our hair feeling stronger and thicker, even while still wet.
Reasons to buy: Lightweight yet deeply hydrating
Reasons to avoid: Very expensive
Best for colour protection
Best conditioner for fine hair with colour protection
RRP: £17.98
The first thing we noticed about this conditioner was its gel-like texture, which felt lovely and light and soaked in quickly, getting to work on pesky knots and general dryness. We were pleased with a number of aspects of this conditioner, such as the fragrance, how quickly it sprung into action and how our hair looked afterwards.
We can also report that the product's built-in colour protection did its job on our freshly dyed hair, helping it to stay looking bright, shiny and bouncy. However, it is worth noting that this product contained sulphates and, sadly, it isn't cruelty-free.
Reasons to buy: Gentle on coloured hair
Reasons to avoid: Not cruelty-free
Best for plumping the hair
Best plumping conditioner for fine hair
RRP: £40.03
Kérastase products are nearly always a safe bet. Containing ceramides, hyaluronic acid and intra-cylane, this conditioner’s ingredients work to strengthen hair fibres from damage while also helping boost the hair's volume and shine.
We enjoyed how this conditioner quenched our parched ends without adding weight and quickly detangled our hair, coating each of our strands and leaving them silky smooth. For us, its downfall is its price tag – but, as we've said before, consider the longevity in expensive shampoos and conditioners, especially when caring for the health of thinning hair.
Reasons to buy: Plumps and hydrates hair
Reasons to avoid: Another pricey option
Best for instant volume
The best conditioner for fine hair for instant volume
RRP: £24
This Philip Kingsley conditioner boasts hair-loving ingredients including strand-plumping wheat protein, which we noticed working even when our hair was still wet. As well as feeling thicker and plumper, our hair also looked and felt light, shiny and healthy, once dry.
We used it alongside the brand's Body Building shampoo and, if you want your hair to visibly double in size, we'd recommend using their Maximizer Root Volumising Spray. This may not be ideal for damaged hair but if you use a hair mask like the iconic Elasticizer weekly or fortnightly, you'll really see a difference.
Reasons to buy: Protein-rich and smells great
Reasons to avoid: May be too light for damaged and/or dry hair
Best for fragrance
Best conditioner for fine hair for fragrance
RRP: £22
Davines is a stunning salon brand with a range of gorgeous haircare products that are cruelty-free, sulphate-free and manufactured with 100% clean energy. We have tried a few of their conditioners but MELU is the standout option for fine (and quick to go flat) hair like ours.
The first thing we noticed was the gorgeous scent of this conditioner and its thickness (expect hair mask consistency). Our hair was left silky smooth but with no leftover residue or heaviness. One small downside? We weren't so keen on having to scoop out the product rather than dispensing from a bottle.
Reasons to buy: Gorgeous, light formula that smells amazing.
Reasons to avoid: You may prefer a bottle to the tub packaging
Best leave-in conditioner
Best leave in conditioner for fine hair
RRP: £38
If you have fine hair that has a tendency to go limp, the thought of using a leave-in conditioner might feel completely counter-intuitive. The thing is, Philip B Weightless Conditioning Water is just that: a weightless hair treatment that hydrates without flattening the hair.
This "water" is filled with hair-friendly plant extracts and the scent of magnolia flowers. With just a few spritzes on our towel-dried hair, we said goodbye to tangles and flyaways. Another thing we love about this product is that you can apply it to dry hair, too. Just be prepared for the price.
Reasons to buy: Smells great and is ultra lightweight
Reasons to avoid: Expensive
Best for heat protection
Best conditioner for fine hair with heat and UV protection
RRP: £31
Sachajuan's protein and mineral-filled thickening Conditioner promotes both the health and volume of finer hair. If you favour a more minimalist-looking bottle, Sachajuan is one for you.
This conditioner worked wonders on our thirsty ends and also helped warn off frizz, even on a humid day. Our strands felt repaired and shinier as well as seeming plumper. As this conditioner also contains the added benefits of heat and UV protection, it's a great option if you usually blow dry or like to style your hair with heat. However, we personally weren't a fan of this conditioner's fragrance as it was just a bit too heavy.
Reasons to buy: Contains heat protection, cruelty-free
Reasons to avoid: Scent won't be for everyone
How we tested the best conditioner for fine hair
I'm all too acquainted with searching for the best hair products for baby-fine hair, so in order to find the best conditioners for fine hair on the market, I took on the task of testing a variety of products for this guide. My hair is thin, slightly wavy and gets greasy very quickly, so I'm well-versed in what to look for.
To whittle down an edit of the very best conditioners for fine hair to suit various budget levels, I tried several products across all price points. You might be wondering is expensive shampoo better – and if it's also worth spending more on conditioner – and, in my honest opinion, if you have fine, thin, or thinning hair, spending a little extra on how you cleanse and condition your scalp and hair is entirely worth it.
What key ingredients help boost fine or thinning hair's volume?
Lisa Caddy, Consultant Trichologist at Philip Kingsley tells us ingredients that work with the components of the hair, such as keratin, are effective for volumising fine hair. "Cellulose is a thickening agent also frequently used to give hair more volume," she adds.
Vitamins are essential to help boost the volume of fine hair and Nicole Petty, hair expert at Milk + Blush, says vitamin B5 is a sought-after ingredient as it deeply penetrates the hair shaft and increases moisture retention, which in turn helps to keep your hair hydrated and healthy. “Vitamins C and E are essential for boosting collagen production and improving blood circulation that can help with hair growth and iron absorption," she adds.
To improve blood circulation in the scalp and encourage hair growth and volume, you can massage lighter natural oils into your scalp and roots. These are great for fine hair, Petty says, with sunflower, almond, and coconut oil all offering benefits. "Sunflower oil is an anti-inflammatory that can prevent dandruff and bacterial buildup that causes scalp dryness and itchiness," she continues. "Meanwhile, applying coconut oil on the mid-lengths and ends of your hair can prevent protein loss and minimise breakage, which fine hair is susceptible to."
What ingredients should you avoid if you have fine hair or thinning hair?
If you have thin hair, there are some ingredients that often feature in conditioners that are worth avoiding. "Heavy oils and styling products are not ideal for fine hair, as it possesses fewer layers of hair cuticle that, if weighed down, can make the hair look flat and lifeless," says Petty.
Silicones, which help to create a smooth feel in the hair, are another ingredient that can have an impact, according to Petty, as they can build up on the hair over time. However, Petty notes that they can "prevent other products from properly penetrating the hair shaft", which may in some cases lead to dryness and, in turn, breakage. Combat this is by adopting a clarifying shampoo into your regime to thoroughly remove build-up and give your hair a very deep clean.
How do you properly shampoo and condition your hair?
"Shampoo is intended for the scalp and conditioner is for the hair," says Caddy, who reminds us that conditioner should only be applied to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair - never to your scalp. Before rinsing, she recommends you "use a wide tooth come to work out the tangles."
Echoing Caddy's advice about not applying conditioner directly to the scalp, Petty explains this will cause your roots to lose volume and oil production to occur faster, meaning you will have to wash it sooner. "It is best to split your hair into sections to ensure it is fully saturated and focus on the hair from the chin downwards," she says. "Leave it to sit for at least three minutes or longer to maximise its effectiveness, before rinsing it out with cold water for one minute to help seal and smooth the cuticle and dry with a microfibre towel." Petty also suggests that, once a week, you swap out your conditioner for one of the best hair masks to quench dehydrated ends.
How often should you wash fine hair or thinning hair?
How often should you wash your hair depends on a few different factors personal to you, such as how much oil your scalp produces to the density, texture and thickness of the hair itself. Cowley says she always recommends that her clients shampoo their hair as soon as it gets greasy.
"As fine hair is easily weighed down by oil and build-up that can make it look flat and greasy, it will need cleansing more frequently," says Petty. "However, be careful not to over wash it, as this can cause your scalp to become dry, flaky and damaged." This, she warns, will in turn cause your scalp to increase oil production to compensate for the lack of moisture, meaning your hair could end up getting greasy more quickly as a result.
That being said, Petty also says that under washing can have an equally damaging impact as it can cause product, oil and dead skin to accumulate and, as a result, you may see flaking. “If you’re naturally more prone to greasier hair, this could actually be a sign that your scalp is dry and may be overproducing oils to try to balance this out," she says. Though it might seem counterintuitive, Petty says that reducing hair washes [from daily] and using scalp oils can help to remedy this.
"Train your hair to require a wash every other day (three to four times a week), use lightweight and deep cleansing shampoos that rid the scalp of dirt and look for thickening ingredients such as keratin and panthenol." If you're concerned about your hair looking greasy, one of the best dry shampoos for oily hair can help to absorb excess oil between washes.
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Aoife is an Irish journalist and writer with a background in creative writing, comedy, and TV production.
Formerly woman&home's junior news editor and a contributing writer at Bustle, her words can be found in the Metro, Huffpost, Delicious, Imperica and EVOKE.
Her poetry features in the Queer Life, Queer Love anthology.
Outside of work you might bump into her at a garden center, charity shop, yoga studio, lifting heavy weights, or (most likely) supping/eating some sort of delicious drink/meal.
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