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The 10 Best Hair Conditioners For Fine Hair

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by Deanna McCormack and BDG Commerce
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Amazon/Bustle

If you have fine hair, every product you buy and use should be chosen carefully — right down to the basics. For example, the best conditioners for fine hair should soften, protect, and hydrate your hair without weighing it down or leaving any residue. Why? It's important to be selective about the products you use on fine hair (which is when the diameter of the hair is very small) because it's prone to drying and damage, often lacks volume, and gets oily quicker than most other hair types.

When deciding what conditioners to buy for your fine hair, ingredients can make all difference. A conditioner with volumizing additives like panthenol will (spoiler alert) increase volume. Balancing and/or cleansing conditioners without heavy moisturizers will keep your hair from looking too oily or weighed down. If you often iron or blowout your fine hair, conditioners with lightweight hydrating ingredients, like vitamin E, argan oil, and vitamin B5, and protective antioxidants from things like vitamin C and roucou oil, are a great choice. Similarly, to treat dry, damaged hair and protect color-treated hair, you should avoid formulas with unnecessary chemicals like sulfates.

In a hurry? These are the best hair conditioners for fine hair:

1. Best for Everyday: Living Proof Full Conditioner

2. Best All-Natural: Jason Thin-To-Thick Extra Volume Conditioner

3. Best for Irritated or Sensitive Scalps: Jack Black Nourishing Hair and Scalp Conditioner

4. Editor’s Choice: Kevin Murphy Plumping Rinse

5. Worth the Splurge: Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Conditioner

6. Best for Heavy-Duty Volume: CHI Magnified Volume Conditioner

7. Best on a Budget: OGX Biotin & Collagen Extra Strength Volumizing Conditioner

8. Best Leave-In Conditioner: The Honest Company Conditioning Detangler

9. Best For Hair Growth: Viviscal Gorgeous Growth Densifying Conditioner

10. An Editor-Favorite Deep Conditioner: L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Rapid Reviver Deep Conditioner

When it comes actually using your chosen conditioner, if you have fine hair, you should only apply the product from mid-lengths to roots. This will prevent product buildup on the scalp which can make your hair heavy and flat. Most importantly, be sure to rinse it out thoroughly. Again, this will prevent buildup and reduce your hair's weight without sacrificing the protective properties of the conditioner.

Even with these tips, finding the right conditioner for fine hair can be overwhelming. For healthy hair that feels full and voluminous, start your search with one of the 10 products listed below.

1

Best For Everyday Use: A Lightweight Conditioner That Adds Volume & Is Free Of Sulfates

Best For: fine hair that is conditioned frequently

Key Features: Living Proof's Full Conditioner fortifies your locks with lightweight conditioning agents and a patented Healthy Hair Molecule – both of which are safe for color-treated hair. The result? Visibly healthy, fine hair that looks and feels thick. It also works wonders at detangling knots, and has a subtle, citrusy scent.

Helpful Review: “I have struggled to find a good conditioner for my finehair for a long time. This stuff is a miracle to me. It smells great, it is weightless, and my hair feels so soft. My hair is pretty much completely straight, except for a few of the baby hairs near my forehead, and this stuff actually has given me a few waves! (yay)”

2

Best All-Natural Option: A Nontoxic Thickening Conditioner Loaded With Vitamins & Biotin

Best For: fine hair that’s prone to breakage and lacks volume

Key Features: Jason's Thin-to-Thick Extra Volume Conditioner adds volume naturally for under $10. The chemical-free formula includes panthenol and biotin, which strengthens and stimulates hair growth, as well as vitamins A, C, and E for improved volume, less frizz, and fewer split ends. This formula also provides protection from the environment and UV rays.

Helpful Review: “I have incredibly thin hair and deal with some hair loss from stress and this shampoo and conditioner has changed my (hair's) life. After washing and conditioning my hair feels thicker in my hands even when it's still wet. I highly recommend giving this stuff a try!”

3

Best For Irritated Or Sensitive Scalps: A Certified Organic Conditioner That Balances Oil Production & Reduces Itchiness

Best For: fine hair combined with a dry or sensitive scalp

Key Features: Jack Black's Nourishing Hair and Scalp Conditioner uses certified-organic ingredients that soothe and treat sensitive or irritated scalps. Without weighing it down, this formula moisturizes your hair with pro-Vitamin B5 and treats it with basil leaf and tea tree oil to balance oil production and reduce itching or dryness.

Helpful Review: “Best product! I have very fine hair and it doesn't take much to get weighed down and look greasy. This product adds volume and my hair is soft and manageable. Will definitely be buying this again.”

4

Editor’s Choice: A Thickening Rinse For Thinning Fine Hair

Best For: fine, thinning hair

Key Features: Kevin Murphy is a salon-favorite brand that’s earned fans for its use of high-quality, cruelty-free ingredients — and this plumping conditioning rinse is perfect for giving your hair more body. It’s formulated with nourishing ingredients to add volume and shine, including shea butter and rice amino acids. For best results, apply to hair for up to 2 minutes before rinsing.

Editor Review: “My hairstylist recommended this thickening conditioner after I was experiencing some stress-related hair loss. Since incorporating it into my shower routine, I’ve noticed a difference in how my ultra-fine hair looks after blow-drying. Fuller, less limp. I love the musky, non-floral scent too.” - Kate Miller, BDG Commerce Editor

5

Worth The Splurge: A Luxurious Conditioner That Reverses Damage & Smells Divine

Best For: fine hair that’s dry or damaged

Key Features: Oribe's Gold Lust Repair & Restore Conditioner will leave your hair feeling soft, shiny, and smelling like an expensive perfume. Considered the gold standard for hair in need of repair, this ultra-hydrating formula includes luxurious, lightweight oils and extracts like cypress, argan, and maracuja. Plus, have you ever seen a more gorgeous bottle?

Helpful Review: “This is the only conditioner I have found to leave my fine hair buttery soft without being limp. The smell is fresh and you only need a nickel size for medium length hair. Amazing product.”

6

Best For Heavy-Duty Volume: A Weightless, Detangling Conditioner That Helps With Style Retention & Has A Subtle, Fruity Scent

Best For: fine, limp hair that lacks body

Key Features: Rich in proteins, CHI's Magnified Volume Conditioner is made specifically to boost volume in fine hair while strengthening and detangling it to reduce breakage. Aside from the added shine, you won't even notice this conditioner in your hair — and that's a good thing. It also has a lovely scent, with one reviewer comparing it to "a mixed fruit salad, with the emphasis being on ripe bananas."

Helpful Review: “This is the best conditioner I've found for thin and fine hair and it lasts forever because you only have to use a little dab after every shampoo. Nice price too!”

7

Best On A Budget: This Biotin & Collagen-Infused Conditioner In A Large Bottle

Best For: fine hair that lacks volume

Key Features: This affordable drugstore conditioner is chock-full of strengthening ingredients that are great for fine hair, including collagen and biotin. While the lightweight formula is designed to volumize strands, it also comes with nourishing plant-based ingredients, like bamboo fiber and hydrolyzed wheat protein, for healthy shine. The best part? It comes in a large bottle that will last a long time — all for under $10.

Helpful Review: “It definitely worked to make my thinning hair appear thicker. I used the original formula for a couple of years but this new extra strength works even better. [...]”

8

Best Leave-In Conditioner: A Cult-Favorite Detangler With 34,000+ Ratings

Best For: fine, dry hair that’s prone to fly-aways

Key Features: Boasting more than 24,000 perfect five-star reviews on Amazon, this gentle leave-in conditioner is a serious fan-favorite (for kids and adults). It uses natural, plant-based ingredients — like argan oil, shea butter, jojoba, and quinoa extract — to make it a breeze to comb tangled strands, and it promises to leave hair silky-soft. The citrusy-vanilla scent is pleasantly light, and according to one thrilled reviewer, a bit like an “orange creamsicle.”

Helpful Review: “I was very surprised by this detangling spray - delighted! I have thinning, fine blond, wavy hair that tangles horribly. Brushing my hair has always been such a chore. Many conditioners and detangling sprays leave my thin hair weighted down and greasy. Not this one! So far I love it! [...]”

9

The Best For Hair Growth: A Densifying Shampoo For A Great Price

Best For: fine hair that’s thinning or damaged

Key Features: This conditioner not only smoothes tresses but also encourages hair growth. Backed by more than 2,000 five-star reviews, the scalp-conditioning formula also works to stimulate hair growth thanks to its proprietary formula that includes keratin, zinc, and biotin. The lightweight formula won’t bog strands down either.

Helpful Review: “[...]WOW! The hair conditioners is very light weight and nicely adds volume - and like the shampoo - it seems cumulative, the more I use it, the better it works. Also, very inexpensive!”

10

An Editor-Favorite Deep Conditioner For Protecting Strands

Best For: fine hair that’s prone to heat damage or breakage

Key Features: This deep conditioner is a hydrating cream that helps reverse hair damage and prevent breakage. The best part is that it works quickly: You only have to leave it in for a minute. Plus, it rinses clean so you don’t have to worry about heavy residue weighing your locks down.

Editor Review: “I usually blow dry my hair to give it a bit more volume, but that means fending off damage, too. This daily deep conditioner has been super protective, and I’ve had fewer split ends and breakage since using it over the past year. And — unlike many reparative conditioners — it miraculously doesn’t weigh my hair down.” - Anna Anderson, BDG Associate Commerce Editor

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