If you’ve been trying curly hair product recommendations for your hair type and nothing seems to be working, chances are you’re trying the wrong kinds of curly hair products. Curl pattern is only one part of the hair type equation; your hair also has a specific porosity, density, length, and width.
In terms of width, your hair width can be either coarse, medium, or fine. Fine hair strands have a small circumference and, as a result, are more prone to breakage and lack the full volume that coarse hair has. We scoured the web to find top product picks for adding volume to limp curls that are lacking in body, and here’s what we came up with!
Products for Fine Hair
1. OUAI Fine Shampoo
“This clarifying shampoo is the best shampoo ever! I have really hard water in my area and some of my products build up on my hair, so I decided to try this shampoo and WOW. You only need a dime-sized amount to completely clean and it sure does the trick! This shampoo cleaned my hair without stripping it and also gave my limp, lifeless, stringy hair a more defined curl pattern. Awesome product! The price can’t be beat! I love the OUAI products!”
2. Cake Beauty Moisturizing Shampoo
“A good daily shampoo. Nice scent. Good lather. Didn’t make my hair feel stripped.”
3. DevaCurl No-Poo Original
“Love it. I have natural blonde cherub curls that are dry and fine. This is gentle enough for my hair, and it conditions well. Since my hair is so fine, One Condition can be too heavy. I can “finger comb” my hair using No Poo. It has a very “clean” smell that some complained about. I don’t notice it after rinsing my hair. But I wasn’t offended by the scent to start with. Don’t let the price scare you away, the 12 oz lasts me 5-6 months. I rarely need to use a “low poo.”
4. Botanika Beauty The Mendor
“Great for my fine curls that have red and blond streaks. The little extra protein before my other styling products really helps with frizz on the ends.”
5. Devacurl One Condition
“PERFECT for the 2a/2b/2c curl types. Love the scent. Has good slip but is not thick and does not weigh my curls down. I always apply, rack my fingers thh my hair to get rid of loose hairs and undo any knots, scrunch, and leave it in for 5 minutes or so just so my hair gets a good “drink” every day, and then I rinse it out about 90-95% and follow with my other styling products.”
6. DAE Signature Conditioner
“GREAT product. I have 3c with some 3b, and I’m on the CG method. It’s so light, I can leave it in and get great condition without it weighing down my curls. It is a FABULOUS detangler. Nice price too!”
7. Verb Volume Shampoo
“I have thin hair, a little wavy, but really thin. I was suggested this product by someone in a hair salon in Beverly Hills on vacation. NaturallyCurly was the best place for me to buy it and all the fun ‘extras’ I get with my order immediately go to my grand-daughter who is naturally curly. We all love this product!”
8. Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Slip 30-Second Detangler
“The Slip Detangler is just like the Silk Leave-In … but a ‘lighter’ version (even though the Leave-In is not heavy at all). My friend’s mom (she’s a hair stylist)recommended it for me. It works WELL with Curl Keeper (never tried it on its own). I guess this product is good for kids because it’s a lot lighter than all the other products, and it comes in a spray nozzle, so it’s easy to use too.”
9. Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo
“I loved it. Great cleaning my scalp and my scalp didn’t itch during the process or right after. My hair didn’t feel weighed down, and I actually felt my hair was clean. Will be using on a regular basis.”
10. Matrix Amplify Volumizing Shampoo
Matrix Total Results Amplify Shampoo is for fine, limp hair. It cleanses as it adds lightweight volume with continuous lifting power. Instant all-over body for thicker-looking hair.
11. Maui Moisture Frizz-Free + Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioning Mist
“I use this on top of Devacurl Light Defining Gel just to give it a little extra oomph. I spread a quarter-size amount throughout my hair after applying the gel and it does the trick! It gives me more definition without going overboard.”
12. Jessicurl Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner
“[I have] 3b/3c fine, thin hair in Hawaii. I love love love this product. I got very pretty spiral curls with this. I only used a dime-size — if that — in each section of my hair (parted hair in six sections). I need a product that would not make my curls stringy or too puffy because I have thin very fine hair. I paired this with Redken Spring Mousse, a dime size or less of recoil, a dime-size or less of Confident Coils, and half a pump of TIGI Curls Rock Amplifier. It’s very soft. Love love and will buy again.”
13. All About Curls High Definition Gel | Crunchless Ultra Hold
“An excellent gel! It works for me as well as BRHG (Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee) but without the kind of hard hat feel. It is a more natural feel. It holds my very hard to hold curls and waves very well. It does have a water soluble silicone and I have not had a problem with it to date. It does not dry out my hair but if you are protein sensitive I recommend another gel as this one has LOTS and LOTS of protein!”
14. milk_shake Volume Solution Styling
“I have thin straight hair…this is the only spray that works w/o weighing down my hair. It really does give it volume. Takes a little bit of time to figure out just the right amount but once you do I’m sure you will like it too.”
15. RIZOS CURLS CURL DEF MOUSSE
“I have fine hair , and a lot of it, my curls range from 2a-3a and can be easily weighed down by most products. However, my hair seems to love this stuff! It is a little different from most products and all I do to get it to work for me is put a small amount in my palm and rub my hands together until it foams and then scrunch it into my hair.”
16. Paul Mitchell Ultimate Wave Lightweight Hair Gel
“I have used this gel for years and years. (I shudder to think of what my hair would be like without it.) I have thick, but fine, hair that wants to be flat…Let the gel dry on your hair, and you will have loads of body and texture until you wash your hair again.”
17. AG Mousse-Gel
“This product works really well on my daughter’s 2a-b hair. The results last for days. It doesn’t weigh her hair down and gives her soft waves and loose curls. For those curlies or wavies that get weighed down easily, I think this is a good product. It is also quite forgiving. If you use too much, you still get great results. It has very little crunch.”
18. EDEN BodyWorks Lavender Aloe Hydrating Refresher Spray
“This is the best mid-day-fixer-upper I’ve tried. It really works. Even works on bed hair. Just spray it on dry hair and it tames frizzies and reforms curls. I really like it.”
19. L’ANGE HAIR Sea Salt Texturizing Spray
“I love this spray for 2nd, 3rd and 4th day hair on my 2a waves/curls. It has great curl boosting/reviving power. I only need about 6 sprays and then scrunch…I end up with good body and great curls. Love it!”
20. Curl Junkie Beauticurls Strengthening Hair Conditioner
“Top of the line. For my fine 3b hair, this product is one of my go-tos. Love it.”
