Best shampoo for fine thin oily hair

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

A head of full and luscious hair is often pegged as the beauty ideal, but it's not an attainable standard for everyone. Many women experience thinning hair and hair loss for a multitude of reasons: age, changes in diet, and product alterations, to name a few. Thin hair is nothing to be ashamed of — it's a fact of life shared by many.

Connecticut-based board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, says that thinning hair can be linked to many things. "It could be from over-processing color, medication, medical conditions like anemia and vitamin deficiency, menopause, or it could just simply be your genetics," she says.

And more recently, your hair loss may be due to COVID-19, according to Papri Sarkar, MD, a board-certified dermatologist who is based in Brookline, Massachusetts. "Everyone whom I've had any contact with throughout the pandemic has seen a huge, huge increase in hair loss," she says, referring to the many primary care physicians, allergists, and pediatricians who have reached out to her for consults on their telogen effluvium cases.

Telogen effluvium is a form of temporary hair loss from excessive shedding due to a shock to the system, and it "does not discriminate," says Corey L. Hartman, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. "It can be seen across races, ethnicities, skin types, and hair textures," he previously told Allure. 

But if thin hair is an issue that really bothers you, you might want to consider modifying your hair routine with some of the best shampoos for thinning hair — hair products that are specifically formulated to enhance fullness and volume. "An ideal shampoo for thinning hair needs to not only improve the volume of your strands but also encourage growth and circulation of hair follicles," advises New York City board-certified dermatologist Neil Sadick, MD. 

So, what should you look for in a shampoo for thinning hair? "Amino acids provide the building blocks to build new strands, while biotin, part of the B-vitamin complex, is required by hair to metabolize amino acids and can help strengthen hair," Dr. Sadick says. Additionally, he notes that antioxidants, such as vitamin E and ginseng, are beneficial for promoting hair growth "because they reduce free radicals from sun, stress, or overprocessing and have anti-inflammatory properties." 

Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist and founder of Grace Kingdom Beauty, also recommends looking for shampoos that tout their "styling" capabilities as they work more like styling hairsprays. These shampoos typically contain what King refers to as film formers, which are ingredients like acrylate copolymer. "There are also silk proteins and keratin proteins that can help to add a moisturizing layer for hair to look thicker," says King.

Lastly, King cautions against products containing silicones if your main concern is thinning hair. "Personally, I am not opposed to the use of silicones in hair care, but for people who have thinning hair, silicones can build up and weigh hair down," she says.

Below, read about the 21 best volumizing shampoos and fortifying formulas for all hair types. Best of all, you don't need a prescription to scoop any of these up. 

$30 or Under Shampoos:

Hair Biology Biotin Volumizing Shampoo

Andrew Fitzsimons Body Volume Boosting Shampoo

Like your skin, your hair is susceptible to signs of aging. But instead of crow's feet, laugh lines, and sun spots, your hair deals with things like breakage, thinning, and brittleness. Thankfully, Hair Biology is a brand designed to address these concerns, starting with the Biotin Volumizing Shampoo. This shower must-have is made with biotin for shinier, fuller-looking hair, and it's also safe for color-treated hair. You'll get a rich lather out of this one, which is great for those needing a deep clean to get rid of dirt, oil, and product buildup. And, to top it all off, it's only $10 bucks.

The Andrew Fitzsimons Body Volume Boosting Shampoo contains caffeine to help hair appear thicker, all while maintaining shine and softness. For this, we awarded it a 2022 Best of Beauty Award. Oh, and because it smells like a high-end hair salon.

OGX Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Scalp Care Anti-Thinning Shampoo

It's all about that texture. Dr. Sadick suggests OGX's Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo, which aims to thicken strands with a blend of vitamin B7 (biotin), collagen, and hydrolyzed wheat protein.

Dr. Sadick is also a fan of this color-safe Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Scalp Care Anti-Thinning Shampoo, which boasts a mixture of kakadu plum, pea peptides, clover flower, turmeric, and ginseng. These powerhouse ingredients, along with anti-inflammatory tea tree oil, work together to cleanse and strengthen the scalp for thicker hair down the road.

Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

Davines Volu Shampoo

Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo

Olaplex's line of strengthening hair-care essentials has long been an Allure editor favorite. The brand's sulfate-free No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo has earned high praise from Annie Gonzalez, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Miami, for its protective qualities that come from ingredients like Olaplex's signature bond-building molecule. You'll also find a slew of moisturizing oils like avocado oil, camellia seed oil, and soybean oil to seal in hydration. 

Dr. Gonzales adds that this strengthening shampoo really works to protect your locks from breakage. "The less hair breakage, the fuller and thicker your hair will be," she says.

Davines' Volu Shampoo amps up hair volume, thanks to turnip root extract, which contains minerals like phosphorus, iron, and calcium that fortify hair. The shampoo also includes a trio of vitamins (A, B, and C) that boost scalp health. Just one wash with this shampoo leaves hair feeling soft and nourished — and smelling super fresh and clean.

In addition to smelling like absolute heaven (or a blend of rose, Italian lemon, jasmine, and white musk, to be exact), Ouai's Fine Hair Shampoo comes highly recommended by Kavita Mariwalla, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist. "Whether your hair is thinning or you feel like it just looks flat, this makes a difference with chia seed oil that penetrates the hair to give it hydration and bounce, along with biotin and keratin," she says.

Briogeo Blossom Bloom Ginseng Biotin Volumizing Shampoo

Nioxin Cleanser Shampoo

Living Proof Full Shampoo

Does your hair-care routine revolve around building volume? Say no more. The Blossom Bloom Ginseng Biotin Volumizing Shampoo from Briogeo replaces every blow-dry cream, volumizing hair spray, and texture-enhancing styler you own. TL;DR: it's your newest secret to a thicker head of hair. The key player at work is maltodextrin, an ingredient that forms a coating around each piece of hair, giving it the appearance of fullness. You'll also find biotin and ginseng in here, which both help to strengthen hair follicles and create the ideal condition for growth. We love this formula on all hair types, plus, the refreshing citrus scent is the perfect pick-me-up on groggy mornings.

Nioxin's Cleanser Shampoo is another Dr. Sadick-approved pick. It contains amino acids, antioxidants, and peppermint oil to help increase volume and strengthen hair follicles without stripping natural oils from your hair.  

This Living Proof Full Shampoo is a past Best of Beauty winner and long-time Allure editor favorite. It helps strengthen your hair and add volume with the help of the brand's patented, proprietary Healthy Hair Molecule, which, according to the brand, removes excess residue and buildup.

$50 & Under Shampoos:

Kérastase Spécifique Bain Divalent

Alterna Caviar Clinical Densifying Shampoo

Kenra Volumizing Shampoo

The Kérastase Spécifique Bain Divalent is another one of Dr. Mariwalla's favorite shampoos, specifically for "strengthening hair — especially as we age," she says. It's also formulated for people who are dealing with greasy scalps but have brittle, dry hair. The shampoo targets these concerns with vitamin B6, which works to slow sebum production, along with glycine, an amino acid that deeply moisturizes strands.

Stacy Chimento, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Riverchase Dermatology in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, recommends Alterna's Caviar Clinical Densifying Shampoo because of its effective, jam-packed formula. It contains strengthening biotin and keratin; amino acids like hydrolyzed vegetable and hydrolyzed soy proteins to help thinning hair build new strands; and moisturizers glycerin and sunflower seed oil to keep hair shiny and silky. 

As a bonus, you won't find any synthetic colors and dyes in this formula. "It also removes environmental residues and excess sebum, which allows for thicker-looking hair to rise to the surface," Dr. Chimento says.

There's a reason why hairdressers and experts use Kenra's Volumizing Shampoo time and time again. It's not only perfect for adding volume and bounce to limp hair, but it keeps hair looking full despite elements it may face throughout the day such as vigorous styling or heavy weather conditions. This shampoo is also formulated to mimic your hair's natural pH to lift flat roots and make way for new hair growth. Plus, even though it does an excellent job of cleaning, it won't suck all of the moisture out, making it ideal for those suffering from super dry scalps.

Isdin Lambdapil Hair Loss Shampoo

Bumble and Bumble Bb. Thickening Shampoo

R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo

Dr. Mariwalla also recommends Isdin's Lambadapil Hair Loss Shampoo because of its nourishing formula, made of ingredients like zinc and biotin, which "really make the hair look and feel thicker and fuller." You'll also find ginseng, which promotes hair growth, along with hydrolyzed wheat protein for strengthening hair inside and out.

Dr. Sadick recommends a super lightweight formula like this Bumble and Bumble Bb. Thickening Shampoo. This shampoo builds lots of volume with ingredients like panthenol (a B vitamin) and glycerin to soften hair.

Bring on the biotin. In R+Co's Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo, the strengthening ingredient coats each strand of hair so that it looks much more full. This formula hydrates and nourishes hair, thanks to antioxidant-rich moringa seed extract, as well as advanced polymers that help add even more body and bounce to your style. 

Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume

Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Shampoo for Thinning Hair

Arey Wash Shampoo

Not only is Oribe's Shampoo for Magnificent Volume safe for color-treated hair, but it also smells amazing and noticeably enhances hair volume. It contains a polymer blend that coats each individual hair so that it looks and feels much thicker. The brand's signature complex also works hard to protect hair from the sun's rays and environmental damage from pollutants.

If you didn't guess from the name, this product is vegan. Vegamour's Gro Revitalizing Shampoo for Thinning Hair contains B-silk, which restores and protects the hair from heat and environmental damage. Phytoactives in the formula also go to work to boost fuller hair and reduce the signs of hair shedding.

There's nothing wrong with sporting gray hair, but if you'd rather put that off a little longer, Arey's Wash Shampoo is a great option to pick up. It's formulated with an ingredient — palmitoyl tetrapeptide 20 amide, to be exact — that's been found in small studies to "preserve the function of follicular melanocytes and promote hair pigmentation, thereby reducing the hair graying process," says Hadley King, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist. If you're struggling with hair loss, this formula also contains ginseng root extract, which Dr. King says stimulates microcirculation in the scalp and helps to inhibit the production of DHT, the main hormone responsible for androgenetic hair loss. It's *chef's kiss* to anyone dealing with hair aging.

$100 and Under Shampoos:

Laritelle Diamond Strong Shampoo

Hair Rituel by Sisley-Paris Revitalizing Volumizing Shampoo

This Dr. Sadick-recommended splurge, Laritelle's Diamond Strong Shampoo, is crafted from amazing ingredients that strengthen and provide moisture: organic argan oil, jojoba oil, rosemary, lemongrass, ginger, and cedarwood essential oil.

Hair Rituel by Sisley-Paris’s Revitalizing Volumizing Shampoo is just what your hair needs if you're looking to deeply clean your hair without stripping your scalp. Unlike other shampoos that boast a liquidy consistency, this this sulfate-free shampoo foams up into a luscious lather and infuses hair with ingredients like camelia oil to cleanse, shea and hazelnut oils to promote softness, and a unique blend of vitamins and minerals to strengthen, making it well worth the nearly $90 it costs. (FYI: because this works into a rich lather, a little goes a long way — start with a dime-sized amount and apply more as needed.)

Now that you're officially schooled in shampoo for thinning hair, add one (or a few) of these thickening formulas to your cart and get ready for more volume. But keep in mind that these may not work for everyone. If you're not seeing a difference even after using a dermatologist-recommended pick for a while, it may be time to talk to a doctor about your concerns.  

What shampoo is best for greasy thin hair?

How do you take care of thin fine oily hair?

Why is my hair so thin and greasy?