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Revamp your hair from limp to luscious.
By Aly Walansky — Written on Dec 05, 2019
Sometimes our hair feels fine and limp, and we’ll do anything we can to thicken it up. But where do we start?
To encourage growth and maximize fullness, thickening shampoo is the best move you can make. Paired with conditioning regularly to moisturize and pamper your scalp, a hair thickening shampoo adds volume and bounce.
There are all sorts of styling products to use — sprays, powders, texturizers — that can add density and fullness to your locks. But an important foundation is starting with the best volumizing shampoo.
1. Pai-Shau Opulent Volume Hair Cleanser
Formulated with a patented Microemulsion Technology and Volumizing Botanical Complex — made of ginseng, white nettle and gleditschia — along with their Signature Tea Complex, this cleanser removes build-up to support healthy growth and fullness. Instead of opening the cuticle of the hair like most volume shampoos do, Pai-Shau bends the strand instead.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
2. Spare My Hair Reconstructive Shampoo
Spare My Hair Reconstructive Shampoo is a rich, daily-use, concentrated, gentle cleanser with thinning hair and hair loss. The natural, sulfate- and paraben-free formula removes build-up and oil from the scalp to allow hair follicles to receive nourishment. It features yucca extract, biotin, niacin, folic acid, saw palmetto, horsetail extract, aloe, argan oil, sage extract, mango butter, green tea extract and vitamins A,C, D and E to help reconstruct and rebuild thinning hair.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
3. Keune Care Absolute Volume Shampoo
Absolute Volume Shampoo gives body and volume to fine hair. Wheat proteins penetrate and thicken hair, adding volume and shine. Liquid keratin increases the diameter of each strand, creating voluptuous volume and incredible shine. It also plumps strands and builds volume without leaving the hair feeling heavy, thanks to provitamin B5 and wheat proteins.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
4. Rahua Voluminous Shampoo
A volumizing, clarifying shampoo for additional body and bounce. Rahua oil, rich in omega-9, fortifies hair from within to help prevent breakage and lavender and eucalyptus extracts offer a calm, uplifting aromatherapy experience.
(Sephora, $34)
5. R+Co Dallas Thickening Shampoo
Good for thin, fine hair in need of volume. This is a vegan and cruelty-free shampoo, and is great to add vitality to fine, flat hair.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
6. Sachajuan Thickening Shampoo
Thickening Shampoo with ocean silk and thickening technology gives your hair smooth volume and ultimate nourishment. Heat and UV protectants work together to make your hair become healthier and shinier, while the weightless formula gives hair a beautiful finish.
(Sephora, $28)
7. Rene Furterer Volumea Volumizing Shampoo
Volumizing shampoo for fine, limp hair, it has natural carob extract to create long-lasting volume, and pH neutral cleansing agents.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
8. Alterna Bamboo Volume Abundant Volume Shampoo
A non-stripping, sulfate-free shampoo that provides weightless moisture and volume to hair. Traditional volumizing cleansers strip the hair to provide volume, but this gentle shampoo infuses lightweight moisture back into strands, while invigorating and thickening for all-over body and volume. Formulated with organic bamboo and maca root, they work together to nourish hair.
(Sephora, $22)
9. Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Ginseng Biotin Volumizing Shampoo
A sulfate-free formula that effectively cleanses without removing essential oils or dulling the look of hair.
(Sephora, $58)
10. Drybar Southern Belle Volume Boosting Shampoo
A super-lightweight formula that gently cleanses while providing body and fullness to any hair type in need of need of volume.
(Nordstrom, $26)
11. Better Not Younger Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo
A shampoo that moisturizes and adds fullness to thin, flat hair without drying out hair. Gentle yet effective hydrating and volumizing shampoo, it has bamboo and hops to strengthen, smooth, and lift hair for maximum fullness.
(Sephora, $27)
12. Apothecare The Booster Shampoo
By Design, this volume shampoo and conditioner removes impurities and builds weightless, thicker-looking hair volume while the hair mask restores hair shine and fortifies chemically-treated hair fibers for increased softness and manageability.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
13. Herbal Essences Arabica Coffee Fruit Shampoo
Give fine, flat hair the extra volume it needs with Herbal Essences Arabica Coffee Fruit Shampoo. This shampoo, with real botanicals, infuses hair with the volume it needs for touchable body.
(Walmart, $5.92)
14. Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume
Because everyone needs a little boost! Body-building polymers wash in truly uplifting volume and thickness, while rare botanical extracts leave hair full, lush, strong and easy to love.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
15. OGX Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo
The nutrient-rich, plump-it-up power of this haircare infused with ProVitamin B7 biotin, and collagen helps give each strand of hair a beautiful boost. This dynamic duo will leave your hair feeling thicker and fuller.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
16. Amika 3D Volume and Thickening Shampoo
A weightless shampoo that plumps hair from root to tip with a patented blend of ingredients.
(Sephora, $20)
17. Revitalash Thickening Shampoo
A unique thickening and scalp therapy formula that features specialized ingredients to optimize scalp health. It hydrates and nourishes hair while protecting from environmental stressors. This phyto-infused formula, rich in therapeutic ingredients, supports optimum scalp health, fortifies the hair cuticle, and works to improve hair shaft thickness.
(Nordstrom, $34)
18. Jack Black True Volume Thickening Shampoo
A sulfate-free shampoo that removes oils, dirt and product build-up while helping hair look and feel thicker.
(Nordstrom, $28)
19. Renpure Biotin & Collagen Thicken and Strengthen Shampoo
Plant-based, sulfate-free formula soothes the scalp while restoring strength and shine.
(Target, $3.99)
20. Dove Nourishing Secrets Thickening Rituals Shampoo
A nourishing shampoo enriched with lavender oil and rosemary with creamy formulation that gently cleanses your hair.
(Target, $3.49)
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Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer who focuses on health, wellness, and relationships. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her.
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