Finding the right shampoo for your hair can be a difficult task, especially if your hair is fine. So let’s delve into which are the best No Poo shampoo for fine hair to try to remove some of this confusion.
Fine hair is probably one of the most difficult of all hair types to keep looking healthy and shiny. Fine hair is often thin and lacking in volume. To make matters worse, applying products to help improve these shortcomings often leads to the hair being weighed down, looking limp and lifeless. No Poo shampoos for fine hair may be the answer.
Every individual’s hair is different, and what suits one person may not have the same positive effect on someone else.
Read on to discover the best No Poo shampoos for fine hair.
Best No Poo Shampoo For Fine Hair
The No Poo movement which is rapidly growing in popularity developed mainly from the Curly Girl Method.
This movement has far fewer limiting rules than the Curly Girl Method.
It rejects the use of chemicals to clean hair and promotes only using natural ingredients without:
- Silicons
- Sulfates
- Parabens
The No Poo movement caters to all hair types, including:
- Straight
- Curly
- Fine
- Thick
There are many sub-groups in No Poo, from those who only use water to keep their hair clean and healthy, to those who want to make their own recipes at home from natural ingredients they have grown in their garden.
This is likely one of the key appeals of No Poo – everyone and every hair type are welcome.
This is where the No Poo method for fine hair can help.
Keeping fine hair healthy is not too different from washing any other type of hair, but there are some tips to bear in mind:
- Brushing: Never brush your hair whilst it is still wet, as this can damage hair.
- Drying: Air drying is best. Alternatively, use a cotton t-shirt to dab the moisture from your hair, to avoid breakage.
- Conditioning: Choose your conditioner wisely and only apply to the mid-length and ends. Never apply conditioner to your whole head, as the conditioner could weigh your hair down.
- Product: Regardless of what product you are using, use as little as possible to reduce limpness.
- Shampoo: Fine hair can often appear quite oily. Therefore, a gentle shampoo should be used so as not to damage the hair when used regularly.
- Styling Product: Steer clear of oily, heavy creams that will weigh down the hair
There are a number of well-regarded shampoos (and conditioners) that you could try:
1. Shampoo And Conditioner
This particular shampoo and conditioner is sold on Amazon and has been specially designed for fine hair.
Not only does this haircare product help keep your fine hair nourished and hydrated, but it also claims to do this without weighing your hair down.
2. Shampoo
The vegan-friendly shampoo is both paraben and silicon-free.
Amazon reviewers give this No Poo shampoo glowing reviews. Click on the link above to read the reviews for yourself.
3. Home Made No Poo Shampoo
For fine hair, a well-diluted baking soda wash, with an apple cider vinegar rinse could be the answer for you, should you want to make your own No Poo shampoo at home.
Just be super careful not to make the mixture too strong, as this could seriously damage your hair.
Click here for more information on the baking soda wash, with apple cider vinegar rinse ratios.
Before washing your fine hair, make sure you pre-poo your hair first, as this will be very beneficial for your hair type (source 1).
Is There A No Poo Method For Fine Hair That Works Best?
No Poo for fine hair is perfectly possible.
There are so many No Poo methods that it is unlikely that you will not be able to find a method that suits your hair type.
Take a look at my article ‘What Is The No Poo Method‘ to get a better idea of the various No Poo washes options out there. Which one will you pick?
It is important to remember though, that everyone’s hair is as individual as they are, so what works for one individual may not necessarily work for someone else, even if they have the same hair type. It’s all a case of trial and error!
However, the one thing that individuals with fine hair have in common, is that using heavy shampoos or conditioners will weigh down their hair, leaving it looking dull and limp.
Therefore, if you notice your hair looking limp, it is best to stop using that particular shampoo and/or conditioner.
Pre-Poo’ing
Using a pre-poo can also help keep your hair moisturized, but will not drag the hair strands down, losing volume in the process.
Deep Moisturizing
A deep moisturizing treatment once a month could also give your hair a boost.
These treatments are best used during the evening, or even overnight so that your hair has the best chance of absorbing the moisture and nutrients without losing its volume.
Shampoo Alternatives
No Poo shampoo alternatives for fine hair will be able to give you the clean and healthy hair that you are looking for, but will not be too heavy on your hair. Some examples of this include:
- Herbal Washes
- Tea Rinses
No Poo Wash Methods For Fine Hair
Individuals with fine hair often like to use No Poo wash methods that contain soapnuts or reetha.
Soapnuts create a very slight lather and are light and gentle enough to use on a regular basis.
The fact that you can make the shampoo in advance, and even keep it in the fridge or freezer is an added bonus for us No Poo’ers!
My article How To Wash Hair With Soapnuts No Poo Method is an informative article that introduces different ways to keep your hair clean and healthy using soapnuts.
If you have fine hair, do not forget to use your boar bristle brush to move sebum down the hair strands, as this helps individuals stretch out the gap between their washes.
A boar bristle brush is an absolute must-have when going No Poo, and helps fine hair to keep looking at its best for longer. These are my favorite boar bristle brushes.
If you are not too sure of the benefits of a boar bristle brush, make sure you read my article ‘Best Boar Bristle Brushes For No Poo‘ to gain a greater understanding of what makes this type of brush so great.
If you are short on time then just remember that you should only brush your hair when it is dry, never when it is wet. This is especially important if you have fine hair.
Additionally, brushing before you go to bed will also help your hair to be tangle free in the morning. Overnight deep moisturizing is also beneficial as it gives your hair a better chance of soaking up the scalp-produced sebum into each individual hair shaft and strand whilst you sleep.
What Is Fine Hair?
Did you know that fine hair is one of the most difficult hair types to manage, regardless of whether you use traditional shampoos and conditioners, or have already started on your No Poo journey?
Therefore, for those of you who are fed up with your fine hair looking limp and lifeless, and not voluminous and easy to manage, this article is a must-read for you.
So let’s start from the beginning …
Fine Vs Thin Hair
Firstly, you will likely have seen that the words ‘fine’ and ‘thin’ hair are often used within the same sentence. There is a difference between these hair types though, which is important to understand before we proceed.
Basically, fine hair describes the texture of the hair, whereas thin hair relates to the number of hairs on your scalp.
However, if you have fine hair it may appear thin as it is difficult to create and sustain any volume.
It is not unusual to have both thin and fine hair which makes choosing your shampoo and hair care regime even more challenging.
Do You Have Fine Hair?
One quick way of establishing if your hair is fine is by plucking a single strand out of your hair.
Then, roll the single strand through your fingertips to judge whether your hair is fine, or not:
- Feel Nothing: If you barely feel anything in your fingers, you very likely have fine hair.
- Feel Hair: If you can feel the hair easily you probably do not have fine hair.
Another way to determine whether you have fine hair is to see how long it holds a style without falling back onto using products. This is what you might find:
- Fall Out: If you regularly style your hair but find the style ‘falls out’ quickly, this could be an indication that you have fine hair.
- No Fall Out: If your hair style does not ‘fall out’ and remains looking great for multiple hours, it is not likely that you have fine hair.
The problem is, that fine hair is easily weighed down if you use products, so using traditional styling products can just make things worse, not better (source 1).
Does No Poo Work For Fine Hair?
Fine hair is probably the most difficult to No Poo as it needs special treatment not to look dull and lifeless. Trial and error to find the best No Poo method for you are almost certainly going to be a necessity.
Here are a few important factors to keep in mind, if you have fine hair:
- Avoid Heavy Moisture: Never not use heavy concoctions and weighty moisturizers on your hair.
- Shampoo Type: Moisturizing No Poo shampoos will also allow you to have silky smooth and soft hair that is easy to manage.
- Honey & Aloe Vera: Honey washes or aloe vera recipes will give you the right balance between moisture, nourishment, and lightness.
- Minimal Use: Conditioners should be kept to a minimum. Select shampoos including conditioner agents. When used, it is beneficial to only apply the conditioner to your hair ends as this helps to prevent the conditioner weighing your hair down too much.
- Dry Shampoo: If you find your fine hair is still looking greasy, even when you are well and truly out of the transition phase, but do not want to wash it, then dry shampoo may be the way forward for you. You can easily make your own dry shampoo from cornflour, adding an extra ingredient such as cocoa to make it nearer to your own hair color.
How Often Should You Wash Fine Hair?
When No Poo’ing your hair, one of the main cornerstones of the practice is to wash your hair as infrequently as possible.
How often you wash your hair is ultimately down to personal choice, but will be affected by:
- The sebum production of your scalp
- The environment in which you live
- Your lifestyle choices
- How often you exercise
With fine hair, you may find that you have to wash quite frequently as the natural sebum sits on your hair more than it would with other types of hair. This can leave your hair looking greasy rather than well cared for.
Therefore, if you are washing more frequently you need to make sure you are always using a very gentle wash so that the hair isn’t damaged or dried out.
Regular exercise and swimming will mean that you need to alter your hair care regime to keep your hair looking at its best.
If you are struggling to extend your hair washing timescales, just remember to use some hair hacks to hide your slightly greasier hair.
Below are some popular hair hacks that allow individuals to go longer without washing their hair:
- Braiding
- Buns
- Scarves
Using dry shampoo could also be useful if you find yourself washing your hair more than you would like.
Does No Poo Make Hair Thicker?
Although No Poo can make a tremendous difference to the health of your hair, one thing it cannot do is make your hair thicker.
However, if your previous hair care routine was leading to blocked follicles and poor hair growth, No Poo could reverse this, thus enabling your hair to grow thicker. In this scenario, the hair is thickening because it is no longer being stunted by commercial chemicals.
Additionally, No-Poo can improve the health of your hair and may even make your hair look thicker as it will be less prone to breakage.
Water Only Hair Washing Fine Hair
Water-only hair washing is one of the most difficult No Poo routines to follow, and many people do not achieve the success they desire with this wash method for a number of reasons.
Firstly, individuals with fine hair tend to find it difficult to keep their hair looking good whilst following a No Poo water-only hair care regime. This is because their natural sebum tends to sit on the surface of their hair, making it look greasy and unkempt.
Secondly, those living in hard water areas tend to find the build-up of minerals on their hair and scalp can make their hair lackluster in appearance, and difficult to manage. This is mainly due to the minerals in the water which build up and dull their hair strands, leaving them looking weighed down and not at their best.
For those of you living in a hard water area, why not try some of these methods to see if they solve the mineral build-up issue:
1. Water Softener
Water softeners can be fitted either to the main water pipe into your house, or individually to your shower head.
The first can be rather costly, whereas the second is a more realistic cost option for most people.
2. Distilled Water
You can use distilled water for your hair cleansing needs.
Distilled water is easy to get hold of and the cost will easily be counteracted by the lack of spending upon shampoos and conditioners.
3. Rainwater
Catching rainwater and using this for washing your hair is a very popular method, especially for those in hard water areas.
However, if you live in a very populated area then the rainwater is likely to contain all manner of pollutants that could be damaging to your hair and scalp.
4. Natural Spring Water
If you are lucky enough to have a natural watercourse nearby, using this will likely be more effective than rainwater for those of you living in urban areas.
Ultimately, it is not all bad news though, as there are many No Poo’ers who have had great success going water only (source 1).
Read our complete guide to water-only hair washing to get a better idea of how the No Poo wash method works, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Best Shampoo For Fine Oily Hair
Fine, oily hair is somewhat self-explanatory, but the reasons behind it may not be as obvious as you think.
So let me explain …
- Your scalp produces sebum to keep your hair healthy and nourished.
- This sebum production is normally increased when using traditional shampoo methods as the shampoo strips the hair and forces increased production.
- No Poo uses natural ingredients which allow the scalp to regulate its own sebum production to optimum levels.
- With coarse, thick, or curly hair, this sebum travels down the hair shaft being absorbed by the hair to keep it nourished.
- With fine hair, the sebum production, even at optimum levels can be overwhelming for the hair, which leaves the sebum sitting on top of the hair making it look greasy and limp.
Because of this one may wash fine hair more frequently, but need to use a pre-poo first so that the wash can cleanse the surface oil, without damaging the hair shaft and losing condition every time.
Therefore, the best No Poo for fine and oily hair is one that is lightweight and suitable to be used frequently. If this sounds like your issue, look for shampoo products that are plant-based.
Additionally, using essential oils when on your No Poo journey can be the very best thing for your hair, although some strict No Poo’ers believe that essential oils are Low Poo rather than No Poo.
If this subject interests you, start off by reading my article No Poo Essential Oils For Hair which will help you to make up your own mind.
Best Low Poo For Fine Hair
Low Poo, like No Poo, stays away from man-made chemicals such as:
- Sulfates
- Silicons
- Parabens
However, low poo shampoo is now much more available as a commercial concern, so changing your routine need not mean changing anything bar the shampoo you use.
Low Poo’ers often aim to reduce the amount of shampoo used, whilst also decreasing the frequency of their washes.
1. Shampoo And Wash
One of the best low poo shampoos for fine hair is this shampoo and wash (handy link to Amazon) as this has been designed for the sensitive skin of babies.
This product is extra gentle on your hair and a must for those individuals with fine and oily hair that needs more frequent washing than other hair types.
2. Low Poo Shampoo
Another great low poo shampoo that is ideal for fine hair is this one.
This shampoo is made of rosemary, peppermint, and cucumber and claims to be a brilliant choice for fine hair.
Click on the Amazon link above to view this product’s amazing ratings. It’s definitely one to try.
Conclusion
The best No Poo shampoo for fine hair is the one that is light enough not to weigh your hair down, yet gentle enough that you can use it regularly.
A shampoo like this in conjunction with a good pre-poo can leave your hair looking and feeling wonderful, with more volume and shine.
Related Questions
Best No Poo Shampoo For Wavy Hair
Whilst there are many articles discussing how to No Poo curly hair, wavy hair cannot be treated in the same way. The article No Poo Method For Wavy Hair is most certainly the first place to start.