10 High-Quality Products for Fine Curly Hair You’ll Love
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If you have fine curly hair, you know it comes with its own problems. These delicate strands are easily broken and product buildup can weigh them down. It can be tricky to give them the right amount of moisture without ending up with frizz or limp, lifeless locks.
But with the right care and careful selection of hair care products, your delicate curls can look as gorgeous as thick curly hair.
In this guide, we’ll pick out the best products for fine curly hair. We’ll also explain how to tell if you have fine hair and share some simple tips on the best haircuts and styling techniques for keeping your tresses looking fabulous.
10 Best Products for Fine Curly Hair To Buy
Choosing the right products is the first step to achieving beautiful, well-defined curls on fine curly hair. Here are some of our favorites:
Best Shampoo for Fine Curly Hair
EVOLVh InstaVolume Shampoo
Your delicate curls need regular cleansing to stop them looking limp and greasy. However, sulfates in regular shampoos can strip away too much of your natural oils and leave you with dry, frizzy curls.
EVOLVh InstaVolume shampoo is the first part of a two-step regimen that cleanses your hair and scalp, adds extra moisture, and gently detangles your curls. It’s free from sulfates, phthalates, silicones, and parabens, so it’s gentle on fine hair.
Follow up with EVOLVh InstaVolume Elixir for fabulous volume that lasts two or three days.
This is my go to shampoo for ultimate volume.
Use code HE15 to save on your first order with EVOLVh.
Best Clarifying Shampoo for Fine Curly Hair
Bumble + Bumble Sunday Shampoo
Dirt, sweat, and hair care product ingredients like silicones and waxes can build up quickly on your curls. Fine strands quickly start to look flat and greasy, but regular clarifying will break down this residue and restore the bounce in your curls.
Bumble + Bumble Sunday Shampoo is an effective clarifying shampoo that gently clears away buildup. It’ll give your curls a fresh start without leaving them feeling dry or damaged. Use this shampoo weekly to reset your curls and leave them with a gorgeous herbal scent.
Best Dry Shampoo for Fine Curly Hair
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
Using a dry shampoo between washes will absorb grease and oils, give your curls some extra volume and lift at the root area, and leave your hair smelling fresh.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo is suitable for any hair type, even chemically-treated hair. It will clean your hair and add texture while delivering a fresh, time-release scent.
This dry shampoo is silicone-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free, so you can keep your curls looking fresh and bouncy without weighing them down with silicones or drying them out.
Best Conditioner for Fine Curly Hair
INNERSENSE Pure Inspiration Daily Conditioner
Fine curls need a conditioner with a light touch to avoid weighing them down.
INNERSENSE Pure Inspiration Daily Conditioner is a hydrating conditioner made with plant-based ingredients like aloe, coconut oil, and rice bran oil to moisturize fine strands. It also contains orange flower oil that adds shine and leaves your curls smelling as good as they look.
This conditioner is free from harsh parabens and silicones making it gentle enough to use daily, even on color-treated hair. If your hair is very dry and needs a richer conditioner, Innersense Colour Radiance Conditioner might be more suitable for your curls.
Best Leave-in Conditioner for Fine Curly Hair
EVOLVh SmartVolume leave-in conditioner
A leave-in conditioner is ideal as the final step of your shower hair care routine. You can also use it as a detangler or to refresh your curls with added shine, volume, and bounce between wash days.
EVOLVh SmartVolume leave-in conditioner is a lightweight, water-based conditioner suitable for all hair types. It’s free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, and phthalates, so it won’t weigh down fine curls.
This vegan conditioner contains natural flaxseed oil, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants to moisturize and nourish your locks and protect them from heat and UV damage.
This is my favorite lightweight leave-in that provides softening, detangling, and volume.
Use code HE15 to save on your first order.
Best Deep Conditioner for Fine Curly Hair
Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair Deep Conditioner
Fine curls are easily over-moisturized, so you don’t need to focus too heavily on deep conditioners for finer hair.
If you feel your curls need some extra conditioning after clarifying your hair or applying a hair color, this award-winning deep conditioning mask is ideal. It’s packed with corn, wheat, and soy protein and hydrating ingredients like rosehip oil, B vitamins, and algae extract, delivering the perfect blend of protein and moisture to dry and damaged strands.
This highly moisturizing conditioner is designed to suit all hair types. If you’ve got fine wavy hair or curly hair, you probably won’t need to leave it on for much more than 10 minutes.
Best Gel for Fine Curly Hair
Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat and Humidity Stronger Hold Gel
Gel is an excellent styling product for fine curly hair. It holds your style, defines your curls, and protects your strands from humidity to keep your mane frizz-free.
Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat and Humidity Stronger Hold Gel is a lightweight gel infused with ceramides to give long-lasting hold and curl definition. The Anti-Frizz Nano Technology will keep your hair looking shiny and hydrated, even in humid weather, and because the gel is free from sulfates, silicones, and parabens, it won’t dry out your curls.
This is by far the best gel for humidity. Your hair won't look perfect after being in the heat and humidity, but it will look a lot better than with any other gel.
Best Mousse for Fine Curly Hair
EVOLVh InstaVolume mousse
A styling mousse is the ideal way to add lift and movement to fine hair while also giving your style extra staying power.
EVOLVh InstaVolume mousse is a versatile styling mousse that conditions and smooths your hair, hydrates your strands, and prevents frizz and flyaways. It also gives volume, bounce, and amazing definition to fine curls, so your hair will look and feel fabulous for longer.
EVOLVh InstaVolume mousse is vegan, cruelty-free, and free from harsh chemicals such as silicones, parabens, and sulfates.
My favorite volumizing foam.
Use code HE15 to save on your first order with EVOLVh.
Best Styling Creme for Fine Curly Hair
EVOLVh Total Control Styling Creme
Styling creme is a great way to give fine hair extra hold and create beautifully smooth and defined curls.
EVOLVh Total Control Styling Creme is a silicone-free styling creme that combines touchable volume and movement with strong hold. It has a vegan formula free from harsh chemicals, so it won’t dry out your strands.
Apply this firm hold creme to wet hair and let it dry naturally in finger coils for defined ringlets. It can also be used to add volume when diffuse drying or for hot styling without frizz.
I struggle with creams but this is a styling cream that doesn't offer much moisture. It provides light to medium hold, light texture, and volume. I can use this as a single styler and skip gel.
Use code HE15 to save on your first order with EVOLVh.
Best Serum for Thin Curly Hair
Curl Keeper Liquid Hair Styler
Styling fine curls often means balancing curl definition and volume while avoiding the dreaded frizz. A lightweight styling serum will help you achieve this delicate balance.
Curl Keeper Liquid Hair Styler is a silicone-free, water-based serum that protects hair against humidity without weighing it down. It locks hydration into strands, keeping your curls defined and frizz-free in any weather.
This high-quality serum is suitable for all curl types and can be used daily without buildup. Its effect lasts for days, simply refresh with water to reactivate the pH-balanced formula.
How Do I Know If My Hair Is Fine?
Fine hair means that each individual hair strand has a thinner diameter than coarse hair strands. This isn’t the same as density, which describes how closely packed the strands are.
Fine strands are difficult to feel when you rub a strand between your fingers. They don’t hold moisture as easily as thicker strands, so they are often prone to frizz and can be damaged more easily by heat or chemicals. Fine curly hair can also lack volume and easily loses definition.
What Are the Best Haircuts for Thin Curly Hair?
If you have fine curls, it’s better to choose a cut that’s mid-length or shorter. A long cut can stretch out your curls and make your hair look even finer.
A haircut with layers is a fabulous way to add volume to thin, curly tresses. Ask your stylist to cut in some layers, but don’t overdo it if you also have low density hair. In the case of low density hair (thin hair), more layers can make it look even thinner (ask me how I know 🙃).
It’s essential to visit a stylist who’s experienced in cutting curly hair. They will know how to deal with hair shrinkage and understand the importance of giving your cut the right weight, texture, and balance.
If you’re feeling nervous about a new style, arrange to visit the salon for a consultation beforehand.
How to Style Thin Curly Hair
Once you’ve chosen the best products for your fine curls, your styling routine will have a major impact on how your locks look.
Remove Excess Water First
First, remove the excess water from your hair, as this will dilute your products and weigh down your strands. This excess water weight stretches out your curls so it’s important to remove it.
Wrap your locks in a microfiber towel or cotton T-shirt for a few minutes, never rub at them with a cotton towel.
Use A Diffuser Or Air Dry
Diffusing your hair will give the best volume and definition, and will also cause less damage than direct blow drying.
Apply a heat protectant before you start and use a medium heat on your hair dryer, lifting your hair at the roots with your fingers to give more fullness.
Flipping your head upside down while you diffuse dry will add body to your fine curls. When your hair is 80% dry, leave it to dry naturally for the final 20%.
If you prefer your curls loose and messy, try letting your hair air dry instead of diffuse-drying it.
Experiment With Plopping
Plopping is a drying technique that involves wrapping your hair in a cotton T-shirt while it dries. It’s very popular with curly girls as it helps control frizz and gives fantastic definition to your curls.
However, some people (🙋♀️) find that it flattens the natural curl pattern on fine hair. You might like to try plopping your curls until they’re partly dry and then finishing them off with the diffuser. This is called micro-plopping and is what I prefer to do.
Protect your hair overnight
Protecting your curls overnight will help maintain definition and volume. You could try using a satin scrunchie or hair tie to gather your hair in a high ponytail or pineapple.
If this leaves your curls flat, stretched-out, or frizzy, try clipping small sections on top of your head with mini jaw clips to keep your curls looking bouncy.
My preferred method is to use a hair buff so that it doesn’t flatten the length of my hair. You can read more about it in this post about protecting curly hair while you sleep.
FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about how to style your fine curlies, the answers to these frequently asked questions will help:
Should I Condition Thin Curly Hair?
Using a conditioner is essential for fine curly strands, as it helps to lock in moisture and keep frizz under control.
Always work the product up in your palms first to give a more even application. Then apply your conditioner to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair, avoiding the roots as over-conditioning here can leave your hair looking flat.
How Do You Detangle Thin Curly Hair?
Detangling fine curls can be challenging, and without care, your fine strands can be damaged.
Make the task easier by wrapping your hair in a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt first to remove some of the water, then apply a good detangler or leave-in conditioner to your wet hair.
Take a section of hair and hold it at the mid-lengths to avoid putting tension on the roots. Then, use a wide-tooth comb to tease out the tangles, starting at the ends and working back up the strands.
How Do You Make Fine Thin Curly Hair Look Thicker?
It’s essential to avoid weighing fine hair down with too much product. Wait until your hair is semi-damp to apply your chosen styling products, as too much water will weigh down your curls.
Focus on your roots while styling fine hair, turning your head upside down and using your fingers to lift from the roots. Finally, finish off with a diffuser or let your hair dry naturally for the last 20% to minimize frizz and keep your curls looking great.
How Often Should You Wash Thin Curly Hair?
Although the general rule is to avoid washing curly hair too often, fine curly hair can benefit from more regular washing to help plump up the cuticle. Two or three times a week should be OK, but you could wash it as often as every day if you wish.
Massage the hair gently and avoid rubbing or scrubbing as this can stimulate sebum production. Excess sebum will attract dirt and leave your mane looking flat and greasy.
The Bottom Line
Fine curls can often look bouncy and full of volume in the morning but flat and lifeless by the end of the day. It can be difficult to give your curls enough moisture without them becoming weighed down or turning to frizz.
In this guide, we’ve shared the best products for fine curly hair. These give the moisture and hydration you need for bouncy, well-defined curls without weighing them down with heavy styling products.
Combined with the right haircut and styling techniques, these products will make it easy for you to achieve the beautiful, full-bodied curls you’ve been craving.
