21 Best Shampoos to Plump & Strengthen Thinning Hair
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:
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.
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‘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.