The 8 Best Conditioners for Fine Hair, According to a Beauty Editor Who’s Tried Them All
Promise: These won't weigh you down.
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For years, I've walked around with weighed-down, greasy hair. It's one of my biggest insecurities as a beauty editor (along with acne). I write about all the coolest hairstyles and products for a living—shouldn't I have luscious, long, voluminous locks? I've tried everything from the best shampoos for oily hair to volumizing products, and nothing really solved it. But then I took another look at my routine and realized the issue was glaring me in the face all along. I wasn't picky enough about my conditioners, rarely choosing a specific conditioner for fine hair.
It might seem simple (and, honestly, it is), but a conditioner that's lightweight and not filled with heavy oils or silicones can make a massive difference in your hair routine. Since I switched, my hair doesn't get oily so quickly, my ends aren't nearly as prone to splitting, and my color lasts longer. Only good things! But I had to seriously lock into the ingredients list of all my favorites, test a lot of new ones, and ditch old faithfuls that just weren't right for my hair. Bringing us here: A list of all of my favorites, vetted by a beauty editor with fine hair.
Our top picks for the best conditioners for fine hair:
Best Thickening Conditioner for Fine Hair
John Frieda ULTRAfiller+ Thickening Conditioner for Fine Hair
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Scroll on for all of my favorites from John Freida, OUAI, Olaplex, and more. Then, I'll explain exactly how to choose a shampoo for your fine hair.
Best Deal
Pros
- Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award winner
- We love how it leaves our hair bouncy but not too dry
Cons
- Some aren't fans of the strong scent
Across the board, this continuously clocks in as the best conditioner option for all textures of fine hair. Editors with straight, wavy, and curly hair all come back to this gentle conditioner that uses a mix of chia seed oil, keratin, and biotin to smooth and hydrate hair. No surprise, it's a Holy Grail Beauty Award winner.
One Cosmo editor says: "From the first wash, my fine hair felt fuller and healthier—no more limp strands. The conditioner delivers just the right hydration without weighing my hair down. The soft floral scent turns my shower into a mini spa, and the chic packaging looks great in my shower. This duo has truly changed my hair care routine for the better and it honestly makes every day feel like a good (voluminous!) hair day."—KARA MILLER, DESIGNER
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Chia seed oil, panthenol, keratin, biotin, |
| Moisture levels | Light |
| Size | 3, 10, 32 oz |
John Frieda ULTRAfiller+ Thickening Conditioner for Fine Hair
Pros
- Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award winner
- Most affordable conditioner on this list
Cons
- Too lightweight for dry hair
Most thickening products use silicones to fill out your hair strands and make them appear more dense. But this can seriously weigh down fine hair and builds up on strands over time. This John Frieda conditioner instead puts biotin and hyaluronic acid to work to go into your hair and hydrate the heck out of each piece, making them swell up and look fuller.
One Cosmo editor says: “After having a baby last year, my already fine hair thinned so much. I haven’t been able to find any product that made my hair feel any fuller—and I’ve tried lots—until I started using the John Frieda UltraFiller+ shampoo and conditioner. They seriously make my hair look like it’s doubled in volume after I’ve used them.” —KRISTIN GIAMETTA, FORMER VISUAL DIRECTOR
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Hyaluronic acid, biotin |
| Moisture levels | Light |
| Size | 8.3 oz |
Pros
- Actually repairs damage
- Not *too* moisturizing
Cons
- Works best when paired with the Olaplex shampoo and treatments for very-damaged hair
Made specifically for fine, damaged hair, this bond-maintenance conditioner uses Olaplex's proprietary tech to help actually repair your hair's damage (including color, heat, and chemical damage). But this one is a lot lighter weight than the original, using fine-hair-approved oils and extracts as well as hyaluronic acid.
One Cosmo editor says: "So many products for damaged hair are way too heavy for my fine hair. But this one is a perfect Goldilocks formula: It's lightweight and hydrating, and majorly helps treat my brittle ends."—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Soybean oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba esters, sunflower extract, hyaluronic acid |
| Moisture levels | Medium |
| Size | 3.3, 8.5 oz |
Crown Affair The Volumizing Conditioner for Oily, Flat Hair
Pros
- Gel consistency helps hydrate without feeling heavy
- Fantastic for very fine, thin hair types who don't need a ton of moisture
Cons
- Doesn't detangle well
Traditionally, I wouldn't ever consider a conditioner to be necessarily "volumizing." It doesn't touch your roots and mostly is made up of moisturizing ingredients. But this one actually can help make your hair appear a bit fuller, courtesy of hyaluronic acid that helps plump up your individual hair strands with moisture. Plus, there aren't any heavy oils that can make fine hair look limp.
One Cosmo editor says: "I'd never used a conditioner with a gel consistency before I tested this, and now it's officially my absolute favorite texture. My hair feels moisturized, but not at like it's been coated in oils."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Hyaluronic acid, meadowfoam seed oil, panthenol, camellia oil |
| Moisture levels | Light to medium |
| Size | 2.7, 8 oz |
Pros
- Helps repair damaged hair
- The most lightweight conditioner I've *ever* used
Cons
- Some didn't love the spray format in the shower and found it a bit hard to use
This liquid conditioner is fantastic for very-fine hair types because it only uses panthenol to moisturize, as well as helps repair broken bonds with citric acid. There are no heavy oils or butters in the formula—just a simple hydrator and a repairing agent.
One Cosmo editor says: "This is the conditioner that made me change my ways. I'd never used something so lightweight yet so able to hydrate my hair. The magic is really in the liquid formula. I just spritz it onto my hair in the shower and rinse after a few seconds. My ends immediately feel hydrated, but not like I just drenched my hair in oils (which many formulas do)."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Panthenol, salicylic acid |
| Moisture levels | Light |
| Size | 6.8 oz |
Pros
- Very moisturizing without weighing hair down
- Smells fruity and fresh
Cons
- Contains oils that could be too heavy for some hair types
If your fine hair is also dry, you've likely got a pretty hefty conundrum, since most moisturizing formulas are pretty thick. Not this pick from Dae, though. It's got a mix of rich butters and oils, sure, but it rinses out surprisingly well, leaving behind hydration and shine without the dreaded residue.
One Cosmo editor says: "Traditionally, just looking at this ingredients list, I'd assume it'd be way too heavy for my hair type. But that's why testing is so important, folks. I actually really love this every so often as a deep conditioner on my fine hair. It makes my strands feel smooth and hydrated, but doesn't leave behind a residue."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, aloe vera, shea butter |
| Moisturizing level | High |
| Size | 3, 10, 32 oz |
Pros
- Fantastic for detangling hair
- I love the light scent
Cons
- Can be hard to squeeze out of the tube
Verb Ghost Oil is a favorite amongst many hair types, including many editors with fine hair. But their Ghost line also extends to shampoo and conditioner, including this fab version for fine hair. Packed with a mix of light oils and hydrating aloe and green tea, this formula helps condition, detangle, and add shine.
One Cosmo editor says: "This conditioner is amazing for the days I know I want to do a blowout. It really helps seal my strands so I come out of the shower with smooth, shiny hair."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Jojoba oil, moringa seed oil, aloe vera, green tea extract |
| Moisture levels | Medium |
| Size | 12, 32 oz |
Pros
- One of the most affordable products I've tested
- Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award winner
Cons
- Bottle is kinda bulky
Another Holy Grail Beauty Award winner, celebrity hairstylist Laura Polko's namesake line at Target measures up to so many high-end formulas for less than $12. I especially love the "volume" line, including this conditioner. Formulated specifically with fine hair in mind, it offers moisture and softness that helps increase volume.
One Cosmo editor says: "If I see 'shea butter' on an ingredients list, I usually run for the hills. It's a master moisturizer, but too heavy for my fine hair. BUT this formula is like magic and doesn't feel like too much. I've been loving it now with color-treated hair, since I need a bit more moisture than usual. It helps hydrate and smooth my ends, and is fantastic for keeping my hair bouncy and soft."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Key ingredients | Shea butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, collagen, macadamia seed oil |
| Moisture levels | High |
| Size | 13.5 fl oz |
How to choose the best conditioner for your fine hair:
Look for lightweight hydrators.
The biggest thing when it comes to moisturizing fine hair without overdoing it is opting for the lightweight stuff. We're talking hydrators—like hyaluronic acid, panthenol, squalane, etc.—but also oils that don't stick on your hair and feel as heavy. My go-tos for this are always jojoba and macadamia oil. These together will make your hair actually appear fuller and softer, but won't leave you looking greasy after you've just washed.
Consider alternate textures.
Instead of traditional cream conditioners, some of the best conditioners for fine hair are actually even lighter in consistency. Liquid and gel formulas don't contain as many heavy ingredients; rather, they lean on ingredients that can actually hydrate your hair strands versus just seal in moisture or coat it in oil.
How we tested:
Cosmo editors are constantly testing hair products, including conditioners, to share with you the best options on the market (as well as include in our beauty awards). To compile this list, I...
- Vetted hundreds of formulas to determine which hydrated hair without weighing it down.
- Personally tested them on my fine hair, as well as polled other Cosmo staffers with fine hair textures for their top picks
- Asked hairstylists for their top picks in their salons and what they recommend to clients.
- Read thousands of reviews from testers to discover common pros and cons with each formula that made it onto our list.
Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from the best Dyson Airwrap dupes to the hair-growth shampoos.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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