If you often use products to give your roots a lift, only for them to fall flat just a few minutes after, you might want to take a few steps back and consider a volumising shampoo. A volumising shampoo will cleanse your scalp and lengths while injecting some much-needed volume to oily, fine, and flat hair. A growing number are suitable for colour-treated hair too.
Since there are so many hair care products on the market, finding the best volumising shampoo can be tricky. We've simplified the process for your benefit by listing the ingredients you should look for and which to avoid. Our ranking will also give you some ideas to try out, with drugstore and higher-end options from Amazon, Boots and Tesco that you can purchase online in the UK.
A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.
Table of Contents
Fine, thin hair is more porous than other types and tends to get oilier quickly. This often means more frequent shampooing, resulting in lifeless locks that lack bounce. Oily hair types are also prone to over-washing and flatness. Particularly for these types, a volumising shampoo can inject some life and make the strands appear thicker and fuller.
A volumising shampoo keeps the hair follicles and scalp clean and nourished. It clarifies the scalp, unclogging impurities such as styling products, dirt, and sweat from the hair follicles. At the same time, strengthening ingredients nurture the hair fibres back to life. This keeps your mane clean and with a healthy bounce rather than limp and flat, with fewer ingredients that can contribute to greasiness or flatness.
Nevertheless, it is important to understand that a volumising shampoo on its own cannot treat hair loss. It can give you fuller, healthier-looking locks, but it won't help with hair growth unless you pair it with a treatment designed for this.
A volumising shampoo can effectively address any volume issues you may have with the right combination of ingredients. This begins with lightweight surfactants to give the scalp and hair a good cleanse. Then, additional ingredients are blended to reinforce the hair cortex and coat the hair to make it appear and feel plumper.
As you can gather by going through our recommendations, certain brands have their own fortifying complexes that are developed through extensive research such as Kerastase's Amplifex system, John Frieda's patented air silk technology, L'Oreal's filloxane, or Pantene's Pro-V complex.
These contain a blend of elements such as polymers and proteins to strengthen the cuticles, adding stiffness to lift the strands away from the head for more volume. Some formulations even have oil- and static-control technology for more manageable hair overall.
Whether your scalp is dry or oily, regular scalp treatments can help to keep it healthy.
The best way to find out whether the shampoo is suitable for you is to pay attention to the ingredients and avoid ones that can impair your hair health. While these ingredients may not be the sole reason for your hair woes, they can be a contributing factor:
While you're here, check out our favourite products from luxury brand Aesop to discover anything from skincare to haircare.
These are milder and less likely to harm the scalp, and help to maintain a healthy pH environment and oil balance.
Biotin supplements can also help to gradually strengthen the hair from within.
One from the hair experts at Kerastase, this volumising shampoo uses the brand's own Amplifex System to provide a visibly thickening effect to hair fibres. It restores and expands them, resulting in greater volume.
Soft and light, the product is careful not to contain any ingredients that can exacerbate flat hair conditions. Instead, it creates volume by fortifying the strands, keeping them clean and healthy for a long-lasting hold.
This product from John Frieda has targeted volume-building technology which gently washes and detangles fine hair while amplifying the hair's natural volume. The result? A soft, bouncy finish that is full of body and will last until your next wash.
Patented air-silk technology penetrates the strands, delivering nourishment to restore health even for over-styled hair. Due to the lightweight nature of the formula, you won't have to worry about it weighing down your hair or clogging your follicles.
For thin hair that is lacking bounce and shine, this organic shampoo can help to strengthen the strands and keep them healthy. Using a medley of natural, botanical ingredients such as rosemary oil, quinoa protein, calendula, aloe and vitamin E, your locks will be restored from root to tip!
Since it is organic and free from parabens, sulphates, fragrances and phthalates, you can rest assured that it won't contain any potentially irritating or damaging ingredients, or those that will weigh down the hair. Moreover, it is vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in biodegradable packaging – what's not to love?
Formulated with antioxidant-rich pomegranate seed oil and jojoba protein as a natural moisturiser, this delicate yet nourishing shampoo refreshes the strands to give the hair a brilliant shine. The results are thicker, fuller hair, with a more defined body and bounce.
Although it is sulphate-free, the formula is capable of being worked into a fine lather for that satisfying cleaning effect without the risk of any irritation. Plus, the formulation is also capable of smoothing and taming frizzes for more manageable hair overall.
This gentle, low-foam gel shampoo from the experts at Aesop will add life, body and shape to fine hair with a formula designed to separate the hair shafts for instant lift. The main ingredient used to achieve this is Polyquaternium, an anti-static agent, film former and conditioner.
With a blend of botanical oils creating a fresh, herbaceous fragrance, using this shampoo will leave your hair hydrated, soft and lustrous – and smelling beautiful too. As with all their products, this is a high-quality, conscious option that is both vegan and cruelty-free.
Created by hair experts, Philip Kingsley's Body Building Weightless Shampoo gently washes while making the hair easier to maintain. It is formulated with volumising elements such as natural cellulose that offer even the finest hair lift, volume, and shine.
Copolymers are added to control flyaways and static to prevent a messy look. Meanwhile, keratin proteins are added to nourish and reinforce the strands, giving more boost to its overall fullness.
L'Oreal is a brand known for its effective formulations that are developed through extensive research yet don't break the bank. This volumising shampoo that is specially designed with Filloxane is no different, as it works to help the hair appear fuller, while also giving it a thorough cleansing.
Filloxane is a customised molecule that is capable of penetrating the hair fibre to strengthen it from the inside out. While inside the fibres, it forms hundreds of connections that join together for healthy, plump results.
Part of Pantene's Lift’N’Volume range, this silicone-free shampoo infuses the hair's cuticles with nutrients to restore it back to health. Using the brand's highly nutritious Pro-V blend together with biotin and rosewater, even hair that is damaged from regular styling can be revitalised and strengthened.
Through adequate cleansing and nourishment, the reinforced strands are thicker and fuller, giving the mane more permanent bounce and movement. Each Pantene Pro-V product is the result of years of scientific research, and the formulas have been approved by the Swiss Vitamin Institute, the world authority on vitamin analysis.
With almost 5 stars on Amazon, Aveda's Pure Abundance shampoo is worth a try. It promises to invigorate thin, lifeless hair, making it appear and feel more abundant. Organic acacia gum is the ingredient used to strengthen the hair strands, filling and reinforcing every single one.
Furthermore, organic peppermint, jasmine, ylang-ylang and palmarosa are added for a dose of aromatherapy, while also giving a boost of body and volume. So, if your hair is in need of some life, give this a go for fabulous results! A downside is that the price point is quite steep, though Aveda is a very well-trusted brand.
One of the culprits for weighing down the hair is a build-up of impurities and oil. Therefore, this shampoo's first line of duty is to give the hair a thorough cleansing, freeing up the scalp and hair fibres so that it can properly absorb the other strengthening ingredients.
Bamboo extract imparts strength to the hair fibres, resulting in fuller, stronger and shinier strands. Rice protein, which is high in amino acids, further reinforces and thickens, giving hair a fuller appearance and noticeable spring. Using a unique Smartrelease Technology, the hair is also protected against damage that may occur through daily styling and other stresses.
Written and researched by Audrey Tan
When you purchase products mentioned in the article, part of the sales may be returned to mybest.
The descriptions of each product is referenced from the content available from the manufacturer, e-commerce sites etc.
Household goods
PC and cameras
Home appliances and electronics
Cosmetics and skincare
Health
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Travel
Smartphones and mobile phones
Music
Smartphone applications