This is the third article in my recent series on how to care for fine wavy and curly hair. The first two articles focused more on tips, advice and techniques best suited to fine wavy and curly hair. This one features the best washday products for fine wavy + curly hair. All in one place, with products that are available worldwide and some really great discount codes.
AD | This article is sponsored by LOOKFANTASTIC. Use code CURLMAVEN for 21% off at LOOKFANTASTIC.
The Best Washday Products for Fine Wavy + Curly Hair
Okay a quick heads up, because this article is going to be very product heavy. However, it’s not an exhaustive list of all the products best suited to fine wavy and curly hair. But they are the best ones I’ve found that give long-lasting, consistent results and suit the majority of fine hair types. Almost all of the best products mentioned in this post are available worldwide. I’ve also included a Budget, Affordable and Best option for each product category where possible.
Quick Reminder: “Fine hair” relates to the thickness of the hair strand, not the density (or amount) of hair you have.
Scalp Treatment:
Kicking off the list of the best products for fine wavy + curly hair are scalp treatments. If you have a dry, flaky or itchy scalp. Sensitive or irritated, greasy or oily scalp, I highly recommend Act + Acre Scalp Detox. It’s a super lightweight oil – perfect for fine hair types. It calms, soothes and re-balances the scalp. It’s much more like a tonic than an oil, and fast-absorbing, making it perfect for fine hair. Apply a small amount to the scalp once a week. Pretty much the same amount as you’d apply when using a facial oil. Warm up on the tips of your fingers and massage into the scalp 20-30 mins before shampoo. This scalp treatment is also great for helping to promote hair growth (which you can read more about here), both in length and density too!
- Act + Acre Scalp Detox – use code CURLMAVEN for 20% off Act + Acre website , or Cult Beauty who ship worldwide if you’re outside the USA.
Clarifying Shampoo:
Clarifying is absolutely essential if you have fine hair! Use a good chelating, clarifying shampoo once/month for fine wavy and curly hair. Although you may need to do it every 3 weeks. Click here to find out more. Clarifying removes build up and prevents all hair types from getting weighed down and over-moisturized, or unable to absorb product. If you’re struggling to achieve root lift, volume and definition, it may be a sign that you need to clarify. Click here to read more. The Bumble + Bumble Sunday Shampoo is the best and my personal favourite. But the Ouai Detox Shampoo is very similar, and doesn’t contain sulfates. Use code CURLMAVEN for 21% off, both available at LOOKFANTASTIC.
- Budget: Sallys Ion Hard Water Shampoo – available in the USA only
- Affordable: Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Shampoo on Amazon. And available here at Amazon UK.
- Best: Bumble + Bumble Sunday Shampoo – CURLMAVEN for 21% off at LOOKFANTASTIC
Dry Shampoo
Don’t be afraid to use a dry shampoo for extra root lift and volume. Especially if you have fine hair, but even more so if you’ve got a looser wave or curl pattern. If you want something that not only absorbs grease, oil and sebum. But also cleans and deodorizes your hair, with a little grit to give you some body and texture. Then get the Living Proof Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo.
If you want something more lightweight and volumizing with no residue or that dry shampoo feeling. Then get the Klorane Volumizing Dry Shampoo, or any of their dry shampoos are great to be honest! There’s a reason why they’re the number one dry shampoo in Europe. It just depends which one works best for your hair. See the full range of Klorane Dry Shampoos here.
- Affordable: Klorane Volumizing Dry Shampoo – or any of the dry shampoo’s from Klorane – CURLMAVEN for 21% off
- Best: Living Proof Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo – CURLMAVEN for 21% off
Shampoo:
In my opinion, the best shampoo for fine wavy and curly hair is the Bounce Curl Clarifying Shampoo. It’s a lightweight, low-lathering, sulfate-free, colour-safe shampoo. Or “lo-poo” if you follow the curly girl method. It leaves the hair and scalp feeling clean, without feeling stripped. However, if even that feels too heavy, hydrating or moisturizing for your fine hair. Then I’d recommend the Innersense Pure Harmony Hairbath. Both are really concentrated, so you only need a small amount, applied to soaking wet hair. If you feel you need more product, or more lather, try adding more water. But if both of those shampoos feel too lightweight or drying on the hair, then you may be better off with the Flora + Curl Rose Water Cream Shampoo which is more creamy and hydrating.
- Budget: Giovanni Smooth As Silk Shampoo – CURLMAVEN for 21% off, often found in TK Maxx
- Affordable: Flora + Curl Rose Water Cream Shampoo – CURLMAVEN for 21% off
- Best: Bounce Curl Clarifying Shampoo – CURLMAVEN for 10% off the Bounce Curl website in the USA, Curl Warehouse in Canada, Kiyo Beauty in the UK or Luia in Ireland/EU – who ship worldwide.
Conditioner:
If you’ve got fine, low density, loose wavy or curly hair that gets easily weighed down. Then the best conditioner is the Innersense Pure Inspiration Conditioner. But if you have dry, highlighted or high density hair – so fine hair but a lot of it. Or you just find the Pure Inspiration isn’t hydrating, moisturizing or detangling enough. Then you may be better off with the Innersense Color Radiance Conditioner. It’s a little richer, a little more hydrating and contains a more protein than the Pure Inspiration. Flora + Curl is a great affordable option. But Giovanni is the only budget range I’ve found that has good quality ingredients, and contains protein. It’s almost impossible to find that combination for a budget price. One litre bottles of the Giovanni Shampoo + Conditioner are often in TK Maxx too.
- Budget: Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner – CURLMAVEN for 20% off, often found in TK Maxx
- Affordable: Flora + Curl Rose Water Cream Conditioner – CURLMAVEN for 20% off, often found in TK Maxx
- Best: Innersense Pure Inspiration Conditioner – CURLMAVEN for 15% off the Innersense US site. Or 20% off their Irish website or Cult Beauty in the UK who offer FREE worldwide shipping.
Application Tip: Apply a small amount of conditioner to soaking wet hair, from the ends up to about an inch away from the roots. If you think you need more product or slip, add more water.
Deep Conditioner:
Deep conditioning isn’t something you need to focus on massively if you have fine hair. As it can become so easily over-moisturized and weighed down. However, if you feel like your hair needs a little TLC after clarifying or colour. And/or leaving your regular conditioner for a little longer than usual just isn’t cutting it. Then I recommend deep conditioning for a minimum of 10 mins, but no longer than 20-30 mins if you’ve got fine wavy or curly hair. For ultra lightweight hydration, choose the protein-free Bounce Curl Ayurvedic Deep Conditioner.
For a lightweight hair mask that hydrating, but contains protein choose the Innersense Organic Beauty Hydrating Hair Mask. If you have fine hair that is limp and lifeless, lacking volume, definition and not holding a wave or a curl. Then you absolutely need to incorporate protein into your routine! I highly recommend incorporating the Joico Deep Penetrating Reconstructor regularly into your routine. Read this article to find out how.
- Protein-Free: Bounce Curl Ayurvedic Deep Conditioner – CURLMAVEN for 10% off the Bounce Curl website in the USA, Curl Warehouse in Canada, Kiyo Beauty in the UK or Luia in Ireland/EU.
- Lightweight + Balanced: Innersense Organic Beauty Hydrating Hair Mask – CURLMAVEN for 15% off the Innersense US site. Or 20% off their Irish website or Cult Beauty in the UK who offer FREE shipping worldwide.
- Best Protein-Rich: Joico Deep PenetratIng Reconstructor – CURLMAVEN for 21% off at LOOKFANTASTIC
How to put it all together
Once you’ve got your products, read my Washday Workbook for all my best tips, tricks and techniques to get the best results from your products on washday. It features many of the tips and advice I give in my Curl Clinics. And if you haven’t read the previous blog posts on this series on fine wavy and curly hair, I highly recommend you do. Here’s 10 Things You Shouldn’t Do If You Have Fine Hair, and here’s the 10 Things You Should Do If You Have Fine Hair.
Important!
Although this post is aimed to help you find the best hair products for fine wavy and curly hair. It all about trial and error; patience, persistence and consistency. You need to try a product for at least 2-3 weeks to know if it’s making a difference or working for your hair. And that’s just to see any signs of improvement! It takes 4-6 weeks or sometimes more, to see more long-lasting improvement. Depending on how healthy/damaged your hair is. You simply cannot tell from one wash day! But most importantly, if you want consistent results, you have to have a consistent routine! You cannot keep switching up your products and somehow expect your hair to look amazing every time.
Did you like this product recommendations post?
So that completes the best washday products for fine wavy + curly hair product recommendations post, and third in the fine hair series. What did you think? Have I introduced you to any new products that you want to try? Are there any products or brands I haven’t mentioned, but you have found work really well for your fine wavy and curly hair? Or have I listed some products that just don’t work for you? Let me know in the comments below.
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*This article may contain some gifted items and affiliated links and discount codes. This doesn’t effect my opinion or the way in which I write about products featured on this site.
