The Best Sulfate Free Shampoo for Fine Hair

When you have delicate or fragile hair, you’re often faced with choosing hair products to help promote volume and growth without causing further damage. This means that you have to choose shampoos and conditioners that do not have harmful chemicals like parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or silicones. All of these chemicals have harmful effects on the hair, and in this article, we will discuss the best sulfate-free alternatives for your hair care routine..

What Are Sulfates?

Sulfate is the product of sulfuric acid that is formed when it comes in contact with other chemicals. It is often found in cleaning and personal care items and is normally derived from plants and petroleum. They are so widely used in shampoos because they create the lathering effect that many people equate to cleanliness. Rich lathers also give that “luxe” feeling many people enjoy as they shampoo their hair, but other cleaner ingredients can be used to create the same effect, which we will discuss further in the article.

Why Should Sulfates Be Avoided?

In recent years, sulfates have been getting a bad rap because of the various health concerns many people have about them. Because it is a form of salt, it creates many problems for the hair and scalp, especially for those who already have fine, thinning, or fragile textures. Here are some of the reasons many skin experts, hair stylists, and even dermatologists recommend avoiding sulfates.

Avoid Skin Sensitivities

Sulfates tend to dry out the skin of its natural minerals and oils. As a result, it can lead to flare-ups and irritation, especially if you are already dealing with sensitive skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis. Sulfates will cause redness, itching, and even cracking if you use products containing them. Our suggestion? Avoid them altogether and spare yourself the discomfort.

Sulfates Have Color-Stripping Properties

If you color your hair, the dyes add a bit of stress to the hair, requiring careful and diligent care to avoid extensive damage. The shampoo you choose must be gentle to preserve the health of your hair and its color. This also applies to those who frequently style their hair with hot tools like straighteners. The damage caused by hot tools combined with sulfates will leave your hair in a desperate state, especially if you already have fine or thinning hair. It surely will not add to the volume or growth of your hair.

They Dry Out Hair

You know that dry feeling you get on your skin after spending some time swimming in the ocean? The high salt content in the ocean water creates that feeling. While it isn’t harmful after one day of that kind of salt exposure, washing your skin or hair with salt-infused ingredients will have harmful effects down the line. Sulfates are even more damaging than the naturally occurring salt in the ocean. Sulfates will dry out the scalp and tighten the hair follicles, which will translate to a dry hair complexion that is void of its previous shine and luster.

Sulfates Damage Hair Textures

Because of the drying effect of sulfates, your hair’s texture will look dry, frizzy, brittle, and even fragile. It will cause the hair to thin out even more due to the dry scalp and dry, broken strands. If you want to consistently look your best, avoid sulfates as much as possible. This step alone will help maintain your hair’s natural texture in optimal condition.

Finding Alternatives for Sulfates

Knowing what we know now about sulfates, it is safe to conclude that we should do what we can to avoid them in our shampoos. So how does one go about doing so? Below, we provide two basic tips for finding a safer, sulfate free alternative for your shampooing needs.

Avoid Being Duped

When reading the ingredient listing on a shampoo bottle; you might not find sulfates listed and assume that you’re getting a sulfate free product. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes sulfates are disguised in compounds that are even harsher than sulfates in their original form. Watch out for cocamide DEA, cocamide MEA, propylene glycol, PEG, PEG8, and cocamidopropyl betaine, which are just as harmful as sulfates.

Choose These Safer Ingredients

Alternatives to sulfates come from safer plant extracts that gently clean the hair. Look for glucosides, taurates, fatty acid isethionates, glutamates, and amino acid sulfosuccinates. Stick to plant-based, vegan, and cruelty-free products, you will have a better chance of landing a great shampoo that won’t destroy your hair.

14 Best Sulfate Free Shampoos

Now that we know what sulfates are, why they are harmful, and how to choose a product without sulfate content, we can focus our attention on choosing healthy and clean shampoos. We rounded up the 14 best sulfate free shampoos for fine hair to help simplify your search. The brands and prices of these shampoos vary, but they have one thing in common. All of these shampoos are free of sulfates and animal ingredients and offer some of the best cleansing treatments for hair.

1. Blu Atlas Invigorating & Strengthening Shampoo

One of the best and most effective sulfate-free shampoos is the Invigorating and Strengthening Shampoo by Blu Atlas. This shampoo is a gentle blend of plant-based minerals, fruits, and plants like saw palmetto, vegan biotin, aloe, and jojoba oil. This shampoo has no trace of sulfates, parabens, or phthalates, and its vegan formulation provides one of the cleanest products to the hair care industry.

As you massage the shampoo into the scalp, it will foam into a gentle lather that will wash away all impurities, revealing a shiny and hydrated hair complexion. The lather is made with surfactants derived from coconuts that are full of nourishment and hydration. This shampoo is also full of fortifying ingredients like jojoba oil and saw palmetto, which works well to add strength and reverse hair loss. It comes in two different scents and is one of the best sulfate-free shampoos for fine hair.

2. Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Shampoo

Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Shampoo is another excellent shampoo for fine hair as it is sulfate-free and full of volume-boosting properties. The plants used in the ingredient formulation include mung bean, curcumin, and red clover. Together, these ingredients infuse the hair with anti-inflammatory and strengthening properties that allow the hair to grow at a faster and healthier rate.

In just a short amount of time, this shampoo will transform the look and feel of your fine hair into a luscious and thick volume. Fine hair is usually prone to fallout, so we’re impressed with the red clover in this shampoo which is a natural inhibitor of DHT, the hormone primarily responsible for hair loss. This shampoo is clean and safe for fragile, color-treated hair and sensitive skin types and is one of the best for fine hair.

3. Lolavie Restorative Shampoo

Sometimes fine hair just needs an extra dose of moisture to restore its voluminous and shiny hair. Lolavie Restorative Shampoo features a moisture-boosting and fortifying shampoo that will promote health, vitality, and volume for otherwise fine or brittle hair. Within the formulation, vegetable ceramides will lock in the hair’s moisture, giving it a silky and soft texture.

There is also a healthy helping of botanical extracts, niacinamide, and biotin, which repair the damage and hydrate and cleanse the hair. All of these restorative nutrients are provided to the hair without the addition of sulfates which would essentially cancel out their benefits. This shampoo is also vegan, color safe, and suitable for all hair types.

4. Crisan Extreme Hair Strengthening Shampoo

One of the most impressive hair brands on the market is Crisan. This brand produces some of the best shampoos with essential oils and plant-based ingredients. The Extreme Hair Strengthening Shampoo is made with 55 vital oils and none of them have sulfates. The oils you can expect to find in this formulation are all organic, like virgin coconut, olive, argan, jojoba, and oats, among many others.

It is a powerful fortifying cleanser that removes dirt and grime, and tames rough textures. With the help of this shampoo, you will discover a renewed volume and a shiny complexion of your hair. Hair fallout and thinning will be a thing of the past with Crisan Extreme Hair Strengthening Shampoo, and you will feel more confident about your appearance than ever before.

5. Nutrafol Root Purifier Shampoo

A healthy hair complexion starts with a healthy foundation of nourished hair follicles and a moisturized scalp. Only then will your hair grow in a beautiful volume and luxurious texture. These hair dreams will become true with Nutrafol Root Purifier Shampoo, a deep cleansing and hydrating shampoo. It will gently purify the scalp and remove any dirt and excess oil that seems to look amplified on a fine hair texture. Each follicle will be infused with fortifying strength to encourage stronger and healthier growth. The oils will be perfectly balanced, and your hair will feel light, clean, and thick.

This physician-formulated shampoo is made with plant-based ingredients that are free of sulfates, parabens, and animal derivatives. Australian wild berries, vegan proteins, and prebiotics contribute to this shampoo’s nourishment and fortifying strength. With these nutrients, Nutrafol Root Purifier Shampoo is one of the best sulfate-free shampoos.

6. Fekkai Brilliant Gloss Shampoo

There’s nothing like a brilliantly shiny, silky, and voluminous head of hair. But with fine and dull-looking hair, that silky mane can seem like a faraway dream. Well, with Fekkai Brilliant Gloss Shampoo, you can experience the transformation you hope for due to the clean and nutritious formulation. This shampoo will revive dull hair with hydration and nourishment. It will eliminate the frizz and add an irresistible softness and shine.

This shampoo is unique and effective because of Fekkai’s proprietary complexes like Environmental Protection Complex, Specialty Rice Protein, and Edelweiss Flower Extract. These three shampoo elements protect the hair against heat, environmental stressors, and pollutants that damage the hair.

The cold-pressed olive oil and other plant ingredients will gently clean the hair and infuse it with the luxurious shine and softness that will starkly contrast with the previously flat and dry hair. All of these benefits are delivered with a nourishing shampoo that is devoid of sulfates and other harsh ingredients.

7. Augustinus Bader Shampoo

A shampoo that will never fail to disappoint us with its sulfate-free formulation is Augustinus Bader Shampoo. Indeed, there is no shampoo like this one because it is made with a unique TFC8 technology. This technology is designed with vitamin B5 and botanical extracts that will penetrate deep into the scalp and hair.

It will stimulate and invigorate the hair to naturally lift and appear more voluminous and hydrated. The Augustinus Bader Shampoo is a clean product made of sustainable practices and vegan ingredients. It is free of all harsh ingredients and is one of the best sulfate-free shampoos on the market.

8. Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Hair Fall Shampoo

If your hair is fine and continuing to lose volume to hair loss, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Anti-Hair Fall Shampoo may be just the thing to bring your hair some much-needed therapy. This shampoo is made with a gentle cocktail of botanicals, including camellia extract, larch extract, sunflower sprouts, and tara extract.

The plentiful nutrients provided by these three main ingredients provide the hair with extra strength and reduce the breakage found in each hair strand. As a result, hair fall will be reversed, and you will get to experience a healthier growth rate of your hair. We also like the cationic hyaluronic acid in this shampoo as it plays the important role of boosting the hair’s hydration and locating it in. With generous amounts of soothing properties, this shampoo supports the health of the scalp and provides a healthy foundation for increased volume and length of hair.

Overall, this shampoo is formulated with the cleanest ingredients that are vegan and free of GMOs, parabens, fragrances, and most importantly, sulfates. You can count on Dr. Barbara Sturm’s shampoo to provide you with the hair results you’ve always dreamed of achieving. It is one of the best sulfate-free shampoos for fine hair.

9. Verb Ghost Shampoo

Fine hair is a type of hair that gets weighed down easily by excess oil or incorrectly chosen products. This is a common problem because finding the right products for fine hair can be hard. Luckily, Verb Ghost Shampoo is one of the most lightweight shampoos on the market that is also free of sulfates and other harmful ingredients that would cause damage to the hair.

This shampoo’s name comes from its lightweight formulation that will provide a magically cleansing experience without leaving any residue or heavy oils on the hair that would weigh it down. It will eliminate grease and dirt while lifting it for a more volumized and softer appearance. The luxuriously nourishing formula will smooth out the frizz and allow you to look your best every day. Furthermore, this shampoo is great for colored hair as it will not strip the color.

The reason that the shampoo is so effective is because of the key ingredients in it like moringa oil, sunflower seed extract, and aloe vera. These three ingredients are a cocktail of vitamins and antioxidants that protect the hair from damage by mending split ends and sealing in any breakage. Additionally, it nourishes it to enable it to grow healthier and at a faster rate. For best results, it is recommended that you also try out the verb ghost conditioner.

10. WOW Skin Science Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo

With fine hair, most people understand that the products they choose must be lightweight. Lightweight products do not always provide the deep cleansing and conditioning treatment that the hair needs to grow. Not too many companies are able to balance these requirements that support the needs of fine hair. However, we have full faith that these expectations will be met with WOW Skin Science Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo.

This shampoo is one of the best shampoos on the market because it is full of plants that provide all the nourishment, conditioning, and cleansing your hair will require. The apple cider vinegar will help the hair detox from any environmental stressors, styling products, and heal it from breakage. It is a gentle, detoxifying shampoo that will make a transformational difference in purifying and reviving your hair for a more voluminous and shiny appearance.

When you use a shampoo like WOW Skin Science Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo on your hair, you can be confident that you are using a vegan and clean product. All the ingredients that go into the composition of the shampoo are vegan, clean of any sulfates, parabens, colors, PEG’s, and silicones. It is also a cruelty-free product that is tested by dermatologists for safety and effectiveness. Those who have fairly sensitive skin types can use this shampoo without fear as it is one of the best sulfate-free shampoos for fine hair.

11. Thank God It’s Natural Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo

It is rare when a lab produced product performs better than a naturally sourced shampoo. Thus, we emphasize on locating the best and most natural products. One of the most impressive shampoos that we came across is from Thank God It’s Natural Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo.

This shampoo is unique and effective because of its proprietary blend of ingredients that are both rich and also very gentle and lightweight. They will not strip your strands of their natural minerals and oil but help you retain the moisture that is required to protect the hair from breakage. When you use the shampoo, you will enjoy a clean and soft complexion similar to the salon quality results that normally cost a pretty penny to achieve.

The shampoo isn’t only natural—it’s also a very clean formulation that doesn’t have any parabens, sulfates, artificial colors or animal derivatives. It is also cruelty-free and consistent with plant extracts that are known for their effective use on the hair and scalp. All in all, this is a very healthy and natural option for those who have fine, brittle, or dull looking hair.

12. Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo

Every now and then, we all require a little bit of gold dust to help settle the issues that we experience. Whether they are very pressing life matters or just the ongoing hair concerns that we face, that sprinkle of gold dust can be a magical force that will turn things around.

Unfortunately, gold dust isn’t always available for us to throw around. But we do have the option of Oribe’s Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo. Oribe has long been known for its remarkably unique and effective formulation. The shampoo is a composition of three complexes that the brand uses in most of its products. It has the Oribe Signature Complex which will help protect the hair from oxidation and support the natural structure of the hair.

We are also happy to verify that this shampoo is completely free of all parabens, sulfate, and all the other destructive ingredients that could have a potentially damaging effect on your hair. Though it is slightly more expensive than the traditional shampoos, we do feel that it is worth the investment as it is undoubtedly one of the best sulfate free shampoos for fine hair.

13. Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Sulfate-Free Shampoo

This is one of the most healing shampoos on the market. The monoi oil in this shampoo plays an integral role in promoting the repairing action of hair damage like split ends, frizziness, brittleness, or dullness. When paired with the other nourishing and healing ingredients, like triglycerides, hydrolyzed silk, coconut oil, and shea butter, this shampoo will do wonders to restore your hair back to health.

With consistent use, you will notice a progressively increasing growth in your hair, simply because of the restorative treatment it gets from this shampoo. Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Sulfate-Free Shampoo is extremely helpful and beneficial for those with curly or oily hair, as these textures typically lose their moisture quicker than those with straighter hair textures.

Most importantly, it is free of all harmful ingredients like sulfates, parabens, and all the other chemicals that add stress and damage to the hair. If you’re looking for a nourishing and repairing sulfate-free shampoo, we encourage you to give Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Sulfate-Free Shampoo a try.

14. Luseta’s Marula Oil Shampoo

You have fine hair, and we have just the shampoo to help infuse it with volume and health. Check out Luseta’s Marula Oil Shampoo. This shampoo is a very unique product that will transform stringy and flat hair into a luxuriously silky and smooth texture. It will replenish and nourish each strand with the antioxidant rich Marula oil.

This blend of ingredients doesn’t contain any sulfates, parabens, alcohol, or animal derivatives that lead to damage. You can trust that the Luseta’s Marula Oil Shampoo is one of the best sulfate free shampoos for fine hair.