Hair care routine for fine hair

A hair care routine for fine hair has one aim: keep the roots clean and light, and keep rich products on the ends where they belong.

A note on words: "fine hair" is the phrase people search for, and our product pages say "hair that lacks volume". So we will not tell you a product is made for fine hair. We will tell you what each one does and where it goes.

What fine hair needs

The American Academy of Dermatology's hair advice starts with knowing your hair type, and three of its tips matter most here:

• Wash as often as your hair gets oily. With straight hair and an oily scalp, that can be every day.
• Shampoo the scalp, not the lengths. You wash away built-up product and oil without drying out the ends.
• If your hair is fine or straight, put conditioner on the ends only.

The routine, step by step

Step 1: shampoo at the roots

Massage a small amount into wet hair, focusing on the roots, then rinse well. Our Volume Shampoo is a light fluid that works into a rich lather and leaves hair soft, smooth and fuller-looking. It is made for hair that lacks volume, and for every wash.

One honest note: it is not sulfate-free. It contains sodium coco-sulfate alongside the plant-derived cleansers lauryl glucoside and coco-glucoside.

Step 2: conditioner on the ends only

Dermatologists advise conditioner after every shampoo, so do not skip it to keep volume. Placement is what matters: squeeze out the extra water, apply to mid-lengths and ends, wait one to two minutes, and rinse well. Keeping it off the roots keeps them light and full-looking.

Our Volume Conditioner is made for hair that lacks volume or tangles after washing. It leaves hair smooth, easy to comb and full-looking.

Step 3: a weightless leave-in, if you need one

If your comb still snags, add a mist, not a cream. Our Keratin Hair Mist has a weightless finish and is made for hair that finds leave-in creams too heavy. A few sprays on clean, damp hair, comb through, and style. See how to use leave-in conditioner spray.

Step 4: a weekly reset for flat roots

Dry shampoo and styling products settle at the roots. Our Scalp Serum is a weekly lactic-acid step that lifts away buildup, so the scalp feels fresh and hair looks fuller at the root. Part dry hair, apply to the scalp, leave for 3 to 5 minutes, rinse, then wash as usual.

It is fragrance-free, vegan and 100% natural origin, with eight ingredients. Lactic acid is an AHA, so on sunny days afterwards wear a hat or use SPF on any exposed scalp. The scrub alternative is covered in how to exfoliate your scalp.

Step 5: a mask, sparingly

A rich mask is optional in this routine. If your ends feel dry, use a mask on the ends only, once a week at most, in place of conditioner that day. The difference between the two is in hair mask vs conditioner.

Drying and styling

• Blot with a towel. Wrap and press; rubbing wet hair can damage it.
• Let straight hair dry a little before combing, then use a wide-tooth comb, ends first.
• Use low or medium heat, and less of it.

What this routine will not do

It will not change the hair you have. We do not claim that our shampoo or conditioner makes strands thicker or adds more of them. "Fuller-looking" means how hair looks when the roots are clean and nothing is weighing it down.

If you are losing more hair than usual, or seeing your scalp where you did not before, that is not a routine question. See a board-certified dermatologist.

Honest notes on our hair range

The Volume Shampoo, Volume Conditioner, Keratin Hair Mist, Keratin Hair Mask and Scalp Scrub contain hydrolyzed keratin from sheep wool, so they are not vegan. They are cruelty-free. The Scalp Serum and the Rosemary Scalp Oil are vegan.

The shampoo, conditioner and mist are scented; the Scalp Serum is the only fragrance-free step here. The whole range is in our hair collection.

Frequently asked questions

How often should you wash fine hair?

As often as it gets oily. Dermatologists say that with straight hair and an oily scalp you may want to shampoo every day. Shampoo the scalp and let the lather rinse through the lengths.

Should you use conditioner on fine hair?

Yes, after every shampoo, on the ends only. The American Academy of Dermatology gives that placement for fine or straight hair.

Do you need a leave-in conditioner for fine hair?

Only if your comb still snags after conditioner. Pick a mist over a cream. Our Keratin Hair Mist has a weightless finish and is made for hair that finds leave-in creams too heavy.

Does a volume shampoo make hair thicker?

No. Ours leaves hair soft, smooth and fuller-looking; it does not change the strands. It is about how hair looks and feels after washing.

Can you use a hair mask on fine hair?

Yes, with care: ends only, once a week at most, in place of conditioner. If your hair feels soft with conditioner alone, you can leave the mask out.

Sources

American Academy of Dermatology. Tips for healthy hair. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/hair-scalp-care/hair/healthy-hair-tips
American Academy of Dermatology. How to stop damaging your hair. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/insider/stop-damage
Product details are taken from the exokiss product pages. This article is general information, not medical advice.