Best Products for Fine Wavy Hair | Our Top 6 Picks

Fine, wavy hair needs products that boost volume, enhance waves, and deliver enough moisture to prevent frizz. If you have this unique hair type, we’ve got a list of the best products for fine wavy hair just for you!

What Hair Type Is Fine and Wavy?

Fine, wavy hair is considered type 2A. Type 2 hair is always wavy, with 2A being fine and very slightly wavy and 2C being the coarsest, waviest type. If you have 2A hair, it will have the following characteristics: 

• Hair strands are fine (thinner than a thread)
• Waves are slight and inconsistent
• Gets oily at the roots quickly
• May look straight when wet
• Waves tend to fall out without product
• Gets frizzy when dry

Having type 2A hair is special and there are a lot of things to love about this hair type. It’s lightweight, has a little natural texture perfect for beachy air dried styles, and feels oh-so-soft to the touch. 

But because it’s both fine and wavy, it can be a challenge to find the right products for 2A hair. The most popular wave- and curl-enhancing products are usually too heavy to use on fine, wavy hair. 

No worries! We’ve found a list of products that are specially formulated just for your hair type and trust us – these make all the difference. Keep reading to learn about the products you should use for fine wavy hair and see our top picks!

Read Next: Take Our Hair Type Quiz

What Can I Use for Fine Wavy Hair?

Wondering what kinds of products are okay to use on fine wavy hair? We’ve got you covered! Fine, wavy hair really only needs 3 things to look and feel its best:

• Volume
• Lightweight moisture
• Wave definition 

If you can get products that help boost volume, deliver lightweight moisture, and offer a little wave-enhancing definition, your hair will look and feel better than ever. 

Volume makes fine, wavy hair look fuller and thicker at the roots. Extra volume gives you additional height at the roots to give you that fresh-from-the-salon look anytime you want.

And plenty of root volume creates a nice base for fine waves, making them bouncier with lots of movement. Boosting volume is an easy way to make any hairstyle more flattering for your face shape, too! 

Look for volumizing products that cover every step of your hair care routine. Volumizing products don’t contain heavy ingredients because they’re all about creating lift. When in doubt, choose a product labeled volumizing. It’s sure to be a good fit for your fine and wavy hair. 

• Shampoo
• Mousse
• Texturizing sprays
• Dry shampoo

Lightweight moisture is another key thing to look for in hair products for fine wavy hair. Your hair type needs moisture (even if it tends to get oily fast) to avoid frizzy waves and brittle texture that breaks off easily.

But intensive moisturizers are best left to medium and coarse hair types. For fine, wavy hair, you need the airiest, most lightweight moisture possible. Since your hair type isn’t usually chronically dry, you likely only need conditioner to get all the moisture your hair needs.

If you struggle with frizz, you may need a lightly moisturizing anti-frizz serum. Look for conditioning products that are thinner and offer lighter hydration. Avoid heavy creams and oils that will only weigh your fine hair down.

Apply conditioner only to your ends or midshaft to ends if your roots insist on getting greasy soon after washing! 

• Conditioner
• Anti-frizz serum

Wave definition is essential for type 2A fine, wavy hair. Your waves aren’t as prominent as type 2B or 2C hair, so you need to use specially formulated products (usually mousse) to bring out your waves without weighing them down in the process. 

Look for lightweight volumizing wave-enhancing products that promise a beachy look (typically products that contain sea salt) or are labeled as texturizing or volumizing. These lighter products will enhance your waves and help bring out that natural wave pattern a little more.   

• Mousse
• Lightweight gels and creams

6 Best Products for Fine Wavy Hair

Hair that is fine and wavy benefits from lightweight, airy moisturizing products that eliminate frizz and hydrate waves.

It all starts with getting a gentle-yet-deep clean with the right shampoo, hydrating with lightweight conditioner, and using the right weightless volumizing products to achieve extra lift at your roots and support maximum wave formation. 

Once you know the best shampoo, conditioner, volumizing mousse, root lifting spray, dry shampoo, and anti-frizz serum for fine, wavy hair, you’ll be all set for great hair days. Here’s a look at our favorite products for fine wavy hair! 

1. Best Shampoo for Fine Wavy Hair

Pros

• Delivers lightweight moisture to strands
• Balances scalp pH for better hair health
• Apple cider vinegar deep-cleans to remove buildup
• Doesn’t smell as bad as pure ACV
• Adds volume and lift to oily hair

Cons

• Can be drying if you don’t have oily or combination hair
• More expensive than doing a pure ACV rinse

Fine wavy hair loves Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Shampoo for cleansing and buildup removal.

This lightweight, oil-busting shampoo packs all the benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV) into a thicker, creamier formula without the harsh, offensive smell of vinegar. And it is the bomb dot com if you have a fine hair texture with waves.

This natural formula balances the pH of your hair and scalp to leave you with strong, shiny, clarified hair that is free from dirt, oil, and product buildup.

Since you probably use a laundry list of hair products in your fine wavy hair, you need a powerful cleanser like this to get rid of buildup without stripping your hair bare of nourishing natural oils. You’ll notice your hair looks and feels lifted, totally clean, and invigorated after using this shampoo.

Scalp flakes, frizz, tangles, and excess oil production should taper off when you work this ACV-powered shampoo into your regular hair care routine. The result: Deep-cleaned, buildup-free waves with extra volume and shine!

2. Best Conditioner for Fine Wavy Hair

Pros

• Lightweight formula for fine or oily hair
• Made with nutrient-rich coconut water and coconut oil
• Leaves your waves soft, detangled, and silky-smooth
• Brings out wave pattern for better air dried texture

Cons

• Can be heavy on baby-fine roots
• Contains dimethicone, which can lead to buildup

Conditioning fine wavy hair is where it gets tricky. Your hair type (2A) needs a special, lightweight conditioner that won’t weigh down fine strands and mute your natural waves. That’s why OGX Weightless Hydration + Coconut Water Conditioner is our top pick for fine wavy hair.

This airy conditioner won’t coat your fine hair in heavy silicones and oils like many others. Instead, the formula contains nourishing coconut water that actually penetrates deep into strands for longer-lasting, non-greasy moisture.

A tiny bit of coconut oil in the formula helps seal all that moisture in without leaving your hair oily. It’s called Weightless Hydration and the name is spot on.

You’ll be able to apply this conditioner to your roots without worrying they’ll go flat. And it leaves your mane so soft, detangled, and silky that you’ll wonder why you haven’t been using it for years.

3. Best Volumizing Mousse for Fine Wavy Hair

Pros 

• Lightweight volume won’t flatten fine waves
• Offers heat protection
• Apply to wet, damp, or dry hair
• Medium hold for soft, touchable wavy styles

Cons

• Not ideal for styles that require firm hold

Honey, you haven’t seen volume until you’ve tried Biolage Styling Whipped Volume Mousse. A tiny bit of this airy foam goes a long way in fine, wavy strands and really helps 2A hair achieve better lift and brings out the slight wave pattern.

Say no to crunchy, hard waves from heavy gels meant for coarser hair. Your fine, 2A hair needs this gentle lightweight formula to give your waves extra support and lift. 

Since fine wavy hair tends to have a very slight and inconsistent wave, using this mousse is key to bringing your waves out full-force and getting better results without heat styling.

But it works great in combination with heat-styling, too – especially since it has heat protection built in! This bodifying, medium hold formula will give your hair “style memory” so your natural waves, blowout, or heat-styled curls will last all day. 

Apply this whipped mousse to wet, damp, or dry hair to get a quick volume boost without weighing your fine, wavy strands down.

4. Best Root Lifting Spray for Fine Wavy Hair

Pros 

• Lifts wavy hair at the root for more volume and body
• Won’t weigh down fine or oily hair
• Offers heat protection 
• Easy-to-use spray for targeted application

Cons

• Don’t apply too much or roots will feel stiff

If foamy mousse isn’t your thing, or if you’re looking to layer volumizing products for maximum lift, you should try Color Wow Raise the Root Thicken + Lift Spray.

It’s a unique hair product that works like lightweight scaffolding for your fine waves. This root lift spray gives fine hair enough texture and grit to achieve extra height and volume without feeling gritty or powdery in your hair. 

As Color Wow puts it, “Raise the Root acts like a ‘spring’ at your roots to create bouncy, touchable volume.” And y’all, it really does give you incredible root lift and volume.

Plus, it offers heat protection so you can safely use your curling iron or wand to touch up waves after using it! It won’t interfere with your waves (or really do much for them at all), but if your flat, limp 2A roots are getting you down, this is the solution.

We really love this lifting root spray for oily hair that struggles to achieve lift. If all your fine waves are missing is a little oomph up top, try this spray and see the difference!

5. Best Dry Shampoo for Fine Wavy Hair

Pros 

• Absorbs oil and odor for a refreshed, clean scalp
• Boosts volume and body with soft texture
• Leaves no white residue behind
• Pleasant cooling sensation
• Sprays a fine, even mist of powder

Cons

• Pricier than typical drugstore dry shampoos
• A little goes a long way – don’t use too much

Deliver a lightweight mist of fine, oil-absorbing rice powder straight to your roots and strands with Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. It’s the best dry shampoo we’ve found for fine, wavy hair that needs a bit of a refresh. 

Natural rice starch is the oil-absorbing component of this luxe dry shampoo. This starchy powder has a fine texture and won’t leave a white, heavy residue in your hair. That means it won’t compete with other volumizing products you use and won’t give you the baby-powdered look.

While some dry shampoos shoot out in an irregular, clotty spray, this one delivers a super-fine mist that evenly disperses for lightweight oil absorption where you need it.

There’s no talc or aluminum in this gentle formula so you can feel good about putting it in your type 2A hair. We haven’t even talked about the cooling sensation it gives your scalp (which is awesome).

It also contains the superfruit Sea Buckthorn Berry to nourish your hair and scalp with vitamins and nutrients every time you use it. 

If you’ve been using a cheaper dry shampoo with “meh” results, trust us. It’s worth the extra cost to grab this dry shampoo formulated just for your hair type! You’ll see and feel the difference right away.

6. Best Anti-Frizz Serum for Fine Wavy Hair

Pros

• Minimizes frizz and flyaways for less-messy waves
• Makes air-dried waves soft and shiny
• Lightweight enough for fine hair 
• A little goes a long way

Cons

• May be too heavy to use on roots
• Contains argan oil, which can be heavy on fine hair

Frizz can be a problem for fine, wavy hair, especially if you tend to get oily fast and skimp on moisturizing products. If frizz is becoming a tired battle for you, end it with Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Anti-Frizz Serum.

This is our favorite frizz-fighting formula for fine hair. It won’t make your hair greasy or weigh your waves down. This formula works on even baby-fine hair (when used in small amounts).

Once you find the sweet spot of how much of this serum to use, it’s a game-changer for fine, wavy hair. When you use it, you’ll notice less frizz and flyaways, fewer tangles and snags, and more shine.

Hair feels touchably soft and velvety-smooth when you use this anti-frizz serum on damp hair after cleansing. 

Just don’t overdo it – it does contain argan oil, which can weigh down your roots if you use too much. A tiny drop is all you need. Rub it between your palms and smooth onto any frizzy areas to see the difference!

Frequently Asked Questions

Got some questions about fine, wavy hair (type 2A)? Find answers to the most frequently asked questions below. 

How do you make thin wavy hair look good? 

If you have hair that is not only fine and wavy, but also thin, two simple things will change your relationship with your hair: Boosting volume and perfecting air drying techniques. 

Extra volume raises the roots of your hair to create the illusion of thick, full hair. We’ve included several products on our list to help with volume in fine wavy hair – take a look and see which products you can work into your hair care routine! 

Perfecting your air dry technique will also help thin wavy hair look good. Type 2A hair tends to have a very slight wave, so air drying your hair in protective hairstyles overnight can give you some extra wave and bend for better-looking tresses the next day. 

Is fine hair the same thing as thin hair?

Fine hair and thin hair are two different things. Fine hair means each individual strand is thinner than a thread in circumference. Thin hair means there are fewer hairs on the head overall. Scalp visibility is common with thin hair.

Fine hair can be thin and sparse, medium density, or very dense and thick. If you’re dealing with fine hair, that’s just part of having type 2A hair!

If you’re dealing with thin hair, you should use a hair growth supplement like Folexin to encourage denser, thicker hair with more scalp coverage and increased hair count. 

How can I improve my 2A hair?

If you’re not getting the results you want with your 2A hair, make some simple routine and product changes to improve your hair.

Some of the easiest changes to start with are switching to a more lightweight conditioner, volumizing products, and sleeping in overnight protective styles that will enhance your fine waves. Lightweight moisture will prevent your waves from being weighed down with product.

If your hair gets oily fast, switching to a lighter conditioner will prevent your roots from swimming in grease an hour after you shower. Volumizing products will give you more lift at the roots, which makes your hair look thicker and healthier.

Sleeping in protective hairstyles overnight (like braids, buns, and twists) will help enhance and bring out your natural waves without damaging your hair with hot tools. Make these 3 simple changes and see how much your fine, wavy hair improves!  

How often should you wash fine wavy hair?

Fine, wavy hair should be washed every 2-3 days, depending on how quickly it starts to look greasy. The longer you can go between washes with this hair type, the better.

Washing strips your scalp’s nourishing natural oils away from strands, leading to frizz and a vicious cycle of chronic dryness/oiliness. 

We recommend using a little dry shampoo (like the Amika Perk Up dry shampoo on our list) to keep fine, wavy hair looking clean and smelling fresh in between wash days. 

Should you air dry fine wavy hair?

You should air dry fine, wavy hair anytime you have the opportunity. If you’re not in a rush to get out the door, air drying is always the healthier, less-damaging option for your hair type.

Fine hair is more susceptible to heat damage than medium or coarse textures. And since you have natural waves (however slight they may be), your hair type is perfect for trying air-dried hairstyles and overnight styles to create next-day waves or curls.

Check out 10 air-dried styles to try here: Heatless Curls | 10 Ways to Create Gorgeous Curls That Last.  

Things to Consider

Fine, wavy hair is one of the easiest hair types to care for, but it does require some special attention and products to look and feel its best. Your fine hair can’t handle a lot of heavy moisturizers or smoothing silicones.

So you’ll need to find products formulated for finer hair to avoid flattening out your roots and weighing down your waves. Here’s what you should keep in mind to make the most of your fine and wavy 2A hair! 

• Say no to heavy moisturizers. Ever since the Curly Girl Method became popular, women with any trace of wave or curl in their hair have been experimenting with intensely moisturizing products to bring out that natural wave or curl pattern. But with your fine texture, these products will only make your hair flat and greasy. Use lightweight moisturizers instead – you likely only need conditioner to keep your hair perfectly hydrated and frizz-free. 
• Pay special attention to your roots. Your fine hair may look thin, even if you have a lot of it. Focusing on root-volumizing products will give you lift and height at the roots that is both flattering and beneficial for waves. Lifted roots give wavy hair more movement and help keep your wave-enhancing products from weighing your hair down. 
• Clarify once every 2-4 weeks. If you’re not used to using a range of hair products to enhance your waves and boost volume, adding new products to your routine can result in some buildup that makes your fine hair look dull or weighed down. Clarify your hair with a clarifying shampoo – or even better, an all-natural ACV rinse – to get rid of buildup and restore your hair’s bouncy, fine feel. 
• Air dry whenever possible. Air drying is excellent for fine, wavy hair like yours. Since your hair is fine, it’s more susceptible to damage from hot tools. You’ve got natural waves, so rock those air-dried bends proudly (with a little volumizing mousse and a shot of texturizing spray or dry shampoo) whenever you can. It’s better for your hair and requires a lot less effort. 

So, What’re the Best Products for Fine Wavy Hair?

Once you’ve found products (like the ones on our list) that work for your hair type, the transformation that follows is amazing.

If you’ve been using the wrong products, you’ll soon see that it wasn’t your hair that was the problem – the products just weren’t the right fit.

When you make the switch to lightweight, volumizing products that deliver just enough moisture to keep frizz at bay, you’ll see what’s so special about 2A fine, wavy hair.

Soft, natural, and mermaid-esque, your fine waves are beautiful and will really blossom once you’re working with the right products.