Reviewed by Tara Sullivan · Updated October 2026 · 9 min read
Pureology is a colour-care brand first, and only two of its lines are built for fine hair: Pure Volume and Hydrate Sheer. Pure Volume is the brand's volume pick for flat, fine, coloured hair, but it has the weakest reviews in the range. Hydrate Sheer is the one fine-haired readers with dry ends tend to keep buying.
Pureology has no product for thinning hair or the scalp that we could find. Below is what each relevant line does, which ones are too heavy for fine strands, and when to buy something else.
two tall purple-toned shampoo and conditioner bottles on a pale bathroom shelf, soft daylight
This guide is independent and unpaid. Pureology's own site was not reachable when we checked, so product names, claims, 9 oz prices and review ratings come from Ulta's product pages in October 2026.
From the editor
Pureology is the brand colourists send clients home with, because it was built to keep colour from fading. That is a real strength on highlighted fine hair.
But colour care and volume pull in different directions. Most of the range adds moisture and slip, and fine hair only needs a little of either.
MH
— Megan Holloway, Editor-in-Chief
The short verdict
Fine, coloured hair that goes flat: Pure Volume, with its conditioner, and never the shampoo on its own. Fine, coloured hair that feels dry: Hydrate Sheer, the better-reviewed of the two.
Skip Strength Cure, Nanoworks Gold and the original Hydrate unless your ends are badly damaged, and do not buy Pureology to treat thinning. Nothing in the range claims to.
Pureology lines for fine hair, compared
Every Pureology shampoo is sulfate-free and vegan, and each carries the brand's AntiFade Complex, a blend of sunflower seed, a UV filter and vitamin E aimed at slowing colour fade. What changes from line to line is how much moisture and weight comes with it.
Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo bottle, product packshot on white
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Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo
Pureology's volume shampoo, described as lightweight and made to enhance volume in "flat, fine, color-treated hair". Wheat protein and eucalyptus leaf extract are the named ingredients, and the brand says it also deep-cleanses build-up.
Price: $39 for 9 oz at Ulta. Honest limitation: it is rated 3.6 out of 5 from more than 770 Ulta reviews, the lowest of the lines we checked, and the common complaint is that it leaves fine hair dry and tangled. Use the matching conditioner on the lengths.
Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo bottle, product packshot on white
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Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo
A sulfate-free and silicone-free shampoo that Pureology says "hydrates fine dry, color-treated hair", with jojoba, green tea and sage. It is the lighter sibling of the original Hydrate.
Price: $39 for 9 oz at Ulta, rated 4.2 out of 5 from more than 1,100 reviews. Honest limitation: some fine-haired reviewers find the shampoo and conditioner together too much, so try the conditioner on the ends only.
Pureology Color Fanatic leave-in conditioner spray bottle, product packshot on white
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Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Conditioner Spray
A detangling, heat-protecting leave-in spray with coconut and olive oils. Pureology's directions for fine hair are to apply it in the shower and detangle, rather than leave the full dose in.
Best for: coloured fine hair that tangles. Honest limitation: the oils mean a few sprays to the ends is plenty. It is our colour-treated pick in the best leave-in conditioner for fine hair.
The Pureology lines that are too heavy for fine hair
Nanoworks Gold is the brand's most expensive line, sold for very dry, tired, coloured hair with marula oil. On fine hair it is likely to weigh the roots down. The original Hydrate is the richer version of Hydrate Sheer, made for dry hair rather than fine hair.
Strength Cure is for damage, built on Keravis and astaxanthin. It can help bleached fine ends, but nothing in its copy is aimed at fine hair. Smooth Perfection has been discontinued and replaced by Smooth Gloss, an anti-frizz line that will make fine hair sleeker and flatter.
Pureology styling for volume
There are two volume stylers. On the Rise Root Lifting Mousse is a medium-control spray mousse, and Pureology itself suggests pairing it with its lighter shampoos for finer hair. Weightless Volume Mousse has mixed reviews, with some fine-haired users finding it drying.
It is safe on thinning hair, and Pure Volume can make what you have look a little fuller. But we found no Pureology product for thinning hair or the scalp. Its copy says eucalyptus "supports hair follicles", which is cosmetic wording, not a claim to slow shedding.
The scent, the price and the sulfate-free question
Pureology says each formula contains less than 1% synthetic fragrance, but the scent is strong and reviewers either love it or find it heavy. If your scalp reacts to fragrance, that alone is a reason to choose another brand.
At about $39 for 9 oz, it is a premium price. Pureology says a bottle of Pure Volume lasts 75 or more washes; use a quarter-sized amount on the scalp only and that is realistic. Sulfate-free matters most for colour, and our best shampoo for fine colour-treated hair compares cheaper options.
How to use Pureology on fine hair
Shampoo the scalp only and let the rinse clean the lengths, because the volume formula can rough up dry ends. Condition from the ears down, and clarify every couple of weeks if the roots start to look flat.
If you are colouring fine hair at home or in the salon, how to make colour last on fine hair covers the habits that matter more than any shampoo.
FAQ
Pure Volume for fine, coloured hair that goes flat, and Hydrate Sheer for fine, coloured hair that feels dry. Hydrate Sheer is the better reviewed of the two at Ulta, rated 4.2 out of 5 against 3.6 for Pure Volume.
It is safe to use and Pure Volume can make thinning hair look a little fuller, but we found no Pureology product designed for thinning hair or the scalp, and the brand makes no claim to slow shedding.
It is designed for flat, fine, coloured hair, but the most common complaint in reviews is that it leaves fine hair dry and tangled. Use it on the scalp only and always follow with the Pure Volume conditioner.
Yes. Pureology describes it as a lightweight, sulfate-free and silicone-free shampoo for fine, dry, coloured hair. A few fine-haired reviewers find the pair too moisturising, so keep the conditioner on the ends.
Yes. Pureology describes its shampoos as sulfate-free and vegan, and each carries its AntiFade Complex for colour protection.
Hydrate Sheer is described as silicone-free. Check the label of other lines; on fine hair, a clarifying wash every couple of weeks keeps any conditioning film from building up.
It is a salon colour-care brand owned by L’Oréal, priced at about $39 for 9 oz. Pureology says a bottle of Pure Volume lasts more than 75 washes, which brings the per-wash cost down if you use a small amount.
Names, claims, prices and ratings were checked on Ulta in October 2026, because Pureology’s own site was unavailable; formulas and prices change, so check the label before you buy. This guide is independent; Pureology did not see it or pay for it.
Images in this article are AI-generated illustrations, not photos of real clients or results. See our image policy.
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