shampoo:
Choose a shampoo that’s right for your hair type. With so many shampoos on the market, choosing the right one is not always easy. It’s vital to add the right amount of moisture to the hair. Too much moisture and fine hair can become overloaded, and too little and dry hair will be parched.
hot water:
Any kind of heat, including hot water, can leave hair feeling dry.
When washing your hair, make sure the water temperature is in a warm setting, not hot. Remember, heat is drying for hair whether it’s from the tap, central heating, or your hairdryer. try avoiding excessive heat. shampooing in warm water is gentle and kinder to your hair.
Treat your Hair like a Delicate Fabric:
Hair is most vulnerable to breakage when wet.
If you think about your hair like your favorite silk scarf or cashmere sweater, it’s a good place to start. Chances are you wouldn’t put either in the washing machine or tumble dryer, for that matter! Hair, like cashmere and silk, loves gentle handling.
A firm but gentle approach works best when washing and drying your hair.
That’s because when hair is wet, it’s most vulnerable to breakage and, for maximum shine, the cuticle must be smooth and unbroken.
Washing hair with a gentle shampoo in warm water is the best way of preventing breakage when it’s wet.
When drying the hair, gently pat the water out of the hair with a towel. Microfiber towels are a great option for soaking up the water, and they have a smooth surface that is gentler on the hair.
The Importance of the Scalp:
Take care of your scalp to support healthy hair growth
When we think about shiny hair, it’s easy to put our focus on the hair, but the scalp plays a vital role in hair shine.
The reason for this is twofold.
First up, the scalp’s job is to grow hair. The scalp is made up of lots of follicles. Those follicles need to be clean and free of dirt for healthy hair growth.
Secondly, the scalp produces an oil called sebum. Sebum is responsible for adding moisture to the hair.
However, if we overstimulate the scalp by scrubbing it too vigorously, it’s possible that the scalp will produce too much sebum and this becomes problematic.
Excess Sebum can leave hair Dull.
The excess sebum can make hair oily at the roots, hampering shine. The oil attracts dirt from the atmosphere, leaving hair looking dull and clogging up the follicles. In turn, this can impact healthy hair growth.
So, the answer is to apply a firm but gentle massage technique when washing hair for maximum shine. Avoid scrubbing, no rubbing, just a gentle circular massage using fingertips to cleanse the scalp.
Get more information on how to improve scalp health in my blog on the subject. I share tips and ideas for getting your scalp in the best condition.
Be Conditioner Curious:
Here’s what I mean by conditioner curious.
You probably already know that if you want shiny hair you have to use a conditioner every time you wash your hair.
Conditioner is essential after every wash. However, not all conditioners are made equal.
Here’s why.
When the hair is smooth, it reflects light, resulting in shiny hair.
With regular conditioning, we can improve the overall health and texture of the hair.
If the hair retains moisture at the core and the cuticle is smooth, it locks in that moisture and reflects light for that perfect shine. That is the job of your conditioner.
The formulation of your conditioner is a factor in how well it does that job. So, if your conditioner is not delivering, it’s time to get conditioner curious and take a look at the ingredients.
I have some favorite moisture-adding, cuticle-smoothing ingredients that I recommend you look out for in your conditioner and deep conditioner.
Pro Vitamin B5:
Clinically proven to penetrate the cuticle to add moisture, I think this is the ultimate hair care ingredient. I love it so much that I include it in my shampoos, conditioners, deep-conditioning hair masks, and styling products.
Glycerin:
The perfect partner to pro-vitamin B5, glycerin attracts moisture to your hair. Again, I use it in my shampoos, conditioners, and hair masks; these products are expertly blended with pro-vitamin b5 to give the perfect moisture balance to all hair types.
Cetearyl Alcohol:
If you see this ingredient in your conditioner, you may be alarmed. Don’t be. This alcohol is anything but damaging for hair. You’ll see it in good quality skincare and with good reason. It’s a natural fat that moisturizes and conditions the skin and hair. What that means for hair is that it conditions and smooths the cuticle. Remember, we want those cuticles to be as smooth as possible for maximum shine!
Tocopherol:
Otherwise known as Vitamin E, tocopherol is another ingredient found in good quality skincare. It smooths, has deep conditioning properties, and combats environmental damage.
Avocado:
This nutritional powerhouse is not just good to eat. Packed with fatty acids, it conditions and smooths the cuticle; it contains oleic acid, which helps the hair retain moisture. Essential for shine.
Get Proactive with Moisture:
Tweak your hair care routine to get your shine on! Add a deep conditioner to your routine for your shiniest hair.
We are always going to do things that will dry for hair. Life is for living, after all!
For many of us, hair styling means using a hairdryer. Applying heat to hair is drying so think about what you can do to counterbalance the drying effects of the heat.
Leave-in conditioners such as those in my styling range, for example, are a great way of adding moisture to the hair before you apply heat.
They help to counterbalance the drying effects of heat and add moisture to hair during styling.
Plus, they reduce drying time meaning you use the hairdryer for less time.
You can also turn down the heat on the hairdryer or try styling techniques that require minimal use of the hairdryer.
Regular Deep Conditioning:
Deep Conditioner Hair Mask, Restore and Shine
Hair, just like our skin, craves regular moisture. Putting a deep conditioner at the heart of your hair care routine is one of the best ways of ensuring your hair shines brightly.
It has the same job as a conditioner, but it’s more intense. Hence the name, deep conditioner.
Getting proactive with moisture means regular deep conditioning.
Because of modern lifestyles and the amount of stuff we put our hair through, it’s vital to give hair a deep conditioning treatment once a week, every week.
Deep conditioning is your best weapon in combatting dry hair and, of course, adding hair shine.
Touching your Hair:
Touching your hair less will help to reduce dirt and dull hair.
Take some time out to think about how often you touch your hair during the day.
Probably, more than you think.
There are the absent-minded hair twirlers, the hair putter-uppers who then take it down again (sometimes several times a day) the over-brushers, and the styling perfectionists who don’t know when to stop to mention but a few.
When you think about it, it’s surprising how many times we touch our hair.
Touching our hair puts dirt in the hair. Dirt leaves hair looking dull. When we over-brush our hair or spend too much time styling it, it can lift the cuticle and, again, without a smooth cuticle, there is no shine.
You get the picture, touching our hair less frequently can help reduce dirt and damage and keep the hair looking shiny.
Frizz occurs when the cuticle is lifted and cannot retain moisture. Hair absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and this changes the pattern of the hair, resulting in frizz and loss of shine.
I’ve been working with hair for over 30 years and, in my experience, restoring moisture to hair makes the biggest difference.
The surface of the hair can be disrupted when the hair becomes dry.
Hair is shiny when the cuticle, the outer layer of hair, is smooth.
Light bounces off the smooth surface of the hair, and that’s what leaves the hair looking shiny.
The cuticle comprises lots of tiny scales, and when hair becomes dry, the scales lift.
The lifting disrupts the smooth surface of the hair, and, that’s when hair can start to look dull and lose its shine.
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