15 Tips on How to Get Shiny Hair

Let’s be real, no one wants a dull, lackluster mane and this goes for any hair type. Glossy strands are a sign of healthy, well-kept hair and it illuminates your entire look. If you’re wondering how to get shiny hair trust us, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, shiny hair doesn’t always come naturally, especially when you regularly use hot tools, hair bleach and permanent hair color. 

While it may take some extra work, shiny hair is attainable when you’re armed with the right hair care regimen. That includes glossing products, like a shine-enhancing shampoo and conditioner system, a hydrating hair treatment and a color-enhancing glossing treatment. Along with that arsenal of shiny hair products, there are some practices to add to your routine and some to forgo in the name of enhancing shine. To help you make glossy strands a reality, keep scrolling for 15 tips to help you make your hair shiny and silky.

How to Get Shiny Hair

Shiny hair looks healthy, hydrated and glossy. Here are 15 ways to achieve that with your everyday hair care routine.

1. Switch to a Shine-Enhancing Hair Care System

If there’s something you want to change about your hair, swap out your shampoo and conditioner for a system that’s better suited to your hair goals. If shiny, glass hair is what you’re after, try a glossing system, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing Shampoo, pH Balanced and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing Conditioner, pH Balanced. Infused with argan oil to provide shine and hydration, this system has an anti-fade formula and a UV filter so hair looks silky, glossy and smooth

It also includes an in-shower glossing treatment, the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing In Shower Acidic Glaze, which helps to keep colored hair shiny and vibrant. First, cleanse your scalp and hair with the shampoo, then spray the in-shower glaze on wet hair and let it sit for one to three minutes, (do not rinse) and follow up with the conditioner.

2. Apply a Leave-In Treatment

While it’s true that no shiny hair care routine would be complete without shampoo and conditioner, cleansing and conditioning alone won’t make your hair appear shiny. To style your hair after washing, reach for a leave-in treatment, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free 21-in-1 Color Caring Spray, Leave In. With an impressive list of 21 benefits, this treatment leaves the hair silky and shiny, while it helps to detangle, reduce frizz and so much more. After cleansing and conditioning, spritz it through damp hair from mid-length to tips. 

3. Pamper Yourself With a Hair Mask

Dry, shiny hair is an oxymoron — if your hair is parched, it’s unlikely that it has a beautiful, glass-like shine. That’s why incorporating a hydrating hair mask into your routine is never a bad idea. With a few minutes of dedicated masking, your strands can be well on their way to shining bright. 

Gently massage a hydrating, shine-boosting hair mask, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Savior Fiber Mask, Paraben-Free, onto your hair after rinsing your shampoo. Then, give the hair mask three to five minutes to let the collagen peptides revive damage and quench your strands. After five minutes, remove and rinse to reveal hair that’s deeply hydrated and repaired.

4. Deep Condition Your Strands

Just like using a hair mask can help to repair and hydrate your strands, resulting in a shiny mane, a deep conditioner can revitalize dry, dull hair. If you notice that your hair needs some serious love, swap your conditioner for a deep conditioning treatment, like the L'Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Signature Masque, Color Care Hair Mask. This treatment works for all hair types — especially dry and color-treated hair — in just five minutes to strengthen, deeply moisturize and hydrate each strand. Say hello to silkier, softer and shinier hair after just one treatment.

5. Rinse With Lukewarm Water

Addressing dryness and its cause in your hair routine can help you find your way on the right path to shiny strands. While bleaching and hot tools are pretty obvious culprits, one that many overlook is scorching hot water. Super hot showers may be relaxing in the moment, but they’re drying out your hair and skin. turning down the dial, so the water is only lukewarm, can make a major difference in managing dryness. 

6. Shield Your Hair From the Sun

We all love spending time outdoors and while we know SPF is an absolute must, we can’t forget that our hair needs sun protection too. Toss on a broad-brimmed hat and use hair products with UV protection, such as the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Extra Strong Hold with UV filter for Color-Treated Hair, to keep your strands safe from the hot sun. 

7. Embrace Heat-Free Styling

When the goal is healthy, shiny-looking hair, it’s a good idea to skip on heat styling whenever you can. Simply put, excessive heat can take a toll on your hair, leading to dry, brittle strands — the total opposite of shiny hair. So, switch things up with the help of heatless styles and heat-free styling products, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Non-Stop Dreamy Curls Leave-in Conditioner. This creamy leave-in will bring out your natural curls while it reduces frizz and provides hydration.

If you have naturally straight hair, prep your damp strands with a hydrating leave-in, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Midnight Color Care Serum, and try overnight braids to wake up to loose waves in the morning.

8. Protect Your Hair at Night

Protecting your hair at night is another way to keep dry strands away, which can lead to shinier hair. Consider swapping out your cotton bed sheets and pillowcases for a silk or satin alternative to help your strands maintain moisture and reduce the risk of friction. You can also opt for a silk scarf to tie your hair up while you sleep.

9. Don’t Shy Away From Hair Oil or Serum

Some people stay away from hair oils due to a fear of having greasy hair and that’s totally understandable. With that said, the right hair oil or serum will absorb quickly and won’t leave behind a greasy residue. Not to mention, it’s a great product for increasing shine. Try the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Sheer Oil, a lightweight hair oil that helps to restore shine and reduce frizz.

Apply a pea-sized amount to your palm and warm the oil between your hands. apply the oil to the mid-length of your hair and down, focusing on dry, dull ends and avoiding your roots. Use hair oil on damp hair to make it easier to style or on dry hair as a finishing touch.

10. Blow Out Your Hair the Right Way

In the spirit of boosting your strands with excess shine, blowouts are a fabulous way to achieve that while increasing volume. However, since this technique is all about using heat styling tools on your strands, heat protectant is important for preserving the integrity of your hair.

Try the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Weightless Blow Dry Primer, Heat Protectant which shields wet strands from heat damage as it smooths hair, blocks humidity and seals in shine for a fresh out-of-the-salon look.

11. Use the Right Hairbrush

By now, you likely know that all brushes are not the same Using the right hairbrush can easily give you the shiny, softer mane you’re looking for. Some brushes can tug, pull, and cause friction on your mane, which can lead to damage. Always use a boar bristle brush to gently smooth the cuticle of your hair and help distribute oils from the roots to your ends for a shiny finish.

12. Choose Hair Dye Carefully

When dying your hair a solid color, it’s all too easy to end up with hair that looks flat and not at all shiny. To ensure you don’t experience a dye job gone wrong, try the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color. Available in a wide range of bold colors, this at-home hair color kit provides shimmering permanent color that never looks flat or dull. 

Additionally, some golden highlights are a great way to give your strands dimension and shine. If you want to add some lived-in highlights to your strands without stepping foot inside the salon, try the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit. This at-home highlight kit offers sun-kissed-looking color and DIY balayage highlights which are a great way to add depth and glow to your hair.

13. Try a Glossing Treatment

Speaking of hair color if you’ve yet to consider a hair gloss, allow us to introduce you. A hair gloss serves as a shine-enhancing treatment for colored hair, resulting in a longer-lasting and more vibrant color. Depending on the gloss, it may also be able to help with other hair concerns such as brassiness, dryness, frizz and faded color. We love the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss, an at-home glossing treatment that enhances shine and deep conditions hair while boosting your color in as little as five minutes. 

14. Use Hair Spray With a Glossy Finish

If you finish styling your hair and your strands just aren’t shiny enough, turn to a high-shine hair spray. Not only is it perfect for setting in your style and keeping stray hairs in place, but certain hair sprays can provide an ultra-glossy look. So, wrap things up by spritzing with the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold, Light Hairspray Unscented, which gives the hair a soft, shiny finish that doesn’t feel crunchy.

15. Turn to Wonder Water

If you dread hair masks for the extra steps, time and rinsing they add to your routine, turn your attention to the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Flash Hydration Wonder Water, Sulfate-Free. This hair treatment has a liquid formula that’s meant to leave your mane silkier, shinier and healthier-looking in just eight seconds. Simply apply to wet hair (you’ll notice a subtle warming sensation) and massage for eight seconds before rinsing. You can use this treatment two to three times per week in place of your regular conditioner.

Next: 20 Ways to Make Flat Hair Look More Voluminous

Photographer: Chaunte Vaughn, Art Director: Hannah Packer, Associate Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Prop Stylist: Katrina Rozeville