Good Hair Day

Never, ever underestimate the power of a good hair day. Last week, I had one (several, actually - I’m showing off!) of those and everything else just seemed to fall into place.

I’ve wanted do a post on tips for shiny hair and now seems like the perfect opportunity because my hair’s just been on its best behavior. You can see in the photo just how cooperative it’s been. It’s loving me and being voluminous and wonderful and shiny - lucky me! Also, Selena Gomez is one of my hair idols and beauty inspirations. Keep reading for an offering of tips and tricks I’ve been practicing lately to give it a little extra shine and bring my one step closer to hair that is Selena-esque.

Coconut Oil: You may recall my hair had been experiencing a dry spell. This spurred me to try me first coconut oil mask, and doing bi-weekly (ish) treatments since, I’ve seen great results. My hair is extra soft for days after the treatments, with significant shine. You can read more about this here.

Get a Trim: I cannot stress this one enough. The dry spell my hair was experiencing, I first assumed was a result of the no ‘poo method, which uses baking soda and apple cider vinegar in lieu of shampoo (this is another post altogether). Baking soda can be very drying, so I attributed the dryness to that. At least until I went in for a trim a month ago. I don’t get regular trims and had been trying to grow my hair out, so my last cut before then was in August of 2013! As soon as my stylist began blow drying my hair, I noticed an intensity in shine I had not seen in months. He explained that all those split ends he chopped off weren’t allowing my hair to reflect light. I had never put two and two together and suddenly, recommended 6-week trims make so much more sense. Look after your ends and you’ll see a world of difference!

Apple Cider Vinegar: The no ‘poo method includes apple cider vinegar, which balances the pH of your scalp and seals the hair cuticle this adding shine. While I love this method because it’s helped me reduce how often I need to wash my hair, I am currently alternating between no ‘poo and ‘poo (again, for another post). Whichever it is, or even if I am just rinsing my hair after a workout, I use ACV often to boost shine. I mix  about 2 tablespoons of the vinegar (you can be more or less generous) with 1 cup water in a spray bottle. After washing my hair, I spray on the solution and let it sit for a minute before I rinse. And I promise you will never even smell it. 

Boar Bristles: Boar bristles have structure similar to our own hair, unlike synthetic brushes. They’re better at distributing your scalp’s natural oils down the hair shaft, thus increasing shine and making hair super soft and super fluffy, the good kind of fluffy. I recently bought these two - a paddle brush, and a round brush for styling, which I am absolutely loving. My paddle brush was a deal, of course, but still great quality. If you love your hair and are willing to pay a very pretty penny, I recommend splurging on the original Mason Pearson. You’ll be the envy of me.

Cold Water/Cold Air: Giving my hair a cold rinse after I wash always helps. I’ve read a ton of differing facts on this, but I’ve never experienced bad results with either method. Similarly, while brow-drying, hitting your hair with the cool shot button will sets your style, smooths out your hair and adds instant shine.

Don’t Over-wash: Over-washing will not only strip your hair of all its necessary oils, it will make your scalp overproduce oil, thus forcing you to over-wash. It’s a vicious  cycle. Wash less frequently and you’ll be very happy with what happens.

Products that Work: But when you do wash, work with products that boost shine and add moisture. I recently discovered these two, both by Kevin Murphy. There’s the Born Again Wash shampoo, and the Angel Rinse, for fine and colored hair. Both are deliciously scented, like all Kevin Murphy products, and like all Kevin Murphy products, they’ll give you goddess-like hair.

I’m sure I will be trying many other methods in the coming months as I continue to read and hear about them. Some I’m very curious about lately are honey for added moisture, mayo and even beer. More to come on those experiments. How do you maintain your hair’s shine?

 

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