Hey Bombshells! Danielle here with a Beauty Bomb!

Shiny hair, whether relaxed or natural, looks healthy, can make your haircut look chic, and (don’t front) can put an extra switch in your step. Back when I was a teen in the 90s, it was thought the only way to get shiny hair was via a bottle of Luster’s Pink Oil Sheen or worse—grease! *cue Psycho shower scene music*

So if it’s shine you’re after minus the Soul Glo grease, check out these five gems:

1. Phyto Phytospecific Multi-Regenerating Creme Bath (Vital Force Creme Bath): Though this baby is $36 and smells like celery, you will totally get past all of that because of how smooth, shiny, and healthy your hair will look after you use it. Like most deep treatments, rub a dollop of this goodness into your hair after you shampoo and sit under a hooded dryer (or cap) for 15-20 minutes, rinse, and then style as you normally would.

Phytospecific Multi-Regenerating Creme Bath is a weekly treatment for very dry, brittle, or damaged hair. Jojoba, sesame, and castor oils restore the hair’s hydrolipid film. Panthenol and keratin hydrate and smooth. This intensive formula restores hair vibrancy and bounce.

2. Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask: Another relatively pricey treatment, but is so worth it. Morrocanoil Intense Hydrating Mask does not need heat to be activated; only 5-7 minutes will treat hair with needed moisture and protein, adding elasticity and shine. And girl, come close…*whispers* if you really wanna knock ‘em dead, use this along with the original Morrocanoil Treatment, an ultra-light oil formula that is absorbed instantly by the hair, resulting in a natural silky finish and brilliant shine without leaving residue. Apply it to wet or dry hair. Your hair will look sooo good!

3. Alter Ego IMPAC EGO Treatment with Garlic: A favorite amongst Dominican hair salons, this special cream, rich in peptydes, vitamins, and mineral salts derived from wheat and garlic, represents an excellent alternative to hair treatment with animal-based extracts. It is ideal for treated hair such as bleached, dyed, permed, or relaxed. It leaves the hair soft and strong. And it totally doesn’t smell like garlic–it actually has a pleasant scent I can only describe as spicy flowers. It also works wonders on making new growth soft and manageable. Get it here.

4. Suave Vibrant Shine Conditioner: Who knew so much shine could be packed into a product that costs $1.87 at Walmart? Suave Vibrant Shine Conditioner is enriched with silk amino acids and vitamin E moisturizes and helps restore hair to its natural health and shine. Like you would with most deep conditioners, leave Vibrant Shine on for 15-20 with a plastic cap under the dryer for 15-20 minutes.

5. Miss Key Diez en Uno (10 in 1) Super Rinse: A rinse (pronounced reen-say) is a staple for hair treatment at many Dominican salons. Think of it as a light conditioning treatment that is rinsed out after a deep conditioning treatment. Even though it doesn’t stay in the hair for long, Miss Key Diez en Uno smells great and makes your hair look even greater.

More shine tips:
1. Shampoo can be rather drying on the hair and studies have shown there’s no real reason to have to lather up (in fact lather is just so that consumers “feel” the product is working). Many dry haired beauties can often do just one or two lathers of shampoo or skip it altogether. Or use a no-lather shampoo like DevaCare No Poo or DevaCurl No-Poo.

2. A great blow-out or a flick of a ceramic flat iron can do wonders to add shine. But use them sparingly as excessive heat use can lead to damage and breakage. And then how can you have shiny hair when you don’t have any hair?

3. Be sure to protect your hair by avoiding moisture-stealing fabrics from touching your tresses. Invest in silk head wraps and pillowcases (or go down to a fabric store and make your own). Be sure to keep your hair protected from other sources of shine-hating fabrics like the collar of a wool coat.

If you can’t do without oil sheen, try Mizani Shyne Oil Sheen Spray–it’s lightweight and smells great.

Tools of the Trade:

More Sedu…

What’s your favorite way to get your shine on?
~Danielle