how to get shiny hair without silicone?

[Luna12345]

Hi, I've stopped using silicone and prefer to use sulfate free shampoos. My hair looks dry and lacks shine....Is there anything that makes hair look shiny and less frizzy the way silicone does? anything that won't need a sulfate shampoo to be removed?

[Peter]

Sounds like you should try oiling your hair. Common choices are jojoba, coconut, or olive oil - just do a search and you'll find lots of information.

[kwaniesiam]

Vinegar rinses always gave my hair a ton of shine.

[Sundial]

You can try a cold water rinse or an ACV rinse

[littlenvy]

Deep overnight oiling with extra virgin olive oil. :)
Coconut oil as a leave in. (or other light oils of your choice)
Cold ACV rinse or a beer rinse.
Cassia or henna.
Boar bristle brush.
Silk pillow.

Hope you get your shine back. :)

[ericthegreat]

I also agree with oiling your hair. Lightly coat your hair with the oil of your choice (coconut, olive, jojoba, or even fancier oils like argan) and leave it in all day, it will definitely give your hair a shiny surface. And these oils can easily be washed out with even a non-sulfate shampoo or by COing.

[xoerincolleen]

ACV rinses make my hair really shiny, but also give it too much volume for my taste. Like the previous posters said, oiling will give you more shine, but be careful to not use too much or too heavy of an oil!

[LoversLullaby]

Adding a little bit of honey to my ACV rinse did WONDERS for shine on my hair. Just make sure to rinse it out after a few minutes!

[teela1978]

I've never understood this, it seems to happen a lot on LHC... if I change products and they give me non-ideal hair I just switch back to what I was using before :shrug:

[Bene]

I've never understood this, it seems to happen a lot on LHC... if I change products and they give me non-ideal hair I just switch back to what I was using before :shrug:



Right? :laugh:


It all depends on what YOUR hair likes and needs. Maybe your hair wants a buttload of moisture and a light oiling? Maybe it wants some ACV? Maybe it wants sulphates and silicone?

My hair likes shampoo bars and ACV and any light oil I happen to have.


Don't convince yourself that your hair hates cones just because another person's hair hates cones.

[Marz Hase]

The following things have made my hair ridiculously shiny, to the point of getting a TON of compliments on it:

- Henna
- Daily oiling with olive oil
- Switching to CWC and not washing often
- And, of course, ACV.

People always demand to know what products I use to get my hair looking the way it does. They're always horrified when I tell them that I don't wash everyday... and only use shampoo on the scalp!! And then I put olive oil in my hair! :O People act like I'm blaspheming!

[Audrey Horne]

I think once you know what your hair needs you will get shine, no doubt. I had dull blah hair when I found LHC and went cone-free. It took me less than month to see a dramatic difference. You should use the oil of your choice, load your hair with moisture or proteins when your hair needs it. SMT, cassia/henna give me a lot of shine. Bbb too. Avocado treatments.
Really depends on your hair.

[|Xei]

I'd suggest oiling, or, if you won't mind something pricey, Phyto 9. That stuff gave me more shine than any silicone product I've used in the past. I believe you can actually get samples of this at Sephora.

[xoxophelia]

Well something I tried out that I know works came from a recent thread.

Step 1:

Pre-oil your hair. I used jojoba oil in a moderate amount (so the length looked as greasy as my roots do after a few days.. slightly stringy). I left it in for an hour but I'm sure you could do longer.

Step 2:

CO wash. I used VO5 Kiwi Lime and left it on for a good 10 minutes before rinsing. I did a second, much shorter CO with much less conditioner.

Step 3:

ACV rince. I diluted mine to about 1:10. Let it sit for maybe a minute and then rinse shortly with cold water

Step 4:

Put a very small amount of jojoba oil through my damp hair. You could probably skip this step and not lose any shine.

It sounds a little complicated but it really did make my hair noticably shinier. As in, I kept looking in the mirror once it was fully dried kind of surprised :D

[Safira]

Like others: oiling. Try using argain, olive and coconut oil. One product gives me gorgeus shining, it´s Giovanni products. My hair just loves them.

[Panth]

1) Oiling. I like coconut oil as an oil shampoo. Others like other oils. Jojoba or olive oil are popular choices, in addition to coconut, but there are masses to try. Just don't go mad and buy loads - a little goes a very long way.

2a) Cones. Unless the sulphate shampoos are causing you grief, go back to cones. They aren't evil. If you hair was nice with them before, why try to fix what isn't broken?

2b) Some cones are water soluble or can be washed out with sulphate-free shampoos. You could use those if you need to stay on the sulphate-free shampoos.

3) Acidic final rinse. Lots of people find this helps shine. ACV (apple cider vinegar) is popular, but may darken blondes and greys; lemon juice is another option, but may lighten most hair colours; white wine vinegar is another option that doesn't alter colour. In all cases you'll need to dilute the acid in water, preferably lukewarm to cool, and do it as a final rinse. Lots of people leave it in but I think some rinse it out.

4) Cool final rinse. Again, another popular shine enhancer. Just before you get out of the shower, turn the water very cool (but not uncomfortable, just cool) and do a final rinse with that. Like the acidic rinse, it's supposed to close the cuticle, enhancing shine.

5) Find out what your hair wants - moisture or protein - and do some deep treatments. SMT is a popular moisturising treatment ... I'm not so sure on protein ones as I don't use them.

[Anje]

I like moisturization for shine, myself. CO washing works for me, but whatever you do, well-moisturized non-dry hair just plain shines more and frizzes less.

Taking pictures with a flash also really helps shine. :D

ETA: Don't compare too much to people with darker hair than you, either. Darker hair tends to just look shinier than lighter hair, I think because of the contrast between the reflected light from the shine and the overall color.

[RubyEmpress]

ACV rinse then finish by rinsing with cold water.
Example my siggy pic below:

[jaine]

2 things help my hair be shiny:

1) Styling it in a way that gets all hairs lying in the same direction, on the same wavelength. Like drying it in a bun with gel for example ... or curly girl method if I want to wear it curly. Helps the hair reflect light better.

2) This conditioner (http://johnmasters.com/lic.htm). I hate how much it costs but I have yet to find anything else that makes my hair that shiny. I'm still looking for a replacement because of the cost though.

[Of the Fae]

When I don't condition I use a shampoo from Urtekram, Urtekram henna shampoo (does not colour) and it makes my hair supersoft and shiny. It is organic, and free from SLS and silicones

[Kumiko033]

ACV rinses, also what worked for me were rooibos tea, Nettle, wheat germ oil and simply coconut/jojoba oil. Just try what works for you!

Also don't forget a normal conditioner without cones.

[Bianca]

I've never understood this, it seems to happen a lot on LHC... if I change products and they give me non-ideal hair I just switch back to what I was using before :shrug:

Well, as she wrote, she prefers to use sulfate free shampoo. Could be why.

I dont like using sulfates either. Dont think they are healthy for us and I get extremely frizzy and dry hair from them. So I avoid cones and any buildup prone ingredients and only CO. For shine I use olive oil and only rinse with cold water :)

[HintOfMint]

This may not be a popular suggestion as a lot of people find combing wet to be damaging (not the case for me or many people here, but just pointing it out), but I have found that combing damp hair into a bun and letting it dry leaves my hair incredibly smooth. I smooth a tiny bit of jojoba oil, and detangle using my fingers or a wide tooth comb. Then I use a finer tooth comb to smooth it out and comb it into a bun.
Also, second day hair, fresh out of a bun is pretty good for shine as well.

[IanB]

Tes, it's back to that old and trusted favourite - coconut oil - try Vatika

[theodora]

I would say Cassia all the way, seriously the shine it gives is out of this world, and with your hair colour, it should look really lovely.

[knoxkatie]

I would say Cassia all the way, seriously the shine it gives is out of this world, and with your hair colour, it should look really lovely.

THIS. Also, the cool water rinses. They are so easy to do now that it's summer.

[Zenity]

THIS. Also, the cool water rinses. They are so easy to do now that it's summer.

Speaking off... I remember I read somewhere that using as a "finish" touch ice on your hair would have an incredible Shine effect. So maybe I will try a bucket filled with water and ice cubes on the lenght of my hair and see how it goes....

[pepperminttea]

Pretty sure all the tricks I use have been mentioned but here's another vote for each of them: Deep pre-wash oiling, diluting your shampoo with water if you go back to sulphates, deep moisture treatments, ACV rinses, as-cold-as-you-can-stand rinses at the end of each shower, light oilings post-wash, silk pillowcase, and last but not least, camera flash. :p;)

[Luna12345]

I'd suggest oiling, or, if you won't mind something pricey, Phyto 9. That stuff gave me more shine than any silicone product I've used in the past. I believe you can actually get samples of this at Sephora.

seems interesting but super expensive.

[Luna12345]

Well something I tried out that I know works came from a recent thread.

Step 1:

Pre-oil your hair. I used jojoba oil in a moderate amount (so the length looked as greasy as my roots do after a few days.. slightly stringy). I left it in for an hour but I'm sure you could do longer.

Step 2:

CO wash. I used VO5 Kiwi Lime and left it on for a good 10 minutes before rinsing. I did a second, much shorter CO with much less conditioner.

Step 3:

ACV rince. I diluted mine to about 1:10. Let it sit for maybe a minute and then rinse shortly with cold water

Step 4:

Put a very small amount of jojoba oil through my damp hair. You could probably skip this step and not lose any shine.

It sounds a little complicated but it really did make my hair noticably shinier. As in, I kept looking in the mirror once it was fully dried kind of surprised :D

Wow, I think i'll give this a try, where can I buy jojoba oil from?

[Luna12345]

1) Oiling. I like coconut oil as an oil shampoo. Others like other oils. Jojoba or olive oil are popular choices, in addition to coconut, but there are masses to try. Just don't go mad and buy loads - a little goes a very long way.

2a) Cones. Unless the sulphate shampoos are causing you grief, go back to cones. They aren't evil. If you hair was nice with them before, why try to fix what isn't broken?

2b) Some cones are water soluble or can be washed out with sulphate-free shampoos. You could use those if you need to stay on the sulphate-free shampoos.

3) Acidic final rinse. Lots of people find this helps shine. ACV (apple cider vinegar) is popular, but may darken blondes and greys; lemon juice is another option, but may lighten most hair colours; white wine vinegar is another option that doesn't alter colour. In all cases you'll need to dilute the acid in water, preferably lukewarm to cool, and do it as a final rinse. Lots of people leave it in but I think some rinse it out.

4) Cool final rinse. Again, another popular shine enhancer. Just before you get out of the shower, turn the water very cool (but not uncomfortable, just cool) and do a final rinse with that. Like the acidic rinse, it's supposed to close the cuticle, enhancing shine.

5) Find out what your hair wants - moisture or protein - and do some deep treatments. SMT is a popular moisturising treatment ... I'm not so sure on protein ones as I don't use them.

My hair dislikes proteins so i guess it needs moisture, they make my hair crunchy, but my hair has mood swings and it changes every few months and even every few years, It's dricing me mad because I can't always stick to the same routine. Is SMT a moisturizing treatment you buy or get done at a salon? sorry if it's a stupid question, I don't know what it is.

[Luna12345]

Wow, Thankyou all!:D So many awsome ideas, I don't know which to try first:D

[Melisande]

I have a sure recipe for shining hair (works for me): in a plastic pitcher, I mix lukewarm water, a squirt of my favorite conditioner, citric acid (I use the powder - c. an unheaped teaspoon for a 1.25 liter pitcher of water) and a good teaspoon of honey. Pour over hair, let sit for some minutes and rinse out with lukewarm water. If your water is hard, always finish with a sour last rinse - for me, citric acid works better than ACV but YMMV.

And I always recommend the Golden Rules: heavier oiling before washing (if you're afraid the oil won't wash out well, mix some conditioner with it), very light oiling afterwards, ALWAYS dilute that shampoo (they are always too concentrated, dry out hair and make it less shiny), good hair habits, silk shawl on the pillow (real silk is nice and smooth), horn comb (horn is a material similar to hair and it smoothes it very well), not too hot water, stretch time between washes, don't use anything that might roughen up your hair.

[ArienEllariel]

a light oiling after washing on damp hair. also, a boar bristle brush. Seriously. They make your hair shine. :)

[julliams]

last but not least, camera flash. :p;)

Camera flash with lighting overhead makes a HUGE difference to the shine factor when I take a photo. Does my hair look glossy and shiney in regular daylight? Nope, but in photos it looks great.

In my experience, I went through something like you describe when I cut out cones and stopped regular heat styling. My hair seemed to be lacklustre and very dry. I did SMT's and coconut milk soaks twice a week for a few months and it gave my hair all the moisture it needed. Don't expect to do a couple of these and be "fixed". It honestly takes a few months of treatments to replace that lost moisture. Now my hair looks shiney again but honestly, if you are comparing to the photos you see here at LHC, just remember that they are often the best of a bunch that were taken (at least, that's how I do it) and often with camera flash and good lighting. It all makes a really big difference.

[Busybee]

Not to hijack your thread - but I was wondering the same thing, OP !! (I'm trying sulfate/cone free too)

However, I am doing all the things the ladies suggested, cold water rinse, CWC, silk pillow, pre-wash-oiling...... And still no shine for me. My Coconut oil and Fox's make my hair look greasy and matte, no matter what. Too little, and I am frizz city - but still NO SHINE.
:rolleyes: Ok... alittle teensy shine. But not enough to look normal.

Tried ACV rinse once, but how often can you do that with dyed hair? I am at a WTF level here......hahaha

[callisa]

oiling is the best, just after you wash your hair just add some oil to you hair it works for me and an acv rinse.


Lady Azaleia, Ruler of the Acid Waters in the Order of the Long Haired Knights

[Anje]

Not to hijack your thread - but I was wondering the same thing, OP !! (I'm trying sulfate/cone free too)

However, I am doing all the things the ladies suggested, cold water rinse, CWC, silk pillow, pre-wash-oiling...... And still no shine for me. My Coconut oil and Fox's make my hair look greasy and matte, no matter what. Too little, and I am frizz city - but still NO SHINE.
:rolleyes: Ok... alittle teensy shine. But not enough to look normal.

Tried ACV rinse once, but how often can you do that with dyed hair? I am at a WTF level here......hahaha
To my knowledge, ACV rinses don't hurt dye at all. Just be sure to dilute it well first.

Have you clarified recently? Buildup can also result in matte hair. Clarify, follow with a moisture treatment, and I can almost assure you you'll have shiner hair than before the treatment.

[mellie]

What works best for me is experimenting with different shampoos. When I find a "perfect" shampoo, it usually only works for about 6-9 months, then I have to start over again.

Also, I have to shampoo everyday. I get oily and dull, lank hair if I don't wash every day.

I don't ever use conditioners or rinses or vinegar or oils, they actually weigh my hair down and make it greasy, lank, and dull.

I don't touch my hair at all after washing and just let it air dry. No combing, brushing, finger combing, nothing. And just lightly blot dry after washing. That all seems to make a HUGE difference in shine for me.

Oh, and I try to get good solid nutrition! I track my nutrition in the Cron-o-meter and try to make sure I'm getting all of my nutrients every day.

[DarkSky]

I'm started the non-sulfate and cone free routine and what has been helping with shine is to use a ton of conditioner. Layer it on then do a cold quick rinse just to get the condish to make it through all your strands. I don't wash it out completely. Conditioner including some left in will be my best friend I think. Then some aloe vera gel or devacurl angel gel for hold.

[SoulOfTheSea]

I looove cold water rinses, my BBB, and jojoba oil. I used to use a silicone serum for shine (and the flat iron.... :rolleyes: ), but now with my new techniques, I have awesome shine! :cheese:

[Raiscake]

What's worked for me:

1. Oiling - I use coconut oil, and I'm in love with it! I put a little bit on my hair after I wash it and let it air dry. My hair feels so soft and shiny when it's dry. Once a week, I do a pre-wash heavy oiling a few hours before I wash my hair. My hair drinks it up.

2. Cold rinse - as a final rinse in the shower

3. Stretching washes - I wash my hair every three days. It might be different for you, but it's good to let your natural oils do their work. I like to preen my hair on non-wash days. If you don't have a BBB, this article (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=181) is helpful.

[October]

Oiling works best for me. I just use a teensy bit of olive oil and I'm good to go. I use Kiss My Face shampoo/conditioner, so its sulfate and silicone free. I use to flat iron my hair, so my hair did have an adjustment period to getting some shine back.

[Busybee]

What sucks (personally) is that after trying to be cone free - I just had my roots/color done - and my stylist of course uses cone S & C as well as styling products.

ARRRGGHH - My hair looks awesome...... But I wanted to achieve this kind of smooth shinines without cone products and blowfrying.

I am worried that after my 1 month experiment of NO Cones that I will discover I might be a cone-needer. I read that some poeople on LHC are.

Confusing trying to read what your "hair" wants. It's not like it can just speak up and tell you!:doh:

[EmiliaF]

Maybe someone already mentioned this (I didn't read the entire thread), but cassia obovata is a great way to get really shiny hair! It's also called neutral henna, because it has all the benfits of henna but doesn't color permanently. If you have really, really blonde hair you might get a slightly golden or yellow 'gloss', but it only lasts 2-3 weeks. So you'd have to redo it from time to time. I have medium blonde hair and love the golden hue I get from cassia :)
More info here: http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=406

[ddiana1979]

I switch between cone & no-cone phases (basically I just rotate conditioners, and when the bottle runs out, I switch to the other type). Regardless, I use ACV rinses, which makes my hair quite shiny. I also use 4 drops of Nightblooming's Triple Moon Anointing Oil (http://www.etsy.com/listing/77527916/triple-moon-hair-anointing-oil-4oz-full?ref=sr_list_3&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=triple+moon+anointing+oil&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade) throughly distributed through the length when my hair is damp (it smells lovely). Occasionally I use camellia or argon oil just for variety. The oils keep my hair from getting flyaways, but also give it a nice shine.

[BabyRay33]

I hate to speak up for cones...but smooth and shiny is what they do. I don't think that there should be such a push to give them up if they work for you. I tried giving them up, and my hair was NOT shiny, VERY tangly, and getting MORE damaged without the cones protecting it. At least the parts that are dyed. My virgin hair couldnt care less about cones either way.

Cones do have their purpose...and this might be one of them.

[QueenJoey]

The best stuff I've used:
jojoba oil
ACV rinses
cold water
coffee rinses

[Busybee]

Maybe someone already mentioned this (I didn't read the entire thread), but cassia obovata is a great way to get really shiny hair! It's also called neutral henna, because it has all the benfits of henna but doesn't color permanently. If you have really, really blonde hair you might get a slightly golden or yellow 'gloss', but it only lasts 2-3 weeks. So you'd have to redo it from time to time. I have medium blonde hair and love the golden hue I get from cassia :)
More info here: http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=406

I can't use cassia or anything that gives my hair the slightest golden hue. I am an ASH of the ashiest ashes,and I love it that way! Worked hard to find the right shade of dye, so I would hate to use anything for "hair health" purposes that would remotely change the color - phooey, I know.


The best stuff I've used:
jojoba oil
ACV rinses
cold water
coffee rinses

Coffee rinse? That one's new to me.... what is that? And what is the purpose?

[bushy]

Rinse a longer time with the cold water.

[princessp]

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it, but catnip rinses are awesome.

[curlymarcia]

Oiling works great for shine. Flax seed also make wonders, just add 2 tbs of flaxseed to half gallon of water and rinse your hair with these.

[Madora]

Brushing daily with a pure boar bristle brush makes your hair shine! No product to deal with! Also exercises your follicles, cleans your scalp and gives incredible softness.

[Miss longhair]

Nice to read so many nice replies and good ideas from people:)

I like to use castor oil, jojoba oil and coconut oil:)

[Liz_H]

Sedr gives you the conditioning benefits of cassia without the color. It lasts 4 to 6 weeks. I think you get some benefit from steeping a small amount in water to make a tea rinse. (Easier than mud.)

Rice water rinses are fabulous for shine. Fermented rice water may be better than plain rice water.

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=134907


I can't use cassia or anything that gives my hair the slightest golden hue. I am an ASH of the ashiest ashes,and I love it that way! Worked hard to find the right shade of dye, so I would hate to use anything for "hair health" purposes that would remotely change the color - phooey, I know.



Coffee rinse? That one's new to me.... what is that? And what is the purpose?

[S&S]

Has anyone gotten shiny results from fermented rice water?

I did an avocado oil scalp massage and then ran it through my ends. Did a citric acid rinse before my shampoo and before my conditioner & final distilled water rinse and my hair seems more dull than usual :/

[lithostoic]

In my experience, diet has been the main factor. My hair was never shiny until I started eating right. I don't have the perfect diet by any means but it's lightyears ahead of the diet I grew up with.

[GrowingGlory]

Clarifying can reveal the shiny hair under the product residue.

[S&S]

Clarifying can reveal the shiny hair under the product residue.

Hi,

Is Malibu C Hard water wellness line clarifying? - I dont want to use other harsh things on my hair & cant use sulfates as I have a keratin treatment.

[GrowingGlory]

On the website it is described as a system for protecting hair from hard water. It also says that it removes mineral deposits and prevents future deposit formation. It sounds helpful regarding your hard water situation.

[S&S]

Thanks GrowingGlory , I am hoping it won't be too harsh for my once a week use.