The Shine

[Jcv-Shelley]

I've gathered a bunch of tried and true information from the site that have suggested to help your hair shine, just wanted to add the long list here.

1 ) Damp Bunning
2 ) Stretching your washes/Scalp Washing
3 ) Air-Drying
4 ) Virgin Hair
5 ) Indian Herbs
6 ) Cones or No Cones
7 ) Cassia or Henna Gloss/Dye (other substances alike are Cacas)
8 ) Acv, Citric Acid, Distilled Water, Halo, Wine, Balsamic, Beer, Coke lol, Tea, Tarragon, Burdock Root (Rosemary, Catnip, Chamomile, Nettle, Earl Gray, Black Tea, Hibiscus), Cold Water Rinse (Sometimes others spritz their rinses)
9 ) Fenugreek Herb Mask
10 ) Oiling/ Pre-oiling
11 ) SMT
12 ) Hair Butter
13 ) Protein/Moisture Balance
14 ) Leave-ins
15 ) Fish Oil Supplements
16 ) Rinsing Well :p
17 ) Clarifying
18 ) Honey, Maple Syrup, Corn Syrup, Molasses *(Some members use these in final rinses; sometimes with a vinegar/acidic rinse)
29 ) Adding Butters and Oils to Conditioners and Herbal Rinses
20 ) Misting
21 ) Protection from Sunlight
22 ) Galdtobemom's recipe of Nanny Pauline's Airing Powder
23 ) CWC, C-Cow-C, CO with a 2nd Conditioner (Or just CO itself)
23 ) Vegetable Glycerin
24 ) Coconut Milk
25 ) Wooden/Horn Comb
26 ) Vita Shower/ Shower Filter
27 ) BBB or just plain Brush
28 ) Deep Conditioners
29 ) Heat Caps
30 ) Shampoo Bars
31 ) Soap-Nut Washes
32 ) Aloe Vera Gel sometimes added with Oil
33 ) Smokie and Girlcat36's AGO gel
34 ) NightBlooming's Pancea etc.
35 ) 100 Brush Strokes with a Pure BBB (Look around the first few pages to find Madora's Picture :D)
36 ) Gel (Sometimes while damp-bunning)
37 ) Lighting (From flash, sunlight, light-bulbs, etc.) <~ I'm pretty sure many have had success with this one XD
38 ) ktani's Oil Shampoo, Coconut Milk Shampoo
39 ) Satin Pillowcases, bonnets, scarves
40 ) Snowymoon's massage
41 ) Dying a darker color
42 ) Preening
43 ) Phyto 9
44 ) Rooibos Tea
45 ) Caring for your Hair
46 ) Soap-Nut Washing
47 ) Linseed Gel
48 ) Egg Yolk Mask
49 ) Avoiding Chlorine and Salt-Water; or at least have some kind of protection
50 ) Shea-Butter, Cocao-Butter, Coconut-Butter (Some like to mix this with Aloe Gel)
51 ) Shikikai, Amla, Reetha, Aritha Powder
52 ) Coconut Milk Soak
53 ) Shine Enhancing Products/ Switching Products
54 ) Freshly Washed Hair
55 ) Rubbing Silk, Satin, or even Pantyhose down your length (Wrapping a Satin Scarf around a BBB is a good way to start)
56 ) Even Hair Length and Pattern
57 ) Humectants in Humid Places
58 ) Products with ingredients like Wheat Protein, Keratin, Silk Protein (One member said that she used Silk Protein in a spray she made)
59 ) Straighter Hair Usually (Not that I'm suggesting Flat Ironing, straight hair just reflects more light 'cause it lays flat)
60 ) Going Sulfate Free
61 ) Less Blowdrying (or Blowfrying for those who call it by this) Also a shot of cool air
62 ) Ditching the Shampoo
63 ) Chelating (If needed)
64 ) Silk treatments, Chi, Biosilk, etc. (You need some heat for this so I don't know if it's good in the long run)
65 ) Less Styling Products
66 ) Genetics haha (For example, fine hair is shinier than medium or coarse hair)




*Edit: Tell me which ones you think have worked for you and which ones haven't. :)
(This list is getting really looong e_e)
P.S.: I will be adding to this list. And sorry if I'm slow to responding 'cause I'm almost constantly trying to update this.

[Mairéad]

Let's see. I do CO, ACV rinses, pre-oiling, henna/cassia, leave-ins, clarifying (when I need it), fish oil, and air drying.

And, my hair could pretty much blind someone in the right lighting.

[RitaCeleste]

Oils! There is this Aphogee oil sheen spray that makes mine blinding. I have spray it on really light and wait 45 mins for the oils to soak in so I don't look greasy. It makes my hair look great but it has some cones in it. I usually co wash so every once in awhile I shampoo when my hair acts like it won't soak up conditioner anymore. I tried coconut but it can be too heavy and make my hair look oily so I grease up with it a few hours before I wash it. Meadowfoam seed oil is lighter so I can put it on dry hair and not look greasy.

[Madora]

Brushing 100 strokes a day with a pure boar bristle brush works for me!

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w225/07Erzbet/1988lrg.jpg

[Ishje]

Oils for me, as well as Nightblooming Pancea, ACV rinses, air drying and stretching washes.

but I have to say, I do all those things but I am not sure witch ones actually give the shine to my hair.

[Catladyintown]

Camellia oil and Castor Oil plus brushing.

[pixiestar]

For me its the henna glosses that make my hair shine:D

[jaine]

Damp-bunning and air-drying both work very well for me as long as there's a hard-hold gel involved. Without the gel I just get too many random curly hairs escaping, which ends up looking less shiny and more fuzzy. To reflect light my hair needs to be all on the same wavelength

[luxepiggy]

I'm a big believer in the cold-water final rinse, as well as the cold shot setting on my hair dryer. The following products provide amazing shine boosts to my hair as well:

Aquage - Beyond Shine (shine spray)
Alterna Bamboo - Luminous Shine Mist (shine spray)
Acca Kappa - White Moss (conditioner)
Shu Uemura Art of Hair - Full Shimmer (conditioner)
Shu Uemura Art of Hair - Moisture Velvet (conditioning masque)
Pantene - Ice Shine (conditioner)

[IanB]

For me it's coconut oil the night before washing

[pepperminttea]

I've gathered a bunch of tried and true information from the site that have suggested to help your hair shine, just wanted to add the long list here.

1 ) Damp Bunning
2 ) Stretching your washes/Scalp Washing
3 ) Air-Drying
4 ) Virgin Hair
5 ) Indian Herbs
6 ) Cones
7 ) Cassia or Henna Gloss/Dye
8 ) Acv, Citric Acid, Distilled Water, Halo, Tea (Rosemary and Catnip), Cold Water Rinse
9 ) Fenugreek Herb Mask
10 ) Oiling/ Pre-oiling
11 ) SMT
12 ) Hair Butter
13 ) Protein
14 ) Leave-ins
15 ) Fish Oil Supplements
16 ) Rinsing Well :p
17 ) Clarifying
18 ) Honey, Maple Syrup, Corn Syrup, Molasses *(Some members use these in final rinses; sometimes with a vinegar/acidic rinse)
19 ) Adding Butters and Oils to Conditioners and Herbal Rinses
20 ) Misting
21 ) Protection from Sunlight
22 ) Galdtobemom's recipe of Nanny Pauline's Airing Powder
23 ) CO with a 2nd Conditioner
23 ) Vegetable Glycerin
24 ) Coconut Milk
25 ) Horn Comb
26 ) Vita Shower
27 ) BBB
28 ) Deep Conditioners
29 ) Heat Caps
30 ) Shampoo Bars
31 ) Soap-Nut Washes
32 ) Aloe Vera Gel
33 ) Smokie and Girlcat36's AGO gel

*Edit: Tell me which ones you think have worked for you and which ones haven't. :)

These worked for me: :D
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 (ACV & cold water rinses), 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18 (honey, mixed with conditioner, and in SMTs), 19, 25 (wooden comb, not horn, but worth mentioning), 28, 32 (100% pure; more like a liquid than a gel).

[mellie]

What works best for me is the simplest routine of all:
-Virgin Hair
-Air Drying
-Cone-free shampoo every day

Conditioners, oils, butters, and rinses did NOT work for me.

[defineinsanity]

coconut oil always works wonders for shine.. even if i didn't use any of the above which i do... it's always the coconut oil which brings the most amount of shine :)

[Mírien]

For me it is ACV-rinses and damp bunning (I wash once a week) and a few drops of coconut oil and brushing with a BBB each day. :) I joined the LHC last November and I can tell you there is a visible difference in my shine. ;) (Bye-bye, evil cones, that made my hair so limp with build-up...)

[spidermom]

And don't forget photographing with a nice bright light shining on your hair.

[defineinsanity]

the sun can do that :)

[Fufu]

Cold rinsing after every shampoo/condition

Camellia oil.

[heatherbelle]

What works for me:
1. CO every other day, rinsing in cool water.
2. Weekly oil treatments.
3. Monthly Cassia treatments.
4. Nightly brushing with bbb.

Ok, I admit, I love admiring how shiny and glossy may hair is now that I take better care of it! :D

[Jcv-Shelley]

RitaCeleste – I think that if the spray works wonders for you, it doesn't matter whether it has cones or not. I'm surprised you find coconut oil heavy, I usually have someone telling me it's much lighter than most oils; especially EVOO (I use EVOO anyway.) As for CO, that's what I love about it; the conditioner gets absorb really well. Have you read this article? http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=206

Madora – I would love to do that, it must be a huge stress reliever to brush your hair that many times. Although I've sworn off brushes for now.

Ishje – I know what you mean, sometimes you don't know which thing your doing that's helping (sometimes hurting) you the most! :rolleyes:

jaine – I've found that most gels make my hair crunchy, but I'm glad it works for you! Have you tried different kinds of buns like wraps or knots? It might help get it more even than twisted buns.

pepperminttea – Wow, that's a vast majority of the things in the list. Is there a difference between a more liquified AVG or the feel of a wooden comb vs. a horned one?

mellie – I'm sorry to hear that a bunch of highly recommended things didn't work well for you :( . I've heard cone shampoos add mega-shine but doesn't work for everyone and weighs down fine hair.

Mirien – Yeah, I'm glad I found LHC as well. I remember when I would yank a plastic, ball-tipped, brush through my wet hair and end up with splits on every strand. :disgust:

heatherbelle – I also love the results of pampering my hair. :D

spidermom- Ouch, how did I forget that one? Thanks for reminding me haha.

[~BoHemiAngel~]

Two words: Rooibos Tea!! :cheese:

[RitaCeleste]

Shelly, I think I just use too much of the coconut because mine is usually still solid when it comes out. I use a lot less of the Meadowfoam seed oil. Maybe I should try getting some of the fractionated coconut oil that stays in liquid form? I could try heating my coconut oil and see how it does too. My hair has some shine without oil, its just that with oil it really sparkles. I like to brush my wavy hair and it doesn't hurt with frizz control either.

[pinknika]

This is a pretty complete list and I do a lot of whats on there except for henna, no cones, indian herbs, SMT (tried many times just doesn't do it for me) how about adding sleeping with a satin/silk pillow case or silk/satin sleep bonnett?

[kitschy]

Nothing works for me. My hair just doesn't shine. It's too light-colored, too porous and too curly - it doesn't reflect light. I've tried everything!

[celebriangel]

Vinegar rinses (I currently use balsalmic because it's what I have), cold rinses, henna and cassia, conefree conditioning, SMTs, Nightblooming's panacea salve, Nightblooming's triple moon oil (this one x1000000), doing Snowymoon's scalp massages for distributing sebum throughout the hair, not washing too frequently, and damp bunning have all added shine to my hair.

Changing my hair colour so it is darker or redder makes my dull medium ash brown (heavy on the ash) colour reflect more wavelengths of light, thus it shines more. This is why I currently henna to achieve a fairly dark red, and would also consider henndigo.

[jojo]

Brushing 100 strokes a day with a pure boar bristle brush works for me!

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w225/07Erzbet/1988lrg.jpg

I dream one day....one day...! and totally agree my hair shines much better since using a BBB!

Your hair is gorgeous!

[Madora]

@JOJO..

Thanks! Brushing every day really pays off..big time! It's just a matter of using the right brush, detangling slowly with a wide tooth comb, and being gentle when brushing. Good hair genes help a lot!:cheese:

[selderon]

Brushing 100 strokes a day with a pure boar bristle brush works for me!

Madora, your hair is :thud:-tastic!

Jcv-Shelley, air drying, cones, pre-wash oilings (olive oil) and post-coloring deep conditioners work really well for me. Also, occasional clarifying, occasional ACV rinses and occasional tea rinses.

[Madora]

@selderon...

Thank you! Apart from Mr. Michael's admonition to brush 100 strokes per day (although that number wasn't written in stone, even by him), my grandmother said she brushed 100 strokes per day in her day too..and she had wonderful, thick red hair.

[homeeduk8tor]

@selderon...

Thank you! Apart from Mr. Michael's admonition to brush 100 strokes per day (although that number wasn't written in stone, even by him), my grandmother said she brushed 100 strokes per day in her day too..and she had wonderful, thick red hair.


I do 100 strokes with a BBB while bent at the waist to get the underside of my hair and then 100 strokes while upright to get the canopy. I do this twice a day- once in the morning and once before bedtime. This, scalp massaging, preening and WO rinses has dramatically increased my hair's shine. I, too aspire to have tresses as beautiful as yours, Madora!

[RitaPG]

*Oiling has definitely made the biggest difference for me. Overnight heavy oilings are a must. And leave-ins (conditioners or oils) are okay too - but they contribute more to the softness than the shine.
*Acv rinses are AWESOME, even if I don't do them very often.
*Cones (in moderation) are a nice boost in shine too. I also found out that my hair likes protein conditioners.
*BBB, used wisely, is the best thing :crush:

I don't think my Virgin Hair is more shiny than my dyed ends, though. They just require a little more product (leave-in conditioner and oil)

Everything else I haven't tried.

[|Xei]

Phyto 9 did wonders for me in the shine department ;D

[Panth]

For me: no. 8 - white wine vinegar diluted in cool water as a final rinse / leave-in.

Also, one you missed - ktani's oil shampoo ('movie star shampoo') method.