Tired of using hair care lotions for increasing the shininess and softness of your hair? Coarse, rough hair can be a real problem, especially if you want to look your best for a professional presentation or a personal date. Whatever your reasons, smooth and shiny hair is desired by all. Finding the best hair care products should be about discovering which works best for you. Chemical based products may not work as well as natural means for many. When you want to opt for lustrous hair, choosing the right product matters most. Nurturing the hair is like tending to a plant. The aim is to take care of the hair, without immediate results. Just like you care for, water and nourish the plant, tending to your hair requires patience, know-how, and understanding. If you are facing damaged hair, remedies that are chemical free and do not harm the hair or scalp are most important. Opt for shiny, soft hair through these remedies.
Tips to Keep Hair Soft and Shiny
#1 Lemon and Honey To Revitalize Your Crowning Glory
While honey is a natural moisturizer that makes hair soft, lemon makes it shiny. Lemon is rich in ascorbic acid which cleans the scalp’s bacteria and prevents dandruff growth. This treatment leaves hair soft, dandruff free and shiny. To use this, you need to mix a tablespoon of honey with half of the lemon juice and a cup of warm water and apply the mixture to the scalp. Massage it into the scalp for about fifteen to twenty minutes and rinse it completely using warm water.
#2 Lemon and Apple Cider Vinegar To Give Your Tresses a Shine
Apart from lemon to make the hair shiny, vinegar is a natural hair care solution for making your tresses healthy. The apple cider vinegar restores the hair’s PH value and it can also be used to cure damaged hair. Vinegar removes residues of chemicals left on the scalp due to artificial chemical products used. Use the juice of a lemon and mix it with two teaspoonfuls of vinegar and a water cup. Rinsing this hair with the mixture after shampooing it works well.
#3 Aloe Vera For Adding That Healthy Look
Feel the softness of aloe vera gel and you will understand why this softness inducing herbal cure is recommended for increasing the healthiness, shine, volume and bounce of your hair. Gel from the aloe vera plant softens the hair and also works well when it comes to treating dandruff. Apply aloe vera gel on the hair and leave it for a minimum of at least one hour or overnight. Wash the hair with shampoo after this.
#4 Raw Eggs For Thickening the Strands
Hunting the stores for the best ingredient for caring for your hair, when it’s been in your fridge for the whole time? Yes, raw eggs can help to make your hair shiny and smooth. Eggs are rich in protein, an awesome ingredient for thickening and strengthening the hair. Choose half a banana, mix it with coconut oil and egg. Using coconut oil restores the moisture content of hair which would otherwise be damaged and dry, and make it shiny and healthy. Applying a paste of this mixture on your hair, leaving it for a minimum of one hour and wash it completely post this. Egg shampoos containing keratin can also make hair strands healthier, leaving hair soft, shiny and smooth.
#5 Beer For Your Hair
Some women also swear by beer for the hair. Proteins in the glycerin content of the beer help in rebuilding and repairing damaged hair and restoring luster. It is also essential for making hair strong and shiny. Once the hair has been washed with a shampoo, the scalp needs to be massaged with beer. It should then be left on for five minutes and rinsed completely post this.
#6 Mayonnaise For Treatment
Mayonnaise has ingredients like vinegar, oil, and egg which works out extremely well for treating the hair. The hair needs to be damp by applying some water. Following this, the mayonnaise needs to be applied over the hair and kept without washing for thirty minutes. The hair then needs to be properly washed with mild shampoo.
#7 Avocado For Shiny, Soft Hair
Avocado uses fats that offer excellent value for nourishing the hair. This helps in gaining soft and shiny hair. Using this natural ingredient for boosting hair health is simple. Blend avocado and banana and add almond oil. Then massage the mixture onto the scalp. The hair needs to be washed after thirty minutes with the shampoo. This remedy works out best for damaged hair when it is tried twice in a week.
#8 Yogurt for Improving Hair Health
Yogurt contains lactic acid that works like an anti-fungal and antibacterial agent. This helps in warding off scalp itchiness and ensure the hair remains free from infections. It also soothes the skin and induces moisture in the hair. Applying yogurt on the scalp and covering with a towel or shower cap works well. It needs to be left on for 20 minutes and then washed with shampoo. For itchy scalp, try the cooling properties of yogurt for the best results.
#9 Bottle Gourd For Bouncy Hair
If shiny and bouncy hair needs to be used, try bottle gourd. Bottle gourd needs to be blended and its juice must then be extracted. This needs to be mixed with coconut or olive oil. It can also be used plain. Application of bottle gourd paste should be from the tip of the strand to the root. It should be left on for at least 60 minutes. Following this, hair needs to then be washed using a mild shampoo.
#10 Henna Pack For Highlights and Healthy Tresses
Henna is used by many people. The main aim of using henna is to nourish hair and give it a good color. Use henna when the hair becomes dry. Take the henna powder and mix it with water to induce a thick paste. Apply it once on your hair, leave it for 60 minutes and then use a mild shampoo to wash it off.
#11 Indian Gooseberry For Lustrous Hair
If you crave shiny and lustrous hair, Indian gooseberry or Amla is the best choice. It is enriched with vitamin C and other potent antioxidants which can help in cleaning the scalp and initiating hair growth. Before hair is shampooed, convert gooseberry into a paste and mix it with lemon juice and coconut oil. Massage the scalp and hair with this paste. Finally, wash the hair using lukewarm water and a shampoo.
#12 Milk For Adding Moisture
Hair only looks shiny when a moisturizer is added to it. Using milk is perfect as a conditioning agent for hair. This is one of the easiest remedies for fixing damaged hair. You need to comb hair and apply the milk lotion or milk solution over the hair. Leave it on for 60 minutes and then wash using mild shampoos.
#13 Gelatin For Damaged Hair
Gelatin is another great remedy for damaged hair. This remedy works for dry and rough hair as well. It contains hydrolyzed protein for treating and restoring hair to its soft and shiny state. You need to mix a gelatin tablespoon in a cup of warm water. Add vinegar of around 1 tablespoon to the solution and apply this mixture on the hair. Leave it on for about a quarter of an hour and then rinse using moderately warm water.
#14 Potato Juice For Rejuvenating Hair
Potato juice is also enriched with vitamin B for growing the hair to a healthy length and strengthening it. If hair strands are too thin, potato juice can be used to sort out the problem. Extracting potato juice and applying it on the hair for 15 minutes before washing off using lukewarm water can be very beneficial.
#15 Oatmeal For Adding A Shine
Another great natural moisturizer for ensuring smooth and shiny hair is oatmeal. This makes hair soft and shiny apart from also removing dandruff. Mix a cup of oatmeal with one-fourth cup of milk and add two tablespoons of almond oil along with it. Let this remain on for 20 minutes and then use lukewarm water to wash your hair.
#16 Cayenne Pepper
A rich source of capsaicin, this ingredient smooths and stimulates hair growth. It creates a tingling sensation for tending to the health of hair follicles. It also increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients through blood flow to the scalp which results in improved hair health. Nutrients and blood flow from the hair’s root to the follicles too. Mixing one tablespoon of cayenne pepper with 2 of olive or castor oil, you need to apply this on the tresses and keep it on for 12 hours. Wash the hair using cold water after this.
#17 Onion For Collagen Boost
Another great remedy for making your hair shiny is onion. This vegetable is sulfur-rich and helps in producing collagen tissues which, in turn, regenerates hair follicles. This stimulates blood circulation and helps in cleaning the scalp. Grind the onion and extract the juice. Applying this on a scalp and leaving it for 40-45 minutes. Post the wash, use shampoo to remove the onion’s pungent smell.
#18 Grape Seed Oil For Restoring Hair
Grape-seed oil helps in restoring hair and stimulating hair follicles. If one has curly hair, this oil helps in restoring manageability. Apply this essential oil for strengthening hair strands and making them stronger.
#19 Lavender and Rosemary
This is a herbal hair wash remedy that makes hair soft and strengthens it. It also provides a unique fragrance to the hair. Boil water of around 4-5 cups and steep the rosemary and lavender dried herbs in it. Allow the mixture containing the herbs to become cool. Strain out desired herbs and pour it on the hair. After massaging the mixture into the scalp, drain out the excess mixture. After this, you need to let it air dry.
#20 Green Tea
Green tea is rich in potent antioxidants that can detect and fight hair problems, and are rich in substances like polyphenol and possess anti-inflammatory properties that bring about hair growth. Boil some green tea in water. You can even use black tea. Wait when the mixture starts turning warm or lukewarm. Then rinse your scalp and your hair with this mixture. Leave the mixture on for thirty minutes. Rinse the hair after this with water. Remember that black tea also works when it comes to lowering the hormone that sheds hair. But for those with light colored hair, green tea is advisable as black tea can darken hair.
#21 Consume Nutritious Food
It helps your hair along with other body parts to eat healthy food and avoid junk or processed foods. Eat plenty of veggies and fresh fruits. Ensure that you consume foods rich in animal or vegan proteins and those items which are rich in vitamin E. Remember, what you eat influences hair growth.
#22 Do Not Try a Hair Dryer
This can be dangerous as it passes on excessive heat to the hair. It also causes the hair to become duller and brittle. Hair dryers can absorb the natural oils of the hair and cause hair to become less shiny. Additionally, you should always be gentle with your hair and not comb it when it is dry.
#23 Read the Ingredients
Try natural and homemade conditioners for the hair. Before the conditioners are purchased, go through the ingredients. Be wary of any chemicals used in the products when purchased as this can harm the hair.
#24 Rinse With Cold Water Always
The secret of using cold water to make hair shiny is not well known. But doubtless, you have heard that cold water helps in constriction of the pores. It exerts a similar impact on the hair. Specifically, it seals and smooths the hair cuticles and locks in moisture, adding a luster to the hair. For the best outcomes, use shampoo, conditioner, and cold water.
#25 Try Gloss
Ask for a gloss treatment. A little bit of gloss goes a long way in making hair shiny. Light reflects off the hair post the gloss making it look super lustrous.
#26 Don’t Go For Extensive Styling
Additionally, styling can wear away the cuticles of the hair. It then becomes frizzy, dry and prone to breakage. Give the blow dryer and flat iron a rest and work on how to air dry strands so it looks amazing. If you cannot opt for natural hair drying, try an ionic blow dryer, which dries hair faster than possible options and helps in reducing the static. A major blow dry mistake is that your style can be sabotaged. Ignore the nozzle attachment for smoothing hair and enhancing shine, bounce, and volume.
It’s not just about the tool, but how it is used as well. Blow dryers need to be held a few inches from the head to moderate heart damage. Blow-dry from root to end in the cuticle’s direction. Keep the brush moving. This fluid, continuous motion flattens the cuticles and offers shiny hair.
#27 Protect Your Hair
For the shiniest hair ever, it is essential to protect the tresses. Pollution and UV rays can also lead to hair damage. The right formula is essential for offering protection against environmental and heat damage. Choose natural lotions and oils that protect hair from ultraviolet radiation, thermal stress, environmental problems, and fading color.
#28 Oil Your Hair
Restoring radiance with nourishing and protective oil is essential. It is useful for the weekly treatment and smoothing it on ends ensures sheen and hydration. Use a lightweight oil like jojoba for nutrient-rich values like shine-boosting rosemary, plant essence, and moisturizing vitamin E.
#29 Boost Omega Intake
Many nutrients are essential for improving hair health such as Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. The body gets lustrous locks which work from the inside out. Load up on fishes like sardines and mackerel and check out seafood like omega rich goods including avocado, tofu, flaxseeds, and walnuts. Polyunsaturated fatty acids deliver benefits across the mane.
#30 Use the Right Shampoo and the Right Frequency
Stylists may recommend a person to stop shampooing their hair. Washing preserves less shine because natural oils can create a real problem, and clarifying shampoo needs to be used in moderation. It is important to prevent a build-up that depletes the shine. Opt for clarifying shampoos on a regular basis but watch out for chemicals and sulfates that strip the hair and open a cuticle.
#31 Brush Every Day
According to research, the strand needs to be brushed over 100 times. Daily brushing is recommended. Brushing pulls natural oils from the scalp into the hair acting as a natural moisturizer. Choose brushes with natural bristles that are gentle and contain no synthetic or metal.
#32 Avoid Brushing the Hair When Wet
Long, bouncy, thick and beautiful voluminous hair can be a sign of youthfulness and vitality. Opt for regular hair care so that hair does not lose its thickness and elasticity. Make sure your hair looks full of life, by avoiding brushing hair when it is wet. Wait until hair becomes almost dry if you are brushing washed hair and make sure you work your way from the end to the way up. Choose a large toothed hairbrush or comb to prevent breakage.
#33 Secure Your Hair in Braids While Sleeping
If you have long tresses, you need to secure your hair in braids while sleeping. Wake up with waves and skip heating tools. Clear small elastic offers a nice curl towards the end.
#34 Infusing Strands With Protein
Protein improves the strength and elasticity of the hair. For long natural thick hair, choose the best sources of protein like egg shampoos.
#35 Avoid Hair Extensions
If you need a thick, shiny, long and beautiful hair, extensions can come in the way. A quick fix, these hair extensions can destroy hair in the long run. Instead, try clip in hair extensions to get the right look without any damage.
#36 Don’t Go For Rubber Bands and Elastics
If you use a rubber band or an elastic, you can lose 100 hairs by tightening these hair accessories. Arranging the hair back tends to break fragile hair around the face’s front, and rubber band usage should be avoided to prevent this.
#37 Enrich your Hair With Vitamins
Be clear about what you put into the body because it shows on the outside. Vitamins E, A, and Folic Acid and a series of B vitamins boost the ability of hair to grow well and stay strong. Beauty vitamins can be really beneficial and offer a lot of benefits overall as well as looking after the health of your hair, skin, face, and body.
#38 Use Avocado
Mashing the avocado and rubbing it with egg to wet hair is another way to score shiny hair. Avocados come with rich vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. This can restore luster to the hair and offer the advantage of standing out rather than blending in.
#39 Use Essential Oils
Add some drops of sandalwood oil with jojoba or olive oil, rub the mixture and smooth it towards the ends of the hair for instant sleekness and a surefire way to curb brittle, flyaway hair. One can also squirt some hand lotion in the palm and smooth it through the hair.
Other great options are borage, evening primrose or flaxseed oil. These are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids like GLA acid, which works out well for keeping nails and hair moisturized. Some of the other oils that work equally well include botanical oils like sweet almond, olive, and jojoba. Coconut oil works best by dampening small amounts of the oil till it completely covers the hair. Rinsing the hair with a mild shampoo post this can work wonders for the hair.
Most people believe that they need a hair dryer till hair is bone dry. Instead, you need to dry the hair till 90 percent of the moisture is removed and then stop. Strengthen your mane using an egg protein mask. Additionally, don’t sleep with hair accessories on.
#40 Take Precautions
Combining the conditioner through the hair before hitting the pool protects it from the harshness of chemicals. Rinse with apple cider and water to cleanse the hair. Excessive products can spell out bad news for the hair. But baking soda works well at least once a week to wash out the dirt. You can even work to lubricate your hair adding olive oil, butter, and moisturizing conditioner.
Conclusion
Your hair says so much about you. It defines your style and your personality. Taking care of your tresses is important if you want to make a great impression and stand out in a crowd. Your hair can be as soft and shiny as you want it to, but you need to make the effort too. These handy tips are just some of the ways your hair can remain your crowning glory forever.