How To Get Shiny Hair (In Seconds)

Nothing says healthy hair like a glossy sheen, but dryness, split ends and everyday pollutants can dull your shine. Read on for quick ways to gloss up your strands, plus tips to naturally boost the radiance of your hair over time.

What makes hair shiny?

Shine is simply the result of light reflecting off your strands. A smooth (closed) hair cuticle provides the best surface for light reflection—that’s why healthy hair looks shiny while dry, damaged tresses tend to look dull.

To get shinier hair, you’ll want to focus on smoothing, hydrating and strengthening your strands.

How to get shiny hair fast

Need a quick boost of shine? Here are our best tips.

Press reset with a clarifying shampoo.

Excess oil, dirt and product residue can block your strands from reflecting light. Sometimes, regular shampoo isn’t enough to fully wash out all the buildup and pollutants that make their way onto your mane.

To deep clean and restore shine, use a clarifying shampoo once a week (or whenever you need a reset). While a lot of clarifying formulas contain drying ingredients, our Clarifying Shampoo is sulfate-free and gentle enough for weekly use!

Boost shine with a deep moisture treatment.

Dial up the gloss with a deep moisture treatment after you shampoo. Our Moisture Mask adds instant shine and strength thanks to powerhouse ingredients like quinoa, argan oil and jojoba oil (seriously, we’re talking results in five minutes). Use a wide-tooth comb to evenly distribute the mask through your hair so it saturates every strand.

Do a cold water rinse.

If you can brave it, wrap up your wash routine with a blast of cold water. This helps the hair cuticle lay flat and locks in moisture—hello, silky shine.

Smooth and seal with hair oil.

For instant luster, use a lightweight oil to smooth and seal your strands. Argan oil is renowned for its shine-boosting benefits—that’s why we made it a key ingredient in our award-winning Hair Oil.

Use a boar bristle brush.

Boar bristles help distribute the scalp’s natural oils to boost radiance. Brush your hair from roots to ends to add sheen in a pinch.

How to get shinier hair over time

Along with all of the above, here’s what you can do to support healthier, shinier hair long-term.

Focus on scalp care.

Healthy hair starts at the root. Consider exfoliating your scalp with a gentle scrub to keep buildup and flakes at bay and promote a better environment for growth.

Maintain healthy moisture.

Overwashing your hair can strip away moisture and shine, so try these tips to go longer between shampoos.

If you’re dealing with dullness, excessive tangling, frizz or brittle strands, you may need to increase the moisture in your routine—whether that means deep conditioning weekly or using a leave-in conditioner.

Turn down the heat.

Excessive heat (think the high settings on your blow dryer or flat iron) can damage the hair cuticle, leaving it rough and porous.

To protect your hair’s shine, avoid washing it with hot water and minimize how often you style with heat. Always use a heat protectant to prevent damage.

Avoid harsh ingredients.

Steer clear of sulfates and drying alcohols (isopropyl, benzyl, etc.), which can strip essential moisture from your hair. (These are different from fatty alcohols like cetearyl alcohol that help to soften and smooth locks.)

Get regular trims.

Damaged ends dull your hair’s shine, so get trims every six to eight weeks to remove them.

Sleep on silk or satin.

Silk and satin are less absorbent than cotton and polyester. Opting for silk or satin pillowcases will help your hair hang onto more moisture while you sleep (and as a result, more shine!). Their slippery surfaces also mean less frizz, snagging and breakage.