How to Give Your Hair Shine Without Making It Look Greasy

We all want lustrous locks, but it’s all too easy to go overboard with product and end up looking like a drowned rat. And if your scalp is somewhat oily to begin with it can definitely be difficult to strike the right balance when it comes to adding shine to your hair without making it look limp, lifeless, and overly processed. But you’re lucky to live in an era where technology and science have touched nearly every industry, making for a slew of products that are engineered to meet your every need. And when it comes to creating the gorgeous, bouncy hair you see on shampoo commercials, you need only find the right products and treatments for your particular mane. But how can you figure it out without spending a ton of dough on a guess-and-check system? Here are a few tips that will get you on track for the perfectly shiny hair you seek.

The place to start is at the beginning, by addressing your current hair care routine. Every product and treatment you use will affect the look of your hair, from dyes and perms to curlers and flat irons to the shampoo and conditioner you use. And if you dry out your hair with too many treatments it can definitely remove natural shine. The problem here is twofold. First, your scalp may overcompensate for this dryness by producing extra oil, whether you’re genetically inclined to excessive sebum production or not. In addition, you might use a glut of product in an effort to bring back some of the glossiness you’ve lost through treatments. Unfortunately, this could result in just the greasy mess you’re trying to avoid.

However, there are definitely ways to tailor your routine in order to keep your hair and scalp healthy and return the shine you’ve been lacking. For starters you need to make sure that you limit your chemical treatments. If you’re going to dye your hair, don’t go for perms or chemical straightening on top of it. Or if you really want the flat-ironed look without the hassle of daily heat treatments, go for the Brazilian blowout and skip the dye. Any chemicals you use could dry your scalp and boost sebum production, not to mention damaging the shaft of every strand of hair. But if you’ve already created a problem, you can address it by starting your routine with a shampoo and conditioning regimen meant to hydrate and heal. You might want to look for shampoos that feature a neutral pH (those for greasy hair could be too drying while those for treated hair may load you down with waxes). And finish with a lightweight conditioner that seals your cuticles.

From there you should keep your leave-in products to a minimum. If shine is what you’re seeking you should try a shine serum. Just keep in mind that a few drops of this potent formula go a long way. In addition, you might want to splurge a little on brands like Silk or Paul Mitchell; low-cost alternatives like Garnier or Aussie may have an appealing price point but they simply don’t work as well. If you plan to use a hair dryer, curlers, or a flat iron, you may also want to add good heat-treatment product that will protect your hair from further damage. And if you still end up a little greasy, put a bit of baby powder on your hands, run it through your hair, and brush it out. You can go on the internet, click here and there, and find all kinds of remedies for returning shine to hair without adding greasiness, but getting your hair healthy and using the right products is the best policy.