
How to Get Shiny Hair:
The Best Products for Dazzling Shine
The Best Products for Dazzling Shine
To make hair shiny, you want all of the cuticles of your hair to lay down uniformly, creating an even surface. Uneven porosity or raised hair cuticles can lead to dry and dull hair, frizziness and tangled hair that appears lifeless.
We all know that for a good hair day to fall into place, you need your perfect haircare regime. This guide is designed to spill all the secrets on how to get shiny hair and the best products for shiny and glossy hair. To help you achieve the hair of your dreams, we’ve compiled the ultimate shiny hair tips to elevate and transform your locks from lacklustre to lustrous.
Top Tips to Get Shiny Hair
To get glossy and lustrous hair, you first need to know what makes hair shiny and how to maintain it. Shiny hair is hydrated, has smooth cuticles, and no breakage or damage. Here are our top tips to make your hair shiny:
- Wash with cold water: Avoid washing your hair with hot water as it can dry out the hair. Washing with cold water will help seal the hair cuticle, allowing it to reflect more light and appear shinier and healthier.
- Use a microfibre towel: After washing, use a microfibre towel to gently dry your hair, patting rather than rubbing the towel over your head. This can help with shiny hair as it puts less friction on your hair, reducing frizz and breakages.
- Always use heat protectant: The golden rule of hair styling - always use heat protectant before heat styling. It’s a well-known fact that heat can lead to dryness, damage and split ends, which cause friction and result in an appearance anything but shiny. Kérastase Thermiques heat protectants smooth the outer layer of the hair fibre for instant resurfacing and thermo-seal the active ingredients for your smoothest blow-dry.

- Use a silk pillowcase: Try sleeping on a silk pillowcase to help achieve silky hair. Cotton pillows absorb moisture and can cause friction against your delicate strands, whereas silk pillows are not as rough or as absorbent, helping to maintain the oils you need for shiny hair.
- Book an in-salon treatment: Consider a professional in-salon shiny hair treatment like Fusio-Dose. Fusio-Dose allows you to get results personalised to your unique hair needs to nurse your hair back to health, helping you achieve your shiny hair dreams.
- Trim split ends: Uneven and dry split ends can make hair appear dull or frizzy. With regular trims to remove split ends, you’ll be left with healthy hair that appears shinier and sleeker.
Best Products for Shiny Hair
Shine-Boosting Shampoo and Conditioner
Shiny hair doesn’t have to be complicated. You can make your hair shiny by using a shampoo and conditioner combination designed exactly for this. Using a shampoo designed to boost shiny hair and a conditioner that nourishes each strand can help you achieve that glass-like look to your hair.
The Kérastase Elixir Ultime Bain is a luxurious shampoo designed to gently cleanse the hair while enhancing shine and softness. Formulated to nourish the hair fibre, it helps leave hair feeling smooth, lightweight and visibly more radiant after washing. Suitable for regular use, the shampoo works to improve manageability and deliver a glossy finish without weighing the hair down.
Hair Oil for Shiny Hair
Using a hair oil when styling can give your hair a beautiful shine and a glossy-looking finish. Providing the hair with an extra boost of nourishment through an oil helps smooth the hair fibre, reduce the appearance of frizz and leave hair looking sleek and radiant. Not sure how to use hair oil? Apply a few drops of hair oil to the lengths and ends on clean, dry hair as part of your styling routine.
Kérastase Elixir Ultime Oil is designed to enhance shine and softness while helping to improve manageability, leaving hair feeling lightweight and visibly more radiant.
Weekly Hair Mask Treatment for Healthy Shine
Using a hair mask every week is a must for hair that is nourished and healthy. There is a variety of hair masks to choose from, each with different targeted ingredients to look after your hair’s unique needs. From peptide-rich masks that help restore damaged hair, to deep treatments that eliminate frizz, there are different masks you can choose to deliver glazed and shiny hair.
Hair Glaze Treatment for Radiant Shine
Glossy hair can be achieved in a number of ways, including with hair glaze treatments. Whether you visit a salon for a professional shiny hair treatment, or give your hair a DIY glaze at home, these treatments can help enhance your hair's natural shine and smoothness.
Discover Elixir Ultime for Ultimate Shine
To achieve radiant, sleek hair, there are different shiny hair treatments and products you can use. Shine‑enhancing products and treatments like the Kérastase Elixir Ultime range are formulated to help nourish the hair fibre and enhance visible shine, leaving hair looking smoother, more radiant and shiny.
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Shiny Hair FAQs
What makes hair shiny?
Shiny hair is the visual result of a uniform hair cuticle that is healthy, hydrated and lays flat to reflect light like a mirror. To achieve the trending ‘glass hair’ look, haircare specialists recommend a three-pillar approach:
- Cuticle Smoothing: Rinsing hair with cold water and using microfibre towels to gently pat the hair dry, which helps minimise friction and frizz.
- Thermal Protection: Using Kérastase Thermiques to thermo-seal the hair fibre against heat styling damage, ensuring a smooth blow-dry.
- Hydration and Nourishment: Regular use of Kérastase Elixir Ultime Oil and Gloss Absolu masks to replenish moisture and smooth the hair.
What are the best products for shiny hair?
The best products for shiny hair utilize high-performance ingredients to smooth the fibre surface and replenish essential moisture. Recommended solutions include:
- Shine-Boosting Cleansers: Kérastase Elixir Ultime Bain is designed to gently cleanse while delivering visible radiance and improved manageability without weighing hair down.
- Nourishing Oils: Kérastase Elixir Ultime Oil provides a glossy finish and significant frizz reduction through a blend of precious oils applied to the lengths and ends.
- Surface Glazes and Masks: Weekly at-home treatments like the Kérastase Gloss Absolu range or professional in-salon Fusio-Dose treatments offer personalised, high-gloss results to transform lacklustre locks.
Why is my hair dull instead of shiny?
Hair loses its lustre and lacks shine when the outer cuticle is raised, porous or damaged, preventing light from reflecting evenly off the surface. Common causes include:
- Heat and Mechanical Damage: Frequent styling without heat protectant and rough towel-drying can cause breakages and split ends, which increase friction.
- Dehydration and Unsuitable Products: Using haircare that strips natural oils or leaves a dulling residue can minimise shine and make hair appear lifeless.
- Environmental Stress: External factors such as exposure to chlorine, salt water, UV rays from the sun and dry climates can further dehydrate the hair fibre and lead to a dull appearance.