Tricks of the Trade: Professional Shine in the Palm of Your Own Hand

by Leslie Galvez

Ever wondered how most women on catwalks, television, and salons achieve super shiny hair everyday. You are probably thinking “expensive products of course”. While products can certainly contribute to healthy and lustrous hair, let me share with you a few amazing tricks that I learned from very knowledgeable hairstylists in the industry. You can achieve this shine with just water and a little serum.

It all begins with the temperature of the water in your shower. When shampooing your hair make sure that you rinse it out with warm water. The warm water opens up the cuticle of the hair, which rids the hair of dirt and excess oils. When conditioning the hair make sure to let the conditioner penetrate a little for 1-2 minutes to act as a small conditioning treatment. To save time I like to tell my clients to do this while they soap themselves or shave.

After rinsing 90% of the conditioner out, it is important that you rinse with cool water. I know, you are probably asking yourself, "Who wants to disrupt a soothing warm shower with shocking cold water?"

The drop in temperature is needed to close down the cuticle of the hair locking in any nutrients, moisturizers, and proteins the conditioner contains. It also lays the cuticle flat, which promotes excess shine. So, remember not to skip this important step and only place your head under the water and not your body.


Now for the finishing touch, the serum. A serum makes the hair shine and does not allow the hair to entangle. It protects the hair from the damages done by over exposure to sun and hair styling products. Forget what you have heard before about putting on the serum after blow-drying and air drying your hair. Many stylists recommend to add the serum at the end of the blow-dry as a finishing product simply because it lays flyaway hair or frizz flat. However, I have found, that this also makes the hair look oily and streaky. When applying serum to dry hair, you are simply adding a layer of product on the surface of the hair.

Instead, allow the serum to accentuate your natural shine: a natural shine that is a result of penetrating the serum during the blow-drying process on damp hair, while the cuticle is still soft and vulnerable to the product.

Work through one pump of serum (approximately the size of a quarter), along with any of your everyday products, into your damp hair, then dry as your normally would. It will appear as though the shine is eminating from within each strand of hair.


I recommend Kerastase Chroma Riche pump serum for highlighted, colored treated, or dry to normal hair and both Kerastase Oleo Relax pump serums for curly or dry rebellious hair. Remember, while the product is a contributing factor, it is the way you use it that is most important.

Now for the last and most important step!

Remember to always go out and show it off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leslie Galvez
Stylist