SUPER SHINERS

Nothing is as dazzling as shiny silver hair. Glistening ice hair. Sparkling charcoal hair. Gray hair simply looks healthier when it’s shinier, but the very perception of light is harder to achieve. Gray hair seems to drink light in, snuff it out. That’s why a shot of Super Shiners always helps. All of the products mentioned here are topicals, none are deep treatments. (We’ll assume you’re giving your hair the deep moisturizing it needs!) And most do contain dimethicone (or other silicones, under various names: dimethiconol, cyclopentasiloxane, simethicone, cyclomethicone, trimethicone for example.) In actuality, nothing is a better shiner than a silicone, and it adds the advantage of weightlessness, something heavier carrier oils can’t do.

Silicones offer other benefits as well; they reduce porosity, so your hair is less likely to puff up and frizz. At the same time, by coating the shaft, they keep moisture in, protect from heat styling and lubricate the hair surface so it feels smoother and looks shinier. Let’s compare: a white vinegar rinse can give you shine, but not silkiness. Coconut oil can give you shine and softness, but it doesn’t fight frizz. So it’s a matter of tackling what’s important to you.

Silicones make their way into face creams and cosmetics, too, and that’s a good thing. They’re what provide the “slip,” or “playtime.” You wouldn’t want to put something on your face that sits there like cement. The biggest bonus is that they provide lightness and sheerness to a product. More importantly, because they cannot penetrate pores, they tend to fill-in surface wrinkles and reflect light. It’s silicones that provide “glow.”

But when it comes to hair, some have reported that silicone build-up has yellowed their sparkling whites, especially when exacerbated by the sun. That’s indeed a problem, and it can happen. Yet others report no yellowing whatsoever, and I’m happily in that camp. (The white hair framing my face has shown no signs of yellowing due to almost daily use of products containing silicones.) Goes back to the fact that your hair is unique; it may be more porous, or less. It may be too fine for the heavier silicones (dimethicone being the heaviest), it may still have a tinge of phaeomelanin in it (the melanin responsible for blonde, gold, and auburn shades of hair.) But it’s definitely worth experimenting with silicones to find out.

Many of these products are pricey, but use-up takes awhile. Mostly, a dab will do you. Certainly, they’ll last longer than 3-4 weeks (more like 3-4 months!), so compared to your every 3-week color schedule, you’re actually saving quite a bit. Browse through the products below, and you’ll find a Super Shiner for you! I’m still experimenting, but the ones I’ve tried are marked with a check.

Glazes

LEAVE-IN CREAMS & SERUMS

FINISHING MISTS

NATURAL SHINERS

And while we’re on the subject of natural oils, there are a host of hair-friendly oils that may be used, all without silicones. Pure oils do not contain silicones. Try: Avocado oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, even Castor Oil!