8 Ways to Get Shinier,
Healthier-Looking Hair
No matter what your hair type, how you treat it at home—with clean treatments, masks, serums, and deep conditioners—can make a huge difference in how it looks and feels. Even professional hairstylists can tell: Garrett Markenson, an LA stylist and the founder of Valley Studio and the clean hair care line Reverie, notices which of his clients do regular scalp treatments at home. “I see a big effect on how their hair looks and behaves,” he says. Whether you’re looking to repair heat-styling damage, increase shine and bounce, or balance your scalp for overall healthier-looking hair, these are the at-home treatments everyone’s talking about—and that really work.
Markenson’s own botanical scalp treatment has become something of an internet sensation; he says he’s his own best client and jokes that his brother’s (untreated) hair hasn’t fared as well as his. “We want to take care of the skin on our scalp because, over time, environmental stress and aging can cause it to weaken, just as skin anywhere on the body does,” he says. “That can leave our hair looking dull, flat, and less lush.”
The world has caught on, and scalp treatments are suddenly everywhere. At the same time, masks, hair serums, and conditioning treatments designed to leave hair shinier, softer, and more manageable are at least as powerful as their salon counterparts, and there’s even a brush that manages to approximate the salon head massage—heaven.
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1
THIS BRUSH IS EVERYTHING
This flexible palm-size brush from Manta molds to the shape of your hand and scalp, creating less tension than conventional brushes, while its bendy, forgiving bristles minimize snags. Manta’s founder, Tim Binnington, a British hairdresser, created it for his wife when she was growing her hair back after an illness and worried brushing was causing breakage. Use it to detangle in the shower, comb damp hair, or brush out when dry. And guys love it, too—it feels truly wonderful on the scalp.
Manta Hairbrush goop, $30SHOP NOW -
2
THE ULTIMATE SPRITZ OF MOISTURE
Smooth frizz, detangle, and protect your color with this leave-in treatment spray that’s ultramoisturizing and light as air. Made with rahua, ungurahua, and morete oils plus protein-bonding organic mango sugars—all of them wild-grown, hand-processed, and sustainably sourced from the Amazon rain forest—it smells beautifully of mango and passion fruit extracts. Spritz it into wet hair to soften and smooth instantly; as your hair dries, expect bouncy, shiny, manageable, healthy-looking hair.
Rahua Hydration Detangler
+ UV Barrier goop, $32SHOP NOW -
3
THE HAIR SERUM THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
The secret to your shiniest, softest, healthiest-looking hair is this preshampoo glow serum that works like a dream. “It’s kind of a miracle on my hair,” says GP. “I leave it in for twenty minutes before I shampoo (I sneak in a workout while the serum soaks into my hair), and it smooths frizz and damage, softens and strengthens my hair, and leaves it so shiny.” Made with cuticle-sealing vitamin C, omega-rich sea buckthorn oil, and shine-boosting plumeria monoi oil, it’s a simple prewash ritual that discourages frizz, ramps up both shine and texture, moisturizes, and helps detangle, no matter what your hair type or texture.
goop Beauty goopglow
restore + shine
Hair serum goop, $48/$44
with subscriptionSHOP NOW -
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THE TWICE-A-WEEK
MIRACLE MASKThis is the hair mask the clean beauty space has been waiting for: an ultraluxurious, salon-level deep conditioner that leaves your hair nourished, healthy, and full of shine. With tsubaki-seed oil for deep hydration and yuzu-fruit extract to smooth the cuticle, it is lightweight and smells amazing—that’s the Crown Affair signature scent of yuzu, lemongrass, and bergamot. To apply it, use a wide-tooth comb (like the one in the Crown Affair set) to distribute evenly. Leave it on for five to fifteen minutes—depending how dry or damaged your hair is—in place of or in addition to your regular conditioner.
Crown Affair The Renewal Mask goop, $58SHOP NOW -
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THE INSTANT-SHINE-AND-VOLUME SHAMPOO
Made with exfoliating mineral-rich pink Himalayan salt, nourishing cold-pressed moringa oil, and pure unfiltered rose hip oil, this unique whipped shampoo purifies and detoxifies at once. The scrub cleanses the hair and scalp of product buildup, dirt, and oil, leaving both clean and refreshed. The cleansing scent—rosemary, geranium, orange, and peppermint—lingers subtly in hair (and smells amazing as you wash).
goop Beauty G.Tox Himalayan Salt
Scalp Scrub Shampoo goop, $42SHOP NOW -
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THE INTERNET-LEGEND TONIC
This refreshing serum protects, hydrates, and supports scalp health. Designed as a leave-in treatment, it’s infused with active ingredients like apple stem cells, lupine protein, and rose and rosemary hydrosols. Apply small drops to a wet scalp (clean or dirty), massage, and leave in—no residue stays behind. Use it daily for a healthy, nourished scalp.
Reverie Cake Restorative
Scalp Tonic goop, $72SHOP NOW -
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THE ONCE-A-WEEK TREATMENT
For every hair type (including dry and damaged), this once-a-week tonic dissolves buildup and excess oil as it moisturizes. It nourishes with a blend of extracts and oils—basil leaf supports growth, health, and shine, while baobab and moringa oils soothe and help replenish the scalp’s moisture—that are all cold-processed to preserve nutrient levels. Smooth it directly onto your scalp (it smells faintly herbaceous), massage it in, leave it on for twenty minutes, and rinse before shampooing and conditioning. The idea is taking care of your scalp as you would your skin, and the results are gorgeous.
Act + Acre Cold Processed® Scalp Detox goop, $42SHOP NOW -
8
GUA SHA WORKS FOR HAIR AS WELL AS SKIN
Use this gorgeous hand-cut jade comb for an invigorating gua sha massage for your scalp. Based on the ancient Chinese therapy of gua sha—which involves smoothing a sculpted massage tool over the face or body—a massage with this comb feels absolutely incredible (especially after using the Cold Processed Scalp Detox tonic). Stimulating for the scalp and relaxing for the spirit, it’s our new favorite daily ritual.
Act + Acre Scalp Gua Sha Comb goop, $40SHOP NOW
A NEW, SAFER SALON OPTION?
At Mèche Salon in Beverly Hills, we recently discovered an amazing new option for smoothing and defrizzing hair that looks and feels fantastic—and lasts for six months. Traditional salon straightening systems and keratin treatments like the Brazilian blowout can depend on chemical reactions that produce, among other toxic substances, the known carcinogen formaldehyde. The new treatment, Pura Luxe, claims to deliver similar results without the toxic fumes. Shiry Raz, the founder and CEO of Pura Luxe, explains that traditional keratin straightening treatments sit on top of the hair; when heat is applied, a chemical reaction occurs that smooths the hair but also releases fumes. Her formula, she says, penetrates the hair, rather than sitting on top of it. “We rinse before we apply heat, so there’s nothing to produce fumes,” she says. Another benefit: You can color hair the same day if you like. “With a traditional keratin treatment, you can’t put bleach on the hair afterward, because the bleach strips away the keratin on top of the hair,” says Raz. “You don’t have those issues with this treatment.” Word has gotten around LA fast; so far, the treatment is offered in about ten salons around the world.
