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Arguably, your hair always looks the best when you’ve just stepped out of the salon. Your fresh highlights and/or color are super vivid, glossy, and soft, not to mention professionally blown-out and styled to perfection. However, color-treated hair isn’t exactly low-maintenance. In order to protect your investment, you have to overhaul your wash day routine with products that nourish and repair any damage that’s occurred during the dyeing process. You’ll also have to schedule a root touch-up a few months out. But despite taking all the right precautions to protect your dream shade, it’s possible you’ll still experience fading or brassiness from using hot tools, environmental elements such as UV rays, and hard water. Thankfully, you don’t need to book an expensive emergency salon appointment to rectify the situation. Instead, use an at-home hair gloss to revive your platinum blonde or espresso brunette strands.
Once a salon-only service, this treatment deeply conditions hair to boost shine, softness, and if it’s pigmented, revive your color by neutralizing any brassiness or undesirable yellow or orange tones.
Before diving into the 10 best hair glosses to stock in your shower, get better acquainted with the treatment below.
Salon Glosses Vs. At-Home Glosses
A professional-grade gloss is “a semi-permanent treatment used to add shine, refresh color, and add softness to the hair,” Chase Kusero, celebrity colorist and co-founder of IGK Hair Care tells TZR.” It smooths the strands and gives a reflective, glossy finish. Hair gloss can be clear or tinted, and it’s good to refresh color.”
“In the salon, a gloss is customized to your density, porosity, texture, and color. At-home products are one-size fits all with a limited range in all aspects.” Lorena M. Valdes colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago shares.
That said, at-home products will still boost softness, shine, and deposit color in a pinch, so these glosses are still a beneficial addition to your routine — especially if you color treat your hair on a budget. “Salon gloss treatments typically last longer, up to six weeks, while at-home glosses may only last two to four weeks,” Kusero adds. “However, at-home gloss is more affordable.”
How To Use A Hair Gloss At Home
Unlike their salon counterparts, at-home glosses come pre-mixed since you’re not customizing the treatment to your specific hair shade. To avoid making a mess — especially if you’re using a tinted one to revive your color by cutting out brassiness — apply it in the shower on damp, freshly-washed hair. Massage it through your strands from root to tip as you would shampoo, then rinse it out. Because these formulas are typically nourishing, you can skip conditioner. Kusero recommends using a clear gloss once or twice a week. For tinted formulas, follow the directions. Many last for a handful of washes, so you’d likely use it less frequently.
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The Best At-Home Hair Glosses
Mirror Rinse Glass Hair Treatment
Oribe
Think of Oribe’s treatment like a highlighter for your hair. The hydrating product hydrates strands and smooths the hair cuticle for an extra smooth, glossy finish.
Expensive High Shine Gloss Treatment
IGK
“Expensive” is what your hair will look like after treating it with IGK’s high-shine gloss. The formula helps seal the hair cuticle to prevent further dryness and color fading, plus it even offers UV protection.
Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss
Pureology
This toning gloss neutralizes unwanted brassy, orange, or yellow tones on top of reviving your color’s vibrancy and shine.
Perfect Hair Day High-Shine Gloss Hair Treatment
Living Proof
A perfect hair day, indeed. The secret to Living Proof’s in-shower gloss is light enhancing technology, which converts non-visible light to visible light. The result? Smooth, frizz-free hair that’s two times shinier than it was pre-shampoo. The results last for up to three washes.
Gloss+
dpHUE
Ride out your last color appointment a little longer with dpHue’s Gloss+. The at-home color-depositing treatment lasts for up to eight washes, and with no mixing required, is legitimately foolproof. In addition to reviving your hue, it also restores shine and softness. Choose from 13 pigmented shades or a clear option.
Acidic Color Gloss Activated Glass Gloss Treatment
Redken
A number of top salons and colorists swear by Redken’s salon-only EQ Glosses for demi-permanent color that doesn’t have an obvious grow out. This clear professional-strength treatment restores the luster you have when you get out of your colorist’s chair. It can be used on virgin strands or hair that’s been treated with permanent color, glosses, and/or toner.
Hair Gloss
Ouai
Incorporating a clear gloss into your hair care routine is a sure-fire way to ensure your strands never look dull and lifeless. On top of hydrating hyaluronic acid and rice water which protects color and reduces frizz, the Ouai’s clear gloss is infused with the brand’s signature Bondi Beach scent, a blend of rich floral and white musk notes.
Le Color Gloss One Step Toning Gloss
L’Oréal Paris
If you experience brassiness in-between your scheduled root touchups, L’Oréal’s toning gloss will save you a trip to the salon. The deep-conditioning treatment corrects unwanted yellow tones and fading all while boosting shine. It comes in a range of shades from warm brunette to smoky gray.
Gemstone Ultra Shine Glossing Treatment
R+Co
Just like your complexion, your hair can start to look a little dull and lackluster come winter, too. R+Co’s gloss treatment deeply hydrates strands to boost shine and enhance your color — whether it’s natural or dyed.
Chroma Absolu High Shine Gloss Treatment for Color-Treated Hair
Kérastase
Color treatments can be extremely tough on your hair — even if you go to a reputable salon. This gloss by Kérastase is specifically formulated to minimize damage and frizz caused during a dye session. Apply it to clean damp hair once a week to revive softness and shine without stripping your fresh color.