Hair gloss is a supplementary treatment to hair dyeing that can prolong and enhance your color, add shine and customize your look. “It’s like a lip gloss for your hair!” says celebrity hairstylist Jenna Perry, explaining that hair gloss will help “to keep your color lasting longer and to maintain the shine and health of your hair.”
The treatment can be done in-salon with professional-level products, or there are myriad at-home options too. Hair glosses come in different shades that will add “translucent color,” according to Perry, or clear, which focuses on boosting shine. Oftentimes, tinted hair glosses act like a toner to subtly alter the shade of your hair. For example, blonds who want to keep their highlights bright and golden may use a cool-toned hair gloss to cancel out any brassiness. Meanwhile, brunettes who want to add more depth to their strands can use an espresso or even a copper hair gloss to amp up their hair’s undertones.
According to the experts we spoke with, all hair types can benefit from hair gloss, even those who have never dyed their hair. “Absolutely every person and hair type can benefit from a hair gloss because it is a nourishing treatment for the cuticle,” says celebrity hairstylist and brand founder Harry Josh.
Unlike traditional hair dyes that use chemicals to open the hair cuticle and alter the pigment, hair glosses are deposit only. This means that hair gloss is “safe for those with chemical damage, as they do not have the ability to open the cuticle of the hair,” explains Tiffanie Richards, master colorist at Louise O’Connor Salon in New York. “If you feel like you need a little pick-me-up or a little added tone, a gloss is going to be your best friend.”
“The gloss can last up for several weeks, but it can go even longer if you don’t wash your hair as often,” Josh says. If you’ve picked a tinted hair gloss, Richards says you can expect the color to fade within those few weeks. And if you’re nervous about using a color product at home, Perry recommends going to a professional to get the perfect tone for your hair. She loves the Redken Shades EQ treatment, while Josh recommends Goldwell’s Colorance Gloss Tones for in-salon treatments. Either way, hair gloss is a great option for between hair-coloring appointments to prolong your dye job and essentially help the health of your hair.
Ranging from prewash treatments to color conditioners and overnight masks, at-home hair glosses come in a variety of formats to enhance your locks. We enlisted the experts’ help in rounding up the best hair glosses for maintaining healthy, shiny hair at any stage.
This one-step gloss is easy for an at-home hair transformation because it doesn’t require a developer and, according to Richards, “will give a great shine and make hair appear extremely healthy.” Although, the stylist warns that the effective product “has the ability to deeply deposit and stain hair,” so you’ll want to do a patch test first.
Available in two toning shades — one to nix brassy blond tones and one to add depth to brunette shades —?plus a clear shine enhancer, this foolproof foaming hair gloss goes on as a pre-shampoo treatment.
Josh loves how this treatment, which he says “creates an even surface for luxurious shine and intense smoothness,” can be incorporated into any hair care routine. “It’s perfect to use either daily after washing and conditioning or weekly as a prewash treatment,” he adds.
Richards says she always recommends this at-home gloss. “It was created by a hair colorist, so you will not get any secret hidden tones,” she explains. “What you see is what you’ll get. Very easy to use at home and pigment can be customized with timing.”
Perry warns that some at-home hair glosses have “added harsh ingredients.” You don’t have to worry about that with this clean formula, which can be left on overnight for a conditioning treatment, thanks to natural ingredients like shea butter, prickly pear seed and moringa seed oils.
With five tonal options, Nous offers a service where a professional colorist will match you to the best gloss for your hair. Like the in-salon glosses, Nous’ treatment includes a developer so you’ll get the maximum color payoff. This step “helps oxidize the gloss treatment to penetrate the hair deeper than a hair mask,” explains Devin Graciano,?hairstylist and head of product development at Goldie Locks.
This in-shower treatment gives silky, high-shine hair in just five minutes. Add it to your everything shower routine to amp up your color-treated hair and leave your tresses revived and glossy.
While hair glosses are great for toning the hair, Graciano notes that shine doesn’t always equal healthy hair. “While a gloss treatment can revamp your color and make your hair appear more vibrant, it lacks adding nutrients, which is essential for maintaining healthy hair,” she says. In order to protect your hair’s health, she recommends adding in a mask like this one, which “works by depositing tiny?molecule ingredients onto the?hair strand where it can penetrate different cuticle layers and nourish, strengthen and hydrate the hair.”
Madison Reed is a favorite for at-home hair coloring, and its Color-Reviving Gloss is great for maintaining vibrancy and dimension. It contains keratin, argan oil and ginseng root extract for a conditioning effect while depositing color in your choice of seven semipermanent shades (or a clear coat).
Building softness and shine, this hair rinse uses gentle acids to cleanse and restore nutrients to color-treated hair.
This naturally powered hair gloss adds moisture and shine to the hair with a blend of organic oils and apple cider vinegar.
This color-boosting glaze can be used in place of conditioner, making it a seamless option for those looking to keep their hair care routine simple.
“These are amazing and foolproof for at-home use,” says Richards. “Not only are you able to tone your hair but you are conditioning at the same time. They come in many shades and in hair mask form. Since they go on straight from [the] bottle, the results are predictable, making this perfect for at home. The longer you leave this on, the more it will deposit.”
Dehydrated hair will welcome this mask’s boost of silk extract, amino acids and jojoba that will leave it silky and strong. It helps protect the cuticle, meaning it strengthens the hair and prevents excessive drying, which is often the culprit behind dull, frizzy hair.
L’Oréal’s Le Color Gloss is best for color-treated and natural grays with options like silver, Platinum Pearl and Silver Slate to add dimension and shine.
This hair mask gives a reflective, glossy finish to all hair types. Use it whenever your hair needs a shine boost, whether your hair is dyed, highlighted or completely natural.
