6 Best Hair Gloss Treatments for At-Home Shine

If there’s anything I swear by, it’s a good hair gloss. I live and die by it because it’s one of the quickest ways I can delude myself into believing I have it “all together.” The rest of my life can deteriorate around me as long as my hair is shiny and healthy-looking enough to prompt a double-take—eliciting just the right amount of envy from whoever I’m sitting across from.

However, like me, hair glosses are severely misunderstood. Many people fail to realize that they offer more than just a bit of shine. Celebrity hairstylist and colorist Dimitris Giannetos tells Vogue that “they also enhance color, improve softness, and help seal the cuticle for a smooth finish.” When choosing a gloss, he recommends looking for a formula that hydrates and boosts vibrancy, leaving hair looking healthier, softer, and more radiant in mere minutes. And these days, plenty of formulas go beyond simply making hair look good, with ingredients that help improve the condition of the hair itself, too.

Not to mention, many of the glosses work in under five minutes, right from the safety of your bathroom, making them one of the easiest ways to refresh your hair between salon appointments. Whether you’re looking for no-rinse treatment or a creamy formula to combat brassiness, the best at-home gloss treatments are the excuse you’ve been seeking to reschedule your next salon visit—shh, don’t tell them we said that!

While glosses add a layer of shine, pro colorist Saint Latimer explains that they do more than just add the illusion of coveted shimmer. “Glosses smooth the hair’s cuticle, reducing frizz and improving that sought-after silkier feeling,” Latimer tells Vogue. “Plus, they can revive old color-treated hair or bring out the natural glow to virgin hair.”

What is the difference between a gloss and a glaze?

Latimer notes that the words gloss and glazed are often used interchangeably. Though, celebrity hair stylist and colorist Dimitris Giannetos explains there is, in fact, a difference. “A hair gloss works by penetrating the cuticle to subtly enhance or correct color while adding shine and softness,” Giannetos tells Vogue. “It lasts longer than a glaze, which basically coats the hair’s surface for a temporary boost in shine and smoothness and doesn’t alter the tone as much.”

Can an at-home gloss deliver the same results as the salon?

Long story short, at-home glosses are meant to be user friendly, while a gloss from your favorite salon is mixed by professional colorists, with more potent ingredients for longer results. “Salon glosses are more customizable because it allows professionals to adjust the formula to your specific hair color and condition. They also tend to last longer because they have professional-grade ingredients,” explains Giannetos, adding that you can still achieve noticeable results and keep your color fresh with a gloss from the comfort of your house.

Latimer agrees, adding that your hair’s porosity and health impact how long your gloss lasts, whether applied at home or in the salon. “A gloss treatment from home tends to last three shampoos, though color-depositing glosses can last longer depending on multiple factors like pigment concentration, hair condition, and processing time,” he says. “When in doubt I like the clear glosses at home because they typically won’t affect the color you got in salon.”

First and foremost, the pros advise you always pay close attention to the application instructions provided by the product you’re using—though there are some general rules you can adhere to, no matter the brand of at home gloss treatments.

“For the best results, you should start with clean, damp hair to help the product distribute evenly. Always use gloves to avoid staining your hands and apply the gloss from mid-lengths to ends and comb through for even coverage. Let it sit for about five to 15 minutes, depending on your desired color intensity, then rinse thoroughly with water,” says Giannetos.