Salvatore Tanino Therapy Capillary Styling Tannin Smoothing Treatment Step B (500ml) is the plant-tannin smoothing step of Salvatore's two-step system. The tannin binds to the hair's own keratin and, set by the heat of the flat iron, aligns the fibre from inside the cortex rather than coating the surface. It carries no formaldehyde and no glyoxylic acid. It is Step B, applied after the Step A clarifying wash, and it is the step that actually smooths. The 500ml bottle, also in 1000ml and 100ml.

Why this step

Most smoothing systems either use an aldehyde or coat the hair to fake a sleek result. Step B does neither. It works through a plant tannin that binds to the hair proteins, and the heat of the flat iron sets that bond, and the fibre aligns from the cortex outward. That is why the smoothness is in the hair, not on it, and why it grows out softly, without a hard line. We would run it after the Step A prep on any client who wants frizz gone without formaldehyde. Made in Brazil at Salvatore's plant.

Key ingredients

The smoothing comes from the plant tannin, carried with keratin and collagen proteins that fill and smooth the fibre. Macadamia and cupuacu butters with flax seed oil condition, while panthenol and niacinamide add slip and shine. Light silicones add immediate glide. Full INCI on the product image.

What to expect

Wet, the hair feels coated, the tannin sitting on the fibre before the iron. Dry and ironed, it turns sleek and glossy, quicker to blow out, with frizz and bulk visibly down. On most hair it holds 3 to 5 months and fades softly with a sulfate-light home routine. It is a salon service, and the iron is the part that locks it in.

Who it is for

• Salons offering a formaldehyde-free smoothing on frizzy or coarse hair
• Colour clients, since there is no lightener and the tannin is gentle on tone
• Anyone restocking the Step B smoothing from the A + B kit

Who it is not for

• A DIY result at home, because the flat-iron seal is a professional step
• Clients who want dead-straight permanence; this softens and smooths rather than straightens forever
• Very fine, fragile hair that a strand test shows cannot take the iron heat

Professional tip

Your result lives or dies on two things, a clean canvas and a slow iron. Skimp on the prep and the tannin grabs unevenly; rush the iron and the bond never sets. Salvatore's own directions are blunt about the second part, "flat iron slowly in thin sections at least 10 to 20 times, according to the need." We would rather run fifteen clean passes on a 1 cm section than race through it. And we always book the client back for the sulfate-light aftercare that holds your work.

How to use

Run it as the second step, straight after the Step A shampoo, on hair towelled and then blow-dried to about half-dry. The tannin needs damp hair to travel and a warm iron to set, so the timing of each stage matters more than the amount you use.

Work in sections from the roots to the ends and give it the full pause before you rinse, because the bond keeps building the whole time it sits. Then dry, and iron slowly, since the iron is the step that turns a coating into a smoothing.

1. Prep and towel-dry. Wash with the Step A shampoo, then take about half the moisture out with the dryer, leaving the fibre damp when the tannin goes on.
2. Apply section by section. Apply Step B from the roots to the ends section by section and comb it through evenly, because a missed panel is a missed result.
3. Leave 30 minutes. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes, since the bond keeps building the whole time it sits.
4. Rinse cold. Rinse well with cold or lukewarm water and remove the product completely, because residue under the iron scorches.
5. Dry and iron. Blow-dry, then iron slowly in thin sections, ten to twenty passes as the hair needs, and the bond sets.

Where it fits in the range

Step B is the smoothing half of the pair. The Cuticle Prepper Step A 1000ml is the clarifying wash that comes first, and the Step A + Step B kit 2x1000ml holds the pair in one box. After the service, the Chemical Repair duo is the sulfate-light aftercare that holds it. The rest of the line sits under Salvatore Tanino Therapy.

In short

• 500ml of the plant-tannin smoothing step, set with a flat iron
• Binds to the hair proteins and aligns the fibre from the cortex; no formaldehyde, no glyoxylic acid
• Step A wash first, apply, 30 minutes, rinse, then iron in thin sections
• Lasts 3 to 5 months with a sulfate-light aftercare; Step B of the A + B pair