Salvatore Tanino Therapy Chemical Repair Mask Step 2 (250ml) is the rinse-off mask for hair that has been smoothed, coloured or lightened, in a pH-control formula built on macadamia seed oil, collagen and keratin. The list carries no formaldehyde, no formaldehyde releaser, no glyoxylic acid and no sulfates. It is Step 2 of Salvatore's aftercare pair: after the Step 1 shampoo has cleaned and set the pH, this jar feeds the fibre and closes the cuticle in 3 to 5 minutes. Sold on its own here, or as the 550 ml duo.

Why this mask

Chemical work leaves the cuticle open and the fibre short of the lipids and proteins it lost on the way. Salvatore's own label describes the job as re-balancing those proteins and lipids and helping to settle the excess alkalinity a chemical process leaves behind. The macadamia oil is sixth on the list, ahead of most of the base. We'd hand this jar to every client leaving a Blue Gold Premium service, because a smoothing only holds on a cuticle that stays closed between visits.

Key ingredients

Cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol and ceteareth-20 form the cream base, with cetrimonium and behentrimonium as the conditioning quats. Macadamia ternifolia seed oil is the lipid. Collagen and keratin are the two proteins, panthenol and silanetriol the two humectants. An amodimethicone and phenyl trimethicone give slip and shine, the first bonding to damaged sites rather than coating everything. Citric acid sets the pH; hydroxypropyl starch phosphate keeps the cream light. Preserved with sodium benzoate. Full INCI on the product image.

What to expect

Ends that stop catching, lengths that comb through wet, and a shine that comes from a closed cuticle rather than a coating. What we tell clients is plain. This mask does not add smoothing, it protects the smoothing already in the hair.

Who it is for

• Clients going home after a tannin smoothing who need a mask that keeps the cuticle closed
• Coloured, highlighted or bleached hair that feels dry and rough at the ends
• Anyone replacing the mask half of the duo

Who it is not for

• Virgin hair with no chemical history, where the Restructuring or Moisturizer masks suit better
• Anyone expecting a smoothing effect from the jar, because it maintains and does not straighten
• The root area, since this is a lengths-and-ends mask and the Scalp duo covers the scalp

Professional tip

The mistake we see most is the mask left to sit on the top layer while the underneath stays dry. Comb it through with a medium comb before you start counting, because the product only works where it touches. Salvatore's own jar makes the same point: detangle with a medium comb so the mask is absorbed completely. And take the label's second piece of advice, which we agree with. Alternate this jar with the Restructuring line when the hair needs body as well as balance.

How to use

Use it as the second of two steps, after the Chemical Repair shampoo, daily if the label's daily-use line fits the client, or on wash days at the very least. Rinse with cool or warm water; hot water reopens the cuticle you have just closed.

The order matters because the mask cannot bond to hair that still carries residue or the alkaline pH of a salon service. The shampoo takes those away first. A small amount is the printed quantity, so a 250 ml jar lasts a normal head of hair a good few weeks.

1. Squeeze first. After the shampoo, press the excess water out with your hands, because the mask spreads further on damp hair than on dripping hair.
2. Glove it through. Take a small amount and work it through the lengths and ends with your hands, so the ends, which need it most, get it first.
3. Comb. Comb it through with a medium comb until the whole length takes it up, which is what the label asks for.
4. Leave 3 to 5 minutes. That is the time the label gives, because the mask is absorbed within it and a longer wait adds little.
5. Rinse and finish. Rinse thoroughly, because any mask left on the hair dulls it, then style as you like. Close the jar and keep it out of the shower spray.

Where it fits in the range

This is the second half of the pair; the Step 1 shampoo 300ml is the half that cleans, and the 550ml duo is the two together. We'd buy the pair first and this jar alone when the mask runs out ahead of the bottle. The other concerns, scalp, blond, body, curl and moisture, each have their own pair under Salvatore Home Care.

In short

• 250 ml of the mask a smoothing client should be using, daily
• Macadamia oil sixth on the list, two proteins and panthenol behind it
• Daily use printed on the jar; squeeze, glove through, comb, 3 to 5 minutes, rinse
• Step 2 of the pair; the 300 ml shampoo goes before it

The Chemical Repair line is the home care that follows a salon smoothing service. The Salvatore home care chooser shows which set follows which service, and the aftercare guide covers the first thirty days.