Cortex Reconstructor Step J 500ml - Salvatore Tanino Therapy

Salvatore Tanino Therapy Cortex Reconstructor Step J (500ml) is the salon cortex mask of the Tanino Therapy system, built on an amino-acid and keratin blend. Its list shows no formaldehyde, no releaser and no glyoxylic acid. It goes on after the Step A wash. As Step J it works deep in the cortex, gathering the amino acids a fibre is made from and bringing back the mass that colour, bleach and heat wear away. The 500ml salon jar.

At a glance

Role: the deep cortex step of the lettered system, used mid-service to put mass back
Best for: limp, over-processed hair that has gone soft and lost its body
Hair type: fine or weakened hair inside a Tanino Therapy service, and heavily coloured lengths
Key actives: an amino-acid, keratin and collagen blend with silk amino acids, glycerin and macadamia
Size: 500ml salon jar

Why this step

Repeated colour and heat break down the keratin inside the cortex, and hair that has lost that internal mass goes limp, stretchy and dull. Step J is where you feed that core back before the finish. Its amino acids and keratin move into the fibre, top up what has drained away and give the hair back its body. We reach for it on fine or badly coloured hair that stretches when wet, because that stretch is the sign of a hollow cortex. It is made in Brazil at Salvatore's plant in Presidente Prudente.

Key ingredients

The blend leads on amino acids and keratin, the proteins a strand is built from, with collagen and silk amino acids alongside them. Glycerin holds water in the fibre, macadamia and tucuma butter soften the feel, and sodium benzoate does the preserving in place of a formaldehyde releaser. There is no glyoxylic acid and nothing that straightens on its own, because Step J rebuilds the core. The colourants and full allergen list are on the product image.

What to expect

Hair that feels denser and springier, ends that stop stretching under tension, and lengths that hold a shape once dried. It is a professional mask that does its work in half an hour on the chair, not an overnight home product. It is also not a wash: it follows the shampoo and precedes the rest of the service.

Who it is for

Stylists rebuilding body in fine or over-processed hair inside a service
Limp, stretchy, heavily coloured or bleached lengths that have gone soft
Salons building the lettered system a step at a time and restocking Step J

Who it is not for

Anyone after a smoothing alone, since Step J rebuilds body and does not straighten
A quick daily mask, because this is a salon jar meant for the chair
Hair that is already strong and only wants a light rinse-out conditioner

Professional tip

The mistake we see is Step J stretched over the whole head when only the ends are hollow, which weighs down roots that never needed it. Salvatore's own directions say to apply it along the length and tips and to "leave it in for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse." We would keep it off the first few centimetres at the scalp, comb it once so the mid-lengths and ends are evenly loaded, and hold the full time. On very fine hair we lean shorter within that window, because too much mass can flatten a fine head.

How to use

Use it mid-service, on hair already washed with the Tanino Therapy shampoo, so the cortex is clean and open before the proteins go in. Take your time here, because the leave-on window is where the step earns its place.

Work it through the lengths and ends, comb it through, then hold it for the full time before you rinse. The more evenly you spread it, the more even the body down the lengths.

Apply to length and tips. On clean, towel-dried hair, apply Step J from the mid-lengths to the ends, and massage it in with your hands so no section is missed.
Comb and distribute. With a medium comb, work through the hair until the product spreads evenly and reaches every strand.
Leave it on. Let it act for twenty to thirty minutes so the amino acids move into the cortex.
Rinse clean. Rinse until the water runs clear, then carry on with the rest of your service.

External use only. Avoid the eyes and rinse with running water if contact happens. Keep the jar closed, below 40 degrees and out of sunlight, and out of reach of children and pets. If any abnormal reaction occurs, stop and seek advice. Declared allergens: linalool, hexyl cinnamal, coumarin.

Where it fits in the range

Step J is one of the lettered steps a stylist reaches for during a service. Our Tanino Therapy steps A to O guide shows where this step sits and what pairs with it. It also travels in the A + G + J reconstruction kit 2000ml, the three protein steps in one box, and the wider range sits under Salvatore Tanino Therapy. We would keep the single jar on the bench, where a cortex step earns its keep.

In short

500ml salon jar for deep cortex care on limp, over-processed hair
An amino-acid and protein blend, with no formaldehyde on the list
Mid-lengths and ends, comb through, half an hour, rinse clean
Rebuilds body from the cortex mid-service; it does not smooth or wash

The Tanino Therapy system, and where Step J sits

Tanino Therapy steps A to O: every lettered step from A to O and the order to run them
A + G + J reconstruction kit 2000ml: steps A, G and J bundled for a full reconstruction service
Salvatore Tanino Therapy: the full smoothing and care line

Frequently asked questions

What does Step J do?

It works deep in the cortex, the core of the strand. An amino-acid blend tops up the internal mass that colour and heat drain away, so hair feels denser and stops stretching under tension. It rebuilds body and does not straighten.

How is Step J different from Step G?

Step G works on the cuticle, the outer layer, and flattens a rough surface. Step J goes deeper, into the cortex, and puts back internal mass. Fine, limp, over-processed hair usually wants J; rough, porous hair wants G. Many services use both.

Does it contain formaldehyde?

No. None of those appear on the label, and it is kept fresh with sodium benzoate instead of a releaser. You can read the whole panel on the product image.

How long do you leave it on?

Twenty to thirty minutes on clean hair, mid-service. Apply it to the lengths and ends, comb it through so each strand is coated, hold it the full window, then rinse until the water runs clear.

Can you use it at home?

It is built for the salon chair as part of a service. For care between visits, a rinse-out conditioner or a leave-in from the line suits everyday hair better than a professional cortex step.

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