Salvatore Tanino Therapy Curly Collagen Cleansing Shampoo Step M (1000ml) is the curly-line cleansing shampoo of the Tanino Therapy system, a collagen wash for curls and waves. Its list shows no formaldehyde and no glyoxylic acid. It is Step M, the cleanse that comes first, before the Step N mask. It cleans on a laureth sulfate base kept gentle, lifting oil without stripping the pattern. The 1000ml back-bar bottle.

Why this shampoo

Textured hair dries fastest at the ends, and a harsh wash makes that worse by lifting the little moisture a curl holds. Step M is built to clean without that cost: it cuts oil and product on a gentler sulfate base and leaves collagen behind, which the label credits with holding water in the curl. We wash textured clients with it before any mask or leave-in, because a clean, evenly wet head lets the next steps land. If you want to see how the curly steps fit together, our Tanino Therapy on curly and afro hair guide walks through it. Made in Brazil at Salvatore's plant in Presidente Prudente.

Key ingredients

The cleanse runs on sodium laureth sulfate, so this is a real shampoo rather than a low-foam cleanser, kept softer by its co-surfactants. Collagen is the added active the label leans on, credited with keeping the fibre moist and less porous through the wash. It is a rinse-out shampoo, so there is nothing left on the hair and no formaldehyde on the list. The full ingredient panel and allergens are on the product image.

What to expect

Curls that come out clean but still soft, ends that do not squeak dry, and a scalp that feels washed rather than stripped. It foams and rinses like a normal shampoo, which is the point on a full head of texture. What it is not is a co-wash or a no-poo cleanser, so anyone avoiding sulfates entirely should know it cleans with one.

Who it is for

• Curly, wavy and afro hair that needs a real clean without a harsh strip
• Salons running the M, N and O curly routine on the chair
• Anyone restocking the wash step of the curly system

Who it is not for

• Anyone avoiding sulfates entirely, since this cleans with a laureth sulfate
• Very dry, fragile coils that only want a co-wash between full washes
• Straight, fine hair looking for a light daily shampoo rather than a curl cleanse

Professional tip

The mistake we see is curls scrubbed at the lengths, which roughs up the cuticle and brings on frizz before the mask even goes on. Salvatore's own directions say to "massage without rubbing the scalp" and to distribute the shampoo along the length to the tips. We would lather at the roots, let the suds slide down, and squeeze rather than scrub through the ends. On very coiled hair we go two rounds, a quick first wash to lift product and a second to actually clean.

How to use

Use it as your first curly step, on wet hair, before the mask and leave-in. The cleaner and more evenly wet you get the head, the better the steps that follow take.

Massage it in at the scalp without rubbing, then draw the lather down your lengths. Rinse well, and wash a second time if the hair was heavily coated.

1. Wet and apply. On wet hair, apply Step M evenly to the strands and massage it in without rubbing the scalp.
2. Draw it down. Distribute the product along the length to the tips so the whole curl is cleaned.
3. Rinse clean. Rinse until the water runs clear, removing the product completely.
4. Repeat if needed. Wash a second time on heavily coated hair, then move on to the Step N mask.

Where it fits in the range

Step M opens the curly sequence among the lettered steps; our Tanino Therapy steps A to O guide shows the order they run in. It travels with the mask and leave-in in the MNO max curly nutrition kit 2000ml, and the rest of the range sits under Salvatore Tanino Therapy. We would stock the litre for the back-bar and the MNO kit for clients taking the routine home.

In short

• 1000ml back-bar bottle, the wash step of the curly routine
• A collagen cleanse on a gentle laureth sulfate base, with no formaldehyde on the list
• Lather at the roots, draw down, rinse, a second wash on coated hair
• A real shampoo, not a co-wash; it cleans with a sulfate