Salvatore Tanino Therapy Essential Oils Step E (60ml) is the finishing oil of the Tanino Therapy system, a light blend of silicones with macadamia and coconut oil. Its list shows no formaldehyde. It partners the Step D daily mask in the DE duo. On its own, as Step E, it lays a thin shield over the fibre before heat and leaves a soft, glassy shine after. The 60ml amber glass bottle.

Why this oil

Hot tools are where dry ends are made, and a bare fibre meeting a 200-degree plate loses water fast. Step E goes on first as a buffer: the oils sit on the surface, slow that water loss and let the heat pass more gently. Used after styling it does the second job, smoothing flyaways and giving the lengths a clean shine without weight. We keep a bottle at every station, because a drop before the iron saves more ends than any post-styling fix. It is made in Brazil at Salvatore's plant in Presidente Prudente.

Key ingredients

The base is a set of light silicones that spread thin and do not build up, carrying macadamia and coconut oil into the surface of the fibre. The label credits antioxidants, omegas and vitamin E for the conditioning feel. It is a leave-on finisher, so there is nothing to rinse and no formaldehyde on the list. The full ingredient panel and allergens are on the product image.

What to expect

A glassy shine on the lengths, ends that look sealed rather than frizzed, and a lighter touch than a heavy butter or balm. A little goes far: a drop or two covers most heads, and more than that turns shine into grease. It is a finisher and a heat buffer, not a deep conditioner: it works on the outside of the hair.

Who it is for

• Stylists who want a shield before the iron and a shine coat after
• Dry, dull or frizzy ends that need sealing without weight
• Anyone finishing a Tanino Therapy service or a daily blow-dry at home

Who it is not for

• Anyone after a deep mask, since an oil sits on the surface and does not rebuild the fibre
• Very fine hair used with a heavy hand, where a single drop is already plenty
• A scalp product, because an oil belongs on the lengths and ends

Professional tip

The mistake we see is too much oil poured straight onto the hair, which loads the mid-lengths and leaves them greasy. Salvatore's directions are to work it "from the inside out and from the length to the tips." We would emulsify a few drops between both palms first, press them onto the ends, then draw what is left up the lengths. On fine hair we start with a single drop, because you can always add and never take back.

How to use

Use it as a finisher, on dry or damp hair, either before hot tools to protect or after styling for shine. The trick is the amount, so measure it into your palm rather than onto the head.

Warm it between your hands, then press it in from the ends upward, because that is where dryness shows and the roots never need it. Add a second drop only if the ends still look thirsty.

1. Measure it out. Put two or three drops in your palm, less on fine hair and a touch more on thick or long hair.
2. Warm and spread. Rub it between both palms so it emulsifies and lands evenly instead of in one patch.
3. Work it in. Apply from the inside out and along the length to the tips, keeping it off the scalp.
4. Finish. Use it before the iron as a shield, or after styling for shine, and comb through to even it out.

Where it fits in the range

Step E is the finisher among the lettered steps; our Tanino Therapy steps A to O guide shows where it sits and what comes before it. It pairs with the daily mask in the DE daily nutrition kit 560ml, and the rest of the range sits under Salvatore Tanino Therapy. We would keep the single bottle at the station and the DE duo for the shelf, because the oil gets reached for daily.

In short

• 60ml amber glass bottle, the finishing and heat-shield oil of the lettered system
• Light silicones on a macadamia-and-coconut base, and no formaldehyde on the list
• Two or three drops, warmed in the palm, from the inside out to the tips
• Buffers heat and adds shine; it dresses the surface and does not feed the cortex