Salvatore Tanino Therapy Multifunctional Cuticle Repair Treatment Step G (500ml) is the salon cuticle step of the system, built on a tannin-and-collagen base. Its list shows no formaldehyde, no releaser and no glyoxylic acid. It goes on after the Step A wash. As Step G it conditions a roughened fibre with tannin, collagen and keratin, so the lengths comb out smoother. The 500ml salon jar.

Why this step

Colour, bleach and repeated heat leave the cuticle raised and the lengths rough. Step G is the conditioning point in a service, before the finish. The tannin and collagen are worked through the lengths, and the hair combs out smoother. We reach for it whenever a mid-service test-strand still feels dry through the body. It is made in Brazil at Salvatore's plant in Presidente Prudente.

Key ingredients

Tannin is the anchor, paired with hydrolysed collagen and keratin, plus hydrolysed wheat protein near the end of the list. Tucuma butter and coffee seed oil soften the feel, rosemary extract carries the scent, 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 G conditions the fibre. The full ingredient list and allergens are on the product image.

What to expect

Hair that combs out with much less drag and mid-lengths that read less porous 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, so it always follows the shampoo and comes before you carry on through the service.

Who it is for

• Colourists and stylists feeding the fibre inside a Tanino Therapy service
• Heat-worked or coloured hair that feels rough and porous
• Salons building the lettered system a step at a time and restocking Step G

Who it is not for

• Anyone after a smoothing alone, since Step G conditions and does not straighten
• A quick daily mask, because this is a salon jar meant for the chair
• Hair that only wants a light rinse-out conditioner rather than a protein step

Professional tip

The mistake we see is Step G rushed like a two-minute conditioner, when the fibre needs the full window to take the proteins in. Salvatore's own directions say to apply it section by section. Then you leave it in for 20 to 30 minutes and rinse until the product is fully removed. We would set a timer, comb it through once at the halfway mark so every strand is coated, and rinse only then. On very porous ends we keep it to the lengths and lift it off the roots.

How to use

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

Work it in strand by strand and comb it through, then hold it for the full time before you rinse. The more evenly you spread it, the more even the result down the lengths.

1. Apply lock by lock. On clean, towel-dried hair, apply Step G along the length and tips, and massage it in with your hands so no section is missed.
2. Comb and distribute. With a medium comb, work through the hair until the product spreads evenly and reaches every strand.
3. Leave it on. Let it act for twenty to thirty minutes.
4. Rinse clean. Rinse with cold or warm water until the product is fully removed. To finish, Salvatore suggests a blow-dry and a flat iron at a temperature suited to the hair type.

Where it fits in the range

Step G is one of the lettered steps a stylist reaches for inside 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, because Step G empties ahead of the steps around it.

In short

• 500ml salon jar for mid-service protein care on tired hair
• A tannin, collagen and protein blend, with no formaldehyde on the list
• Section by section, comb through, half an hour, rinse clean
• Conditions the fibre mid-service; it does not smooth or wash