Salvatore Tanino Therapy Tanino Smoothing Kit A + B (2x1000ml) is Salvatore's core two-step smoothing service, worked without formaldehyde or glyoxylic acid. Step A clarifies and preps the fibre, and Step B lays a plant tannin that is set section by section with a flat iron. It takes frizz and bulk down for a lasting, natural finish, with keratin along for condition rather than for the smoothing itself.

Why this service

This is the two-step that the rest of the system is built around. The wash clears the way so the tannin can bind, and the smoother eases the surface into a straighter line that the iron sets. We reach for it when a client wants frizz gone and a smooth finish that holds through the weeks, not just a blow-out for the day. It smooths rather than reconstructs, so very damaged hair is better built back first. Made in Brazil at Salvatore's plant in Presidente Prudente.

What is in the kit

Two products, run as one service. Step A is the Cuticle Prepper, a clarifying shampoo that lifts product and buildup so the tannin meets a clean fibre. Step B is the Capillary Styling smoother, the plant polyphenol combed through towel-dried hair and set with a flat iron per Salvatore's protocol. Each pack carries its own ingredient list.

What to expect

Hair comes out smoother and lighter through the lengths, the frizz calmed and the surface easier to blow out, and the finish holds far longer than a styling. Because the smoothing is a tannin rather than a harsh straightener, the natural movement stays and it grows out softly with no hard line. A gentle aftercare wash at home stretches it further between services. The look reads sleek and natural, never glassy.

Who it is for

• Frizz and bulk a client wants gone and easier to manage day to day
• Coloured and bleached hair, since the tannin carries no formaldehyde releaser, after a strand test
• Anyone who wants a lasting smooth finish rather than a day's blow-out

Who it is not for

• A client after a poker-straight, glassy look, which a tannin smoothing is not
• Hair too fragile to take the service, where a strand test warns you off first
• A home user on their own, since the tannin step belongs in professional hands

Professional tip

The result lives in the prep, and the slip we see most is a rushed clarify. Wash twice with Step A until the hair squeaks, because any residue keeps the tannin from laying evenly. Take clean, thin sections through Step B and dry each before you press it, so the smooth line sets true. We would rather you work smaller sections slowly than chase the clock.

How to use

Run the two in order, from the clarify to the smoother, on hair you have planned and parted. The tannin wants an even canvas, so do not rush the wash or crowd the sections.

Keep your parts thin and your passes patient, because the finish is only as even as the work you put in. Dry each section fully before the iron.

1. Clarify with Step A. Shampoo twice and rinse, because product on the strand keeps the tannin from binding evenly to a clean fibre.
2. Lay the tannin with Step B. Towel the hair, comb the smoother through in sections and leave it its pack time, so the plant tannin eases the surface before the iron.
3. Set section by section. Dry each thin section and press it with the flat iron per the protocol, so the tannin locks the smooth line in place.
4. Rinse and finish. Rinse as the protocol directs and blow out, because the straighter line is already set and only needs drying into shape.

Where it fits in the range

The A and B kit is the heart of the system, the lasting smoothing the other boxes are measured against. When the hair is very damaged, the reconstruction kit builds it back first, and for a quick volume drop the reset box is the lighter road. What tannin smoothing is and how it works is set out in our taninoplastia explained. How it compares with the Blue Gold line is in our Tanino Therapy vs Blue Gold comparison. The trade-offs and who it is not for are in our tannin smoothing disadvantages and risks guide. The rest of the range sits under Salvatore Tanino Therapy.

In short

• A 2x1000ml two-part smoothing kit, no formaldehyde and no glyoxylic acid
• Clarify, then lay an iron-set plant tannin for a lasting, natural smooth
• Take thin sections and dry each before the iron for an even result
• Smooths rather than reconstructs; build very damaged hair back first