This At-Home Gloss Treatment Saves Me a Trip to the Salon

My favorite hair salon visits tend to include a gloss treatment. I occasionally get them between color appointments, and it's like an energy drink for my hair; a revitalizing boost without having to sit in the salon chair for a few extra hours getting foils. If you're new to hair gloss entirely, it's a treatment that adds shine, smooths frizz, and enhances your hair color, whether it's natural or dyed.

In all my years getting professional glosses, I had never tried them with my natural brunette hair color — until recently. Nor had I given myself a treatment; it's always been at the very skilled hands of a professional. But a couple of weeks back, a sample of the Redken Acidic Color Gloss Activated Glass Gloss Treatment ($38) landed on my doorstep and piqued my interest. Curious, I decided to put it to the test to see how it would enhance the appearance of my natural hair color. More on how that went, ahead.

Redken Acidic Color Gloss Activated Glass Gloss Treatment

From

$38

$38 at Ulta

I love the smoothing and shine-boosting results this at-home hair gloss treatment gives my hair. I've been using the treatment once a week for three weeks, and every time, I'm more impressed than the last. It enhances even my faint highlights, leaving my hair looking silky smooth and making styling a breeze. In the before-and-after photos below, take note of how dull and dry my hair looks before and how shiny and smooth it is after. Also worth noting: I didn't use a straightener on it, but I applied heat protectant, then blow-dried it with my go-to hot tool, followed by a quick pass with my blow-dry brush.

While the instructions on the bottle are brief, using it turned out to be more involved than it initially seemed. I reached out to the brand for clarification on the right amount to use, the recommended application area (whether all over or just mid-length to ends), and whether to rinse the product out before or after applying conditioner. Based on its guidance, here's how my application process unfolded:

I started by shampooing my hair as usual. After that, I followed the instructions outlined on the packaging, which (unfortunately) involved stepping out of the shower and removing some moisture from my hair to ensure it wasn't soaking wet. Then, I slipped my hands into disposable gloves and applied a generous amount of the treatment from my roots to ends, squirting a bit more into my palms to make sure I applied it evenly throughout my hair. I let it sit for five minutes (the brand recommends between five to 10) and jumped back in the shower with my head out of the water to shave while the treatment soaked in. Once the time was up, I finished by layering conditioner over the gloss, which I let sit for a minute or two before rinsing everything out.

The most important thing to consider before buying Redken's Acidic Color Gloss Treatment is the effort and patience it requires. If you want to get the most bang for your buck and avoid skin irritation, it's important you follow the steps carefully. Though it's not something I adhered to (and I should have), the brand recommends avoiding contact with your skin, meaning you should probably throw on an old T-shirt or a robe to keep your hair from coming into contact with your neck and back. I didn't and I was fine, but I wouldn't exactly encourage my lack of instruction-following.

Not all shoppers can get behind the process. For example, one person, who gave it a three-star rating and called it "good but inconvenient," wrote: "I like how shiny and smooth it made my hair, but the application process is too much for my low-maintenance hair-care routine. Since you have to wear gloves to apply and it says to avoid contact with skin, you can't just apply this in the shower. You have to put on a T-shirt to protect your neck, let it sit, then rinse it out in the sink with a shower head so it doesn't run down your body. Too much work for me - it's clear this was designed for a salon setting where your hair is in a sink." I agree with the latter but see it as a trade-off when trying a professional treatment at home. There are both good and not-so-good aspects to consider.

Redken's Acidic Color Gloss Treatment is available direct to consumer from the brand's website at redken.com or Ulta Beauty.

Rating:★★★★☆