The 12 Best Hair Gloss Treatments

May 2024 · 11 minute read

There’s something so confidence-boosting about walking out of the salon with freshly-perfected color. Your hair looks shiny, smooth, and virtually flawless — and it feels good. Of course, without the proper upkeep, that stunning color can quickly fade. That’s why hair glosses exist. What started as in-salon treatments for neutralizing brassiness, enhancing tone, and ratcheting the shine factor up to 100, has since evolved into the at-home haircare market, too. 

Instead of investing your precious time researching dozens of hair glosses, you can count on us. With the help of celebrity hairstylists, we’ve come up with the 12 best hair gloss treatments. Hoping to make your red hair more vibrant? There’s a gloss for that. Or perhaps you’re looking to nix brassy undertones from your blonde mane? There’s a gloss for that, too. The point is: There’s a gloss for every hair color. That said, if color isn’t your goal but shine is, clear glosses exist for just that reason. 

“You can do a clear shine or what I like to call a ‘top coat’ that has no color but all the benefits of a gloss after your hair color service,” says celebrity hairstylist Sunnie Brook. “This will extend the life of your hair color and maximize shine.”

Since shine and color are ultimately the goal for everyone, we dubbed the Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Clear Hair Gloss our overall top pick. But that’s just one of many. 

Ahead, uncover the 12 best hair gloss treatments to try at home.

Best Overall

Pureology Hair Gloss

Amazon Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss

Amazon

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If your ultimate hair goal is to achieve high-shine tresses, Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Gloss is a great option. The clear doesn’t contain any pigment, yet it’s designed to nix brassiness and enhance shine. It’s formulated to work on fine, medium, and thick hair, as well, so it’s truly universal. Color-treated hair may want to opt for one of the pigmented versions — like blue or purple for brassiness; or red, copper, or gold for amping up highlights and color.

Shades: 6 | Size: 6.7 fl oz. | Processing Time: 5 minutes

Best Value

Kristin Ess Signature Hair Gloss

Amazon Kristen Ess Signature Hair Gloss

Amazon

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Kristin Ess is a celebrity hairstylist and the founder of eponymous haircare brand, Kristin Ess Hair. Many of her products have earned cult-favorite status, and according to celebrity hairstylist Eddie Cook, her Signature Hair Gloss is hard to beat. “The Kristin Ess Signature Hair Gloss would be for someone that likes doing their own hair because it comes in lots of shades to add color or tone. This product also seals the cuticle and adds shine,” he says. InStyle Senior Beauty Editor, Shannon Bauer, swears by it saying, “Finding products for my red hair can be tricky. Many shades skew toward burgundy or strawberry blonde, but the Copper Penny color is perfect for most redheads.”

Shades: 9 | Size: 2 fl oz. | Processing Time: 10 to 20 minutes

Best Shade Range

dpHue Gloss+

dpHue Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color and Deep Conditioner

Amazon

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Like the Pureology gloss, dpHUE Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color and Deep Conditioner is sold in clear, as well as 10 other shades targeted toward blondes, brunettes, and redheads. Celebrity hairstylist Kadi Lee is a big fan of this particular gloss given it’s formulated (and co-founded) by celebrity colorist Justin Anderson. “You just can [be] rest assured that factors such as timing (which is crucial) have been well thought out,” she says. “The glosses offered are specifically targeted, and thus a bit more foolproof.”

Shades: 11 | Size: 6.5 fl oz. | Processing Time: 3 to 20 minutes

Best for Bold Colors

Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask

Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask

Sephora

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Although the Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask comes in neutral colors like Cocoa brown and Champagne blonde, it’s also sold in bolder hues like Lilac, Rose Gold, Coral, Aquamarine, and Hibiscus (a Barbiecore hot pink). The brand makes it easy to see how the product will transform your natural hair color, thanks to its comprehensive color chart. Plus, the product itself has notes of the signature Moroccanoil scent, so it smells good, too.

Shades: 10 | Size: 6.7 fl oz. | Processing Time: 5 to 7 minutes

Best Splurge

Christophe Robin Shade Variation Care Mask

Cristophe Robin Shade Variation Care Mask

Cristophe Robin

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Thousands of Sephora shoppers agree: Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask is well worth the splurge — and celebrity hairstylists agree. Brook loves the Ash Brown Mask for her brassy-prone brunette clients. “They can use this color depositing mask at home every two to four weeks and neutralize unwanted brass or yellow tones in their hair,” she says.

Meanwhile, Lee applauds the product for its ability to noticeably shift, tone, and richen color. “The shades offered are also really rich in pigment, and leave hair incredibly shiny and reflective,” she says. “My personal favorites are the chestnut and copper shades. These two shades are notorious for fading quickly post-salon visit, and I often recommend these masks to my clients to keep their shades of warm brown, reds, and copper amplified and rich.”

Shades: 5 | Size: 8.33 oz. | Processing Time: 5 to 30 minutes

Best Fast-Acting Gloss

Amika Hair Gloss Mask

Amika Flash Instant Shine Hair Gloss Mask

Amazon

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Hoping for incredibly shiny hair as quickly as possible? Amika Flash Instant Shine Mask is a must. “It seals the cuticle while also softening the hair and adding shine,” Cook says, noting that it’s suitable for all hair types. This liquid mask contains amino acids to fight frizz and protect color, and flaxseed provides that enviable shine.

Shades: 1 | Size: 6.7 fl oz. | Processing Time: 60 seconds

Best Everyday

Bread Hair Oil

Bread Beauty Supply Hair Oil

Sephora

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No time to perform an in-shower gloss treatment? Check out Bread Beauty Supply's best-selling Hair Oil Everyday Gloss. Designed to soften and smooth curls while imparting mega shine, this Black-owned beauty product has earned praise from over 18,000 Sephora shoppers. Although formulated specifically with curls in mind, this oil is worth a shot as it’s rich in kakadu plum and safflower oil to give that glossy finish.

Shades: 1 | Size: 3.3 fl oz. | Processing Time: Designed to be left in or used as a 2-hour mask

Best for Brass

Biolage ColorBalm Color Depositing Conditioner

Biolage ColorBalm Color Depositing Conditioner

Amazon

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Brassiness might be most associated with blondes, but it can happen with brunette and red shades, too. Thankfully, Biolage ColorBalm Color Depositing Conditioner works to neutralize brass while enhancing shine — and it happens to be one of Brook’s all-time faves. “Once every two to four weeks, I love mixing a pea-size amount of the lavender into a palm-size amount of the clear,” she says. “This makes my blondes have a soft creamy (no yellow) highlight in just 10 minutes.”

Shades: 7 | Size: 8.5 fl oz. | Processing Time: 5 to 10 minutes

Best Oil

Roz Willow Glen Treatment Oil

Roz Willow Glen Treatment Oil What We LoveWhat We Don’t Love

Created by celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak, the Roz Willow Glen Treatment Oil operates much like a gloss. “It helps with dry scalp and can be applied all over either before a shower, overnight, or worn through a workout then washed out,” Cook says, adding that it pumps up the shine first and foremost, functioning much like other high-quality hair oils. “This is good for all hair types.”

Shades: N/A | Size: 1.95 fl oz. | Processing Time: 10 minutes as a wash-out treatment or overnight as a mask

Best Spray

Miss Jessie’s Gloss So Good Natural Hair Oil Spray

Miss Jessie’s Gloss So Good Natural Hair Oil Spray

Amazon

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Craving daily glossing benefits? Miss Jessie’s Gloss So Good Natural Hair Oil Spray is here to help. Designed specifically for curls, this spray is infused with safflower seed oil, olive fruit oil, sesame seed oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, tamanu oil, and primrose oil, all of which work together to hydrate hair, lock in moisture, prevent frizz, and enhance shine.

Shades: N/A | Size: 6 oz. | Processing Time: Leave-In

Best Glaze-Gloss Hybrid

Glaze Super Gloss

Glaze Super Gloss

Glaze

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If you have a neutral hair color — think blonde, brunette, or red — Glaze has a great gloss for you. Bonus points: It’s affordable and adorably packaged, too. The brand’s Glaze Super Gloss is formulated to drastically enhance shine while revving up color, and the results are said to last up to 10 washes (which could be quite a while if you’re a seldom washer). Not sure which color you want to move forward with? There’s a comprehensive hair quiz to help you figure it out.

Shades: 10 | Size: 6.4 fl oz. | Processing Time: 10 minutes

Best Demi-Permanent

Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color

Clairol Natural Instincts Demi-Permanent Hair Color

Amazon

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If you have dark blonde or brunette hair, celebrity hairstylist Jeremy Tardo says that Clairol Natural Instincts Demi-Permanent Hair Color is a great gloss option. “It’s vegan and has naturally-derived ingredients like coconut oil and aloe vera that help to nourish and protect your hair,” he says. “This makes it a great option for hair types that get easily dehydrated from other hair color.” Plus, there are over 30 shades to choose from and the results last for up to 28 shampoos, he points out.

Shades: 32 | Size: One application | Processing Time: 20 minutes

What to Keep in Mind

Verbiage

A hair gloss is designed to add shine, neutralize brassiness, and enhance color. That said, not all products that do those things are called glosses — some are glazes, masks, leave-in conditioners, shine sprays, and oils. The point is, you can’t get fully hung up on verbiage. That said, Lee points out that, generally speaking, a ‘glaze’ pumps up the shine, while a ‘gloss’ adds shine plus tone-shifting properties. 

Your natural hair color

According to Lee, pigmented at-home gloss applications are safest for brunettes, redheads, and darker blondes. “Pale blondes are trickier, and it’s easy for this to go sideways,” she admits. “When in doubt, I would leave it in the hands of professionals, as most colorists offer some variation of a gloss or toner service that can be done in between colorings to lengthen the life of your color.” You could also opt for a clear gloss — all of the sheen with none of the risk. 

Your hair texture

Your hair texture can play a role in how well a gloss can penetrate your strands. With that in mind, Tardo suggests having a colorist assess your texture and condition of your hair. “While gloss color is not considered permanent hair color, if your hair is very porous, gloss colors could stick to your hair for longer than expected,” he says. “A clear gloss is a safe option for all hair textures if you want to benefit from the added shine without any color commitment at all.”

Pre-gloss prep

Since most glosses add slight color, Lee says that fast application is paramount for even coverage. That said, before starting the process, make sure you have all your materials in one place so that you can complete your gloss as quickly as possible. Additionally, she suggests pre-conditioning your hair prior to the glossing, as doing so balances texture, moisture, and porosity, which will help the product process more evenly. 

Your Questions, Answered

What is a hair gloss treatment?

A hair gloss treatment is one that imparts temporary hair color and/or shine, Brook says. “It benefits the overall health and softness of your hair,” she adds. “It can also replace the amino acids that your hair may have lost from a chemical service.”

While hair glosses are traditionally in-salon treatments designed to close the cuticle of the hair to enhance shine, deepen color, and adjust the tone of the hair, Cook admits that more and more at-home glosses are entering the market.

These at-home glosses are typically deposit only and do not contain ammonia. “This means that the gloss lays more on the surface layers of your hair and washes out over time,” Tardo explains. “A gloss can be done as a clear coat of color which won’t affect your current hair color at all, or pigment can be added which gives a toner effect to your gloss. A pigmented gloss (often referred to as a toner) can be used to shift the tone of hair or to darken hair, but not to lighten hair.”

How often can you do an at-home hair gloss?

It depends on the product you’re using, as well as your hair texture, lifestyle, and care routine, Brook says. In that way, Cook says that at-home hair glosses can be applied on an "as needed” basis. “If your color or hair feels dull, then it may be time for a little glossing,” he explains. “No more than twice a month, but once should be plenty.”

Some glosses even last up to six to eight weeks depending on how often you wash your hair. Less shampooing = longer amount of time between treatments.

Why Shop With Us

Rebecca Norris is a full-time freelance writer. She writes for a variety of publications, covering everything from beauty and wellness to style and celebrity news. For the best hair gloss treatments, Norris scoured the web for all of the options for different hair types and colors before consulting hairstylists for their opinion. Hairstylists Eddie Cook, Sunnie Brook, Kadi Lee, and Jeremy Tardo gave product recommendations as well as advice on how to use the product at-home.

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