See the Winners: We Tested 23 Hair Glosses to Find the Treatments That Leave Hair Shiny, Soft, and Frizz-Free

This hair gloss won us over: The lightweight formula instantly boosted our hair’s shine and softness, while majorly taming frizz and flyaways. It’s enhanced with a humidity-blocking technology that leaves strands supple and moisture-repellent, making it a breeze to achieve a salon-worthy blowout at home. For those who heat style regularly, this is a game changer, even on color- or keratin-treated hair and extensions. Heat-activated polymer technology kicks in when you begin to brush and blow dry your hair, compressing strands into sleek and smooth perfection.

The relatively affordable formula is incredibly effective but temporary, so it needs to be applied after every wash to see results. We found that it lasted two to three days on average in between washes. To use, simply spritz the feather-light spray onto damp hair, then brush it out and blow dry. The mist is easy to use and never left our hair feeling greasy or weighed down — instead, our strands looked and felt healthier as soon as we applied it. They also appeared more hydrated, although the formula did not appear to actually impart moisture. 

Active Ingredients: Flower extracts | Size: 1.7 ounces, 6.7 ounces, 16.9 ounces

Nourishing Argan oil is the star player in this shine-enhancing formula. Much like our top pick, this professional-strength clear gloss works to boost vibrancy and hair color in a matter of minutes. Better yet, the results are impressively long-lasting — we only needed to reapply every two weeks. A little of the rich, creamy gel formula goes a long way, so while it’s a tiny bit pricier than our overall winner, it’s a worthwhile investment. 

Our results mimicked those that we see at the salon. In fact, they were so noticeable that our hair stylist even commended the upkeep of our color when we went in for a touch-up. Our strands looked healthier and more hydrated thanks to this moisture-locking formula. 

Active Ingredients: Argan oil, aspartic acid, dimethicone | 1 ounce, 6.7 ounces

For such a wallet-friendly pick, this hair gloss punches above its weight. It yielded more drastic results than the gloss that’s used at our salon: Our tester’s hair looked shinier and felt softer than it had in years after the very first use. While the effects are temporary, they lasted us a full week between applications and helped combat some of the dulling side effects of hard water. 

There’s a light scent that didn’t bother us at first, but it smelled a bit damp upon application — it wasn’t enough to put us off, and didn’t linger after we washed the product out. The formula itself is a light, fluffy foam which left our hair feeling lighter and cleaner after we rinsed it out, and even helped our shampoo to lather more easily. 

Active Ingredients: Propylene glycol | Size: 3.4 ounces

Heat and environmental pollutants are major culprits when it comes to dry, damaged hair — thankfully, this clear gloss protects against both. Prickly pear and white charcoal work to recondition and seal the cuticle for smooth, shiny hair. 

The serum-like consistency was a breeze to apply and to work into our hair routine, and we noticed immediate results: our hair looked and felt more moisturized, and our frizz was a thing of the past. This makes for a great touch-up product on a daily basis when frizz gets out of control — it instantly smoothes and softens. 

Running this oil through our hair helped to bring life back into our dry ends, which was a major plus. We also loved the refreshing fragrance, which added a nice clean feeling. We only wish the effects lasted longer! 

Active Ingredients: Vegan botanical caviar, prickly pear oil, white charcoal | Size: 2.5 ounces

For a speedy shortcut to smoother, softer hair, look no further than this fast-acting hair gloss. We loved that this mask only needs 60 seconds to soak in, making it an ideal pick for those in a rush or anyone who prefers a low-maintenance routine. Fine and oily hair types should apply it instead of conditioner to avoid weighing down hair; those with thick and dry hair can use it after shampoo and conditioner for added moisture. 

The serum-like consistency was easy to spread through wet strands and left our hair feeling weightless. While the product didn’t add much noticeable shine, we did see a major improvement in our frizz after every application. The formula left our hair feeling baby soft, especially after we blew it out. 

Active Ingredients: Flaxseed, amino acids, antioxidants | Size: 6.7 ounces

This award-winning formula is perfect for faking more frequent salon visits in between touch-ups. The product is available in 11 pigmented shades and one transparent hue, allowing you to easily find your perfect match for a quick and easy color boost whenever you need it. The formula isn’t designed to change the color of your hair (unless you opt for a darker hue than your current shade); instead, it adds depth and richness. 

Rubel warns that when using an at-home hair gloss for color maintenance, it’s a good idea to talk to your hairstylist first to make sure the product won’t negatively impact your color. It kept our color looking vibrant and fresh for a week at a time, adding professional-level shine and smoothness with each application. The creamy, conditioner-like consistency slicks down frizz and adds a glossy top-coat layer of shine.

Active Ingredients: Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone | Size: 6.5 ounces

We tested IKG Expensive Glaze Clear Gloss Top Coat on non-color-treated hair and were impressed with how touchably soft it left our strands. The shine-boosting formula is equipped with UV protection and is designed to seal the cuticle in order to prevent color fading and heat damage, and it certainly does its job. We noticed that the gloss even illuminated the light brown hue in our jet black hair during testing, creating depth and richness that lasted for a few days at a time.  

For those who are looking for a low-lift way to add some vibrance to their hair, this product is ideal: Simply use it in place of conditioner once or twice weekly for ultra-soft strands. While not the most dramatic shine-boosting formula, it does help enhance hair’s overall appearance and left us swishing our hair around, Pantene-commercial style! 

Active Ingredients: Amla oil, sea kelp extract, sunflower seed oil | Size: 4.2 ounces

This tone-enhancing, color- and keratin-safe hair gloss was crafted by celebrity hairstylist Kristin Ess herself, and it quickly won our tester’s seal of approval. We found it to be a super formula for boosting our color in between salon appointments, lasting three or four weeks after every application. 

The application process itself is relatively straightforward, and can be done in or out of the shower; we loved that the product didn’t stain our skin or shower one bit! We opted for a slightly richer shade of brown than our current color, and it created a majorly glossy sheen that boosted the look of our hair’s hydration and shine after the first use. 

The product is single-use only, which means more frequent re-ups for those looking to maintain their color this way, but moreover it’s ideal for those curious to try out at-home color solutions without making a big investment first. Plus, the price point is hard to beat given the quality and efficacy of the formula — our color looked dynamic and vibrant with one application. 

Active Ingredients: Propylene Glycol | Size: 4 ounces

L’Oreal is one of our go-tos when it comes to reliable drugstore heavy hitters, and this hair gloss is case in point. The wallet-friendly formula is nourishing and hydrating, infusing strands with an extra dose of moisture to help soften dry, brittle ends. We found this to be one of the best value options on the market, as it left our hair looking as soft and healthy as luxury name-brand products that cost more than triple the price. 

While this is designed as a tone-enhancing product, we’d sooner reach for this to help with hydration and shine, as it didn’t seem to have much of an effect on our tone. We even tried rinsing it out with cool water, but temperature didn’t seem to improve its toning capabilities. The creamy, generous formula was easy to apply and has a similar consistency to conditioner, instantly detangling our locks without weighing them down. 

Active Ingredients: Propylene Glycol | Size: 4 ounces

Of all the hair glosses we tested, this was one of the only ones that had a lasting effect on our overall hair health. It gives a similar feel to how soft hair feels after getting it done in a salon, according to our tester. We used it weekly for eight weeks, and at the end of the testing period, our hair looked noticeably shinier, felt softer and looked less frizzy than before. The most dramatic results — an instant boost of visible vibrancy and hydration — typically lasted three days.

Beyond general shine and softness, this helped to define our waves and enhanced professional highlights, allowing us to go longer between salon visits while maintaining salon-quality color. For a gloss that only needs to sit on hair for three to five minutes, this had some of the most noticeable results.

Active Ingredients: Soybean extract, watermelon extract, lychee extract, dimethicone | Size: 5.9 ounces

For ultra-soft, touchable tresses, our top pick is the Paul Mitchell HydraSoft Glossing Treatment. This clear gloss is a great option for those with uncolored and untreated hair — our tester even called their customer service line to confirm the product was suitable for their untreated locks. Each use enhanced our hair’s overall shine and sleekness, lacquering our strands with a glossy top coat that lasted a day or two. 

If you’re looking for longer-lasting results, consider some of the more targeted products on this list — but for a quick and easy fix that only takes 15 seconds (yes, you read that right!) to apply in the shower, this nourishing formula wins our vote.

Active Ingredients: White ginger root extract, Macadamia seed oil, Jojoba seed oil, Avocado oil, Beet root extract, aloe extract | Size: 8 ounces

This product earned top scores across the board for its sleek, shine-enhancing formula. Perhaps our favorite thing about this formula is that it gave our brittle ends a major dose of hydration, helping to seal and repair the cuticle. This in turn helped reduce our everyday frizz, creating softer and shinier locks. The results lasted for 48 hours after every use, and left our hair feeling overall softer by the end of the testing period. 

The runny formula can be slightly tricky and messy to apply — we ended up spilling much of it in the shower at first, until we learned to work with smaller amounts of product at a time. This helped us apply it more evenly, and it rinses out beautifully to leave our hair feeling soft and detangled. We also appreciated that despite the professional-quality results, this formula doesn’t feature that chemical smell you get with most salon hair products. 

Active Ingredients: Oat milk, camellia oil, olive oil | Size: 6.7 ounces