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If you’ve looked into hair repair before, chances are you’ve seen the brand Olaplex. Few haircare lines have built a reputation like this brand. On top of its lofty promise to repair extreme damage, turning dry and brittle strands into “soft, shiny, and more resilient hair,” it comes with a cult following that swears by the alluring elixir. However, Olaplex’s success is deeper than any marketing ploy and rooted in science.
At a molecular level, Olaplex products support the bonds that hold hair strands together, making it one of the top hair care recommendations for restoring the follicle. Even after intense bleaching or excessive use of heat, Olaplex’s patented formula promises to rejuvenate your locks for a healthier, fuller look.
Olaplex Strong Days Ahead Hair Kit
Claimed Benefits: Hydrates, softens, repairs, and strengthens hair for visibly healthier locks. The kit comes with the Nº.3 Hair Perfector, Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, and Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner.
Of its limited range of goods, including treatment and styling products, the Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner reign supreme. Haircare gurus like Brad Mondo and SheRea DelSol have not only given these two products extensive reviews but have been known to use them as part of their own hair care regimen. Take it from the pros — these products are worth a try.
How Does Olaplex Repair Damaged Hair?
It all sounds too good to be true. Damage is not something that can easily be fixed. So, how can one brand promise so much? Science.
Your hair is filled with disulfide bonds, naturally occurring chemical sequences that hold together the proteins that make a hair follicle. Strong bonds make your hair look full, healthy, and shiny. Over time, these bonds weaken with excessive heat or styling, allowing the hair follicle to snap or break, resulting in split ends. If you suffer from dry hair or frizz, chances are the disulfide bonds in your hair need some love.
Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, a patented molecule within Olaplex’s products like the Nº.6 Bond Smoother not only restores these bonds to repair the follicle at a molecular level but fortifies them for healthy hair that can combat regular hair damage.
There are several ways to test or get the products at a discount. Olaplex offers students a 20% discount on all orders when registered to their site. Or, if you want to sample a range of their products without fully committing, grab the Olaplex Strong Start Hair Kit, which comes with five samples of their best-selling products for a fraction of the cost. Ulta also has discounts on the fan-favorite Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, as well as free samples of the Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo with a $60 Olaplex order.
Whether shopping on Amazon, Sephora, or Ulta, user reviews remain pretty consistent, ranging from pure praise to suggested tips on how to mix and match the products to maximize results. If you’re interested in Olaplex and want to give them a try, we’ve outlined a few fan favorites and suggested ways to use them according to other buyers.
Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment
Claimed Benefits: Use the Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment for deeper repair while strengthening and protecting the integrity of the hair. Only to be used with the Nº.3 Hair Perfector.
Promising Customer Feedback: “I’ve used the [product] twice and while I don’t think it’s a cure all, with immediate results it does show improvement.” —TeriseG
How to Use: Apply to dry hair, saturating from root to ends for a damp feel. Leave on for 10 minutes, then layer Nº.3 Hair Perfector over the product and leave on for another 10 minutes. Thoroughly rinse before washing.
Nº.3 Hair Perfector
Claimed Benefits: Nº.3 Hair Perfector is a pre-shampoo treatment that reduces breakage, strengthens hair, and repairs and protects deep within the hair strands.
Promising Customer Feedback: “I like using this product, been using it for a few years now and have seen a significant improvement on my hair.” —Liv
How to Use: Apply to damp hair from root to ends. Leave it on for 10 minutes for maximum efficacy, then rinse thoroughly, followed by washing. Users suggest this product is most beneficial for those with visibly damaged hair and will show little results for those with minimal damage. We recommend using once or twice a month with your haircare routine.
Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
Claimed Benefits: Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo improves manageability, softness, and shine, leaving hair looking healthier with fewer split ends.
Promising Customer Feedback: “Lathers really well. Smells good. Definitely an upgrade from my last shampoo.” —Tuesday
How to Use: Apply to wet hair, focusing on the scalp and working through to ends. Rinse and follow up with Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner for best results. Users suggest this is not a daily shampoo and should only be used once a week to every other week as a treatment rather than your main product.
Nº.4P Blonde Enhancing Toning Shampoo
Claimed Benefits: Nº.4P Blonde Enhancing Toning Shampoo neutralizes unwanted brassiness and yellow tones and cleanses without stripping and drying.
Promising Customer Feedback: “Ok so this is totally amazing at brightening your blonde. I will be using this for sure in between salon appointments.” —Stephanie Blake
How to Use: Apply to wet hair, distributing evenly. Lather fully and leave in for 1-3 minutes, then rinse. Leave on hair for up to 5 minutes before rinsing for more intense toning. Like the Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, users suggest this product as a treatment, not for daily use. Users also suggest following this product with an intense conditioner as it can be drying.
Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner
Claimed Benefits: Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner produces softer, shinier, and healthier-looking hair with each use by conditioning the follicle after washing. Reduces damage, split ends, frizz, and flyaways.
Promising Customer Feedback: “After a single use there was a noticeable difference to my dry hair. After multiple uses the results were remarkable. Expensive but worth the price.” —Mary Jo Johnson
How to Use: Remove excess water from the hair after washing. Work through evenly and leave on for 3 minutes before rinsing. Users suggest this is not a daily conditioner and should only be used once a week to every other week as a treatment rather than your main product.
Nº.7 Bonding Oil
Claimed Benefits: Nº.7 Bonding Oil strengthens and protects for visibly healthier-looking hair, and enhances shine, softness, and color vibrancy. It also provides heat protection up to 450ºF (232ºC).
Promising Customer Feedback: “The accumulative effects are better than most hair oil. It doesn’t cause my hair to become sticky or dirty even after using it every few days.” —Pamela
How to Use: Apply a small amount to damp or dry hair and style as normal. Users suggest focusing the oil at the ends of the hair and letting it set for 10 minutes before styling.
Nº.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum
Claimed Benefits: Nº.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum neutralizes free radicals and protects against pollution for up to 48 hours. improves style memory and bounceback curls with heat protection up to 450ºF (232ºC).
Promising Customer Feedback: “This product right here is amazing!!!! I have 4c thick hair, and after a wash, I apply this before blow drying my hair, and OMGGGGGG!!!” —Eddy
How to Use: Before styling, apply a small amount to damp, towel-dried hair, working upward from ends to roots. Users note this product can leave a tacky feeling to the hair if too much product is applied. If you suffer from oily hair, test this product on the dry, damaged ends rather than the whole head.
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