At the risk of sounding dramatic, Olaplex may save your hair.
I have had dry, frizzy, wavy hair my whole life that I had no idea how to care for. The only thing I knew how to do was straighten it, which I did religiously for six years. The constant straightening, added with a lot of bleaching over the years, left it fried and in turn made it frizzier. This created a vicious cycle of adding heat to style my hair and the heat damage making it impossible to style. Scrolling through the video-sharing platform TikTok I noticed an increasing number of videos swearing by Olaplex. As with most products I had seen reviewed online, I was not expecting much but in short, it has changed my hair. My hair is recovering with my natural, frizz-free waves returning and finally, the vicious cycle is broken.
But what is Olaplex? Originally launching as a salon-only product, Olaplex soon moved into selling at-home products. Olaplex works in four ways: it firstly repairs the broken hair bonds, increases the strength, restores elasticity, and protects the hair from further breakage. Olaplex’s formula works to individually penetrate each strand to repair bonds rather than only adding a gloss coat on top, as many products on the market do. Olaplex’s website states their products are suitable for use on any hair type and bring hair back from being damaged to near its unprocessed, virgin state. In addition to this, all Olaplex products are cruelty-free and vegan.
So, what should you buy? Olapex has a range of products that can be daunting when first purchasing them. Their No. 0 product is an intensive bond-building hair treatment designed to be used with No. 3 and left in damp hair. The difference you will see in your hair by just using these two products together will be extremely impressive. For further damaged hair the No. 4 and No. 5 shampoo and conditioner can be used, while the No. 6 left in bond smoother used with the No.7 bonding oil reduces frizz and adds heat protection. While their products are suitable for daily use, I personally find that the products are slightly too strong for my hair daily. I instead use them once a week using my normal shampoo, conditioner, and heat protection for every other wash, of course though it’s trial and error for what may work for you.
While these products are on the more expensive side of the hair care market, their effectiveness makes them worth every penny. These products have been my holy grail and are products I absolutely swear by. Whether your hair only needs the smallest amount of help or if it’s deeply damaged, I recommend everyone to try it for themselves.
