The Olaplex No. 3 has been in my routine for the last couple of years. Recently more of their products have been made available to the general public to purchase. As pricey as they are, I jumped on the opportunity to be able to try out salon grade hair care. If you’re unaware what Olaplex is, it is a multi-system of haircare products that aim to repair damaged hair that works for all hair types.

Their products are made with a patent system to repair damaged hair. This is done with the usage of patented single ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. It’s said to repair hair from thermal effects (hot tools), chemical damage (relaxers, coloring and keratin treatments), overall tugging/brushing the hair, and environmental factors. 

I know everyone has different needs and expectation when trying out new hair products. My review is based on my thoughts and overall hair results I’ve experience while using the Olaplex system for the last year. My hair is natural curly- coily. My hair is very fine and in the past couple of years I experienced some significant damage due to a scalp condition. Since then I’ve been on the road to repair and restore my hair.

No. 0- Intensive Bond Building Treatment

Price: $28 for 5.2 oz

Overview: The No. 0 is said to prime the hair and to absorb the No.3 treatment better. It’s supposed to be applied to dry hair and to fully saturate each section of hair. It’s said to last at least 3-6 applications (depending on the length of your hair).

The No 0. Treatment is suggested to be applied to dry hair and to let it absorb into the hair for 5-10 minutes prior to moving on to the next steps.

When applying the No. 0 Treatment, I start on dry unwashed hair. I saturate my hair with the pre-treatment. It’s recommended to be left on for a few minutes prior to adding the No.3. I like that this treatment has minimum ingredients. What I dislike is that the nozzle is very small-making which made it difficult dispense at a slow rate (this can easily be altered by cutting the nozzle), but this did take a substantial amount of time to fully saturate my hair.

I believe I was able to get 5-6 applications from this bottle. I really can’t tell if this really did much for my hair. I know many people swear by all kinds of primers, but in this instance I didn’t see much of change while using it. For that reason, I don’t think I would repurchase the No.0 Treatment.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

-Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate- a hair ingredient known as bond builders which help to protect hair while hair while being treated with bleach

No. 3- Hair Perfector

Price: $28 for 3.0z

I’ve repurchased the No.3 treatment more times than I am able to count. This is the one product in the system that I’ve using the longest (over 2 years). The No 3. is said to be the best seller from the line and I can easily understand why.

The No.3 is said to reduce breakage and visibly strength the hair. I’ve gone back and forth when I would use the treatment with every shampoo (1x a week) or every other week and I definitely noticed a greater effect using it more frequently.

Con- the 3oz bottle only gives me about 2.5-3 uses. If you have very thick or long hair you may only get 1-1.5 uses from this bottle. In the past several years I’ve seen a jumbo size, which is 8.5oz a few times. But it’s not something that they make on a regular basis. Even with it being so costly, I will definitely continue to purchase the No.3 treatment.

Misconceptions about No. 3

-It’s a deep conditioner. – This is not a deep conditioner. No 3. Is also NOT a product you just slap on and think your hair is going to feel magically smooth afterwards. It’s a treatment and I do believe you should still use a conditioner or some type of deep conditioner when washing your hair.

- You only need to keep it on for 10 minutes – In fact, you can keep the No.3 treatment for as long as you want. I tend to keep mine in overnight because the treatment is so pricey. I feel like the longer it can penetrate my hair, the better!

-That you should wash your hair prior to using it- NO- from what I understand, the No.3 should be applied to damp hair, but it doesn’t need to be shampoo prior to using.

Ingredients: Water, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Quaternium-91, Sodium Benzoate, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Polyquaternium-37, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Etidronic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Phytantriol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate.

No. 4- Bond Shampoo

Price: $28 for 8.5oz

The shampoo is said to repair and protect. It’s also said to leave the hair shinier, help with frizz and is color safe.

I’m so picky about my shampoos. I feel like the majority of them leave my hair feeling super dry and tangled. But I was so surprised by the Olaplex Shampoo. The texture of the shampoo is very creamy and only a little bit of product is needed to get to a good lather. I love that this shampoo leaves my hair so soft and manageable. With most shampoos my hair tends to feel stripped, tangled and gives a super squeaky clean, which usually means its too striping for my hair.

Being that the Olaplex line is on the pricier side, I tend to use this shampoo with every other hair wash. I do think this a shampoo that would work for most hair types- especially those with curly hair as the shampoo is moisturizing and helps to tame frizz. Even with the No.4 Shampoo being so pricey, this has now made it my Holy Grail status and I will continue to purchase.

Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol,Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate, Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Chloride, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Isododecane, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Fragrance, Panthenol, Phospholipids, Dimethicone PEG-7 Isostearate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Ferment Filtrate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate, Tocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate, Quaternium-95, Propanediol, Punica Granatum Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, PEG-8, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Disodium EDTA, Polysilicone-15, C11-15 Pareth-7, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, PEG-45M, PEG-7 Amodimethicone, Amodimethicone, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Laureth-9, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, PEG-4, Phenoxyethanol, Hexyl Cinnamal.

No. 5- Bond Conditioner 

Price: $28 for 8.5oz

The Bond Maintenance Conditioner is said to deeply hydrate, repair and strength the hair.

The first thing I noticed when using the conditioner was how thick it is. Most wash out conditioners are on the thinner side, but this one has a great consistency. I prefer thicker conditioners as my hair is like a sponge and soaks up conditioner. As per the directions, the conditioner is to be applied from scalp to the tips of the hair. Once rinsed out my hair feel very soft and I feel that it even helps to loosen up any tangles that may have been in my hair. If you have naturally curly-coily hair, this conditioner provides a decent amount of “slip”.

The question is do I feel the need for this? Not exactly. At some points of usage, I was using this conditioner and then following up with a deep conditioner. But I don’t think this was necessary. Being that I prefer to use heavier hair masks, I think next time around I’ll hold off on purchasing this conditioner. As much as I like it, I don’t really have the need as I have a ton of deep conditioners in my collection. But if you’re someone who doesn’t feel the need to deep condition or you don’t have the time in your schedule, then this may be for you.

Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, PPF-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate, Quaternium-91, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Isododecane, Cetyl Esters, Behentrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Phospholipids, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Dimethicone PEG-7 Isostearate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, PEG-7 Amodimethicone, PEG-45M, Amodimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Polysilicone-15, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, C11-15 Pareth-7, Sodium Polyacrylate, C12-13 Pareth-3, C12-13 Pareth-23, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Laureth-9, Trideceth-12, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Acetic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Tocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Quaternium-95, Propanediol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, PEG-8, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Punica Granatum Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Palmitoyl Myristyl Serinate, BHT, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate , Biotin, Citral, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Chlorphenesin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, PEG-4 Laurate, PEG-4 Dilaurate, PEG-4, Etidronic Acid.

Overall Olaplex Review

Overall my hair is curlier. My hair feels stronger! I do think this is something that can be achieved when used on a continuous basis. I’ve tried many repair hair products but nothing compares to Olaplex. I believe their main ingredient is patented, so it’s highly unlikely to find a similar combination. I’m happy I gave myself an extended amount of time to try out the products as I now know which products work for me and which products I can pass on. The No. 3 has been in my routine for over 2 years now and I’ll continue to use. When used on a continuous basis, I’ve seen great results.

My top two products from the line if you didn’t already notice is the No.3 Perfector and the No.4 Shampoo. These are two products that I see myself purchasing on a continuous basis. The shampoo is expensive, but I find that the bottle lasts me a very long time. The No.3 has been in my hair care routine for quite some time and has helped it tremendously. I do wish the No.3 was permanently sold in the larger size.

As previously mentioned, I do not plan on repurchasing the Primer No.0 and the Conditioner No.5 as I don’t feel the need for them in my routine. You also may have noticed I didn’t mention the No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Crème and No. 7 Bonding Oil. These are both products to be used after washing and conditioning the hair. I just feel like these products are not needed for my hair styling needs. Perhaps, if I used heat or chemicals (relaxer, color dyes) on my hair, I would feel the need to use these.

Pros about the Olaplex system?

-The entire line is color safe

-I like the each product is sold separately and consumers are not forced to purchase an entire line for just 1 or 2 products that interest them.

-I do think the majority of the products from the line work well.  

-If you’re interested in trying out Olaplex, but not wanting to commit to the full sizes, they offer the Olaplex Trial Kit that includes 4 of their popular products- No.3, No.4, No.5 and No.6 and it retails for $25.

Con’s about the Olaplex system?

-The price is the number one con. Paying almost $30 for each product within the line is expensive.

-The entire line is not approved for the Curly Girl Method. The Curly Girl Method is a system for caring for curly hair. It involves certain practices for the hair that reinforces not using silicones, sulfates, drying alcohols and offers overall styling techniques. Thankfully, the No.3 is approved for this method.

I hope this review helped you get a grasp of the Olaplex hair care line along with my thoughts of the products.

If you have tried any of the products from the line, which ones? If you don’t use Olaplex, what are some of the products that you use that helps to repair and restore your hair?

Further Reading: Olaplex No. 3 Previous Review & Other Hair Care Favorites