Will the Olaplex Treatment Really Give You Stronger Hair? Learn Everything You Need to Know Here!
In the quest for great hair, there are key benefits everyone looks for in damaged hair treatment. They include strength, shine, less breakage, and split ends repair. Many people go through multiple products trying to find the one that’s perfect for them and their hair.
One of the salon products on the market that promises great things is the Olaplex treatment. It consists of three products that work in concert to help damaged hair and rebuild broken hair bonds.
Most people first hear about Olaplex hair treatment from their local salon, since their 1 2 3 treatment is “for professional use only.” However, they do also offer the Olaplex 3 before and after treatment along with their No. 4 & 5 products for sale to consumers.
So, how well does Olaplex work? Is it damaging to hair?
You’re about to find out! We’ve drilled down into multiple Olaplex 3 reviews to learn more about this hair care product and the results it gets.
Our ultimate AdvisoryHQ News Olaplex review will also answer other common consumer questions like, “How long does Olaplex last?”, “Will I find that Olaplex damaged my hair?”, and “Can I leave Olaplex on overnight safely?”.
Before you say “yes” to Olaplex, you’ll want to read our detailed review to find out whether this product is safe and if Olaplex treatment reviews score this a winning or losing hair care product.
AdvisoryHQ Olaplex Review | Who Makes Olaplex?
Olaplex was invented by two self-described “garage chemists,” Dr. Craig Hawker and Dr. Eric Pressly. Finding background information on the company, other than articles talking about their products, is not easy at first, so we tried a Whois domain name lookup.
The registrant for olaplex.com is Liqwd, Inc. based in California. The domain for Olaplex hair treatment was first created in February of 2013.
The company successfully sued L’Oréal for infringement of their patent, US 9,498,419, and in those court documents, it mentions the Olaplex treatment first coming to market in 2014. Olaplex is named as the sole licensee of the patent by Liqwd, Inc.
On their Linkedin page, Olaplex says they have the largest social media presence in the hair care industry and over 1 million users of their products worldwide. Olaplex hair treatment is used in 876,455 salons around the globe.
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How Does Olaplex Work?
So, how exactly does Olaplex work and what makes it so popular? The Olaplex 1 2 3 system is a three-step process that seeks out broken bonds in the hair caused by these three types of damage:
- Chemical
- Thermal
- Mechanical
The key way Olaplex 1 2 3 works is by adding a molecule that reconnects broken disulfide sulfur bonds in the hair. These bonds can be damaged by bleaching, coloring, and regularly being subject to heat during styling.
What’s a Disulfide Sulfur Bond?
Put simply, hair contains Keratin proteins, which is why you’ll often hear Keratin mentioned in hair care products. Those Keratin proteins contain a sulfur atom, and typically two sulfur atoms will join to create a disulfide sulfur bond, which acts as a link between two proteins.
These protein links contribute to your hair’s shape and strength. Things that can break these links are exposure to chemical treatments, heat, and sunlight. When the links between the proteins are broken, your hair looks damaged, dull, and is easily broken or split.
Olaplex treatment uses a special molecule to repair those link breaks by adding an artificial, extended disulfide sulfur bridge. The repair process happens pretty quickly according to Olaplex reviews on the science and greatly reduces hair damage, especially during the coloring process.
Can You Buy Olaplex Hair Treatment Yourself?
The original Olaplex treatment was designed to be used at the salon during the coloring process, however, due to customers asking where to buy Olaplex without a license (a cosmetology license, that is), the company has brought out a second system, Olaplex 3 4 5 that can be used at home.
When we get into customer Olaplex reviews, we’re going to be looking at ones for the whole system and Olaplex No. 3 reviews, which is the product you don’t need a license to buy.
Now, let’s take a look at the products included in the total Olaplex treatment process.
Olaplex Review of the 1 2 3 Treatment (Salon)
The treatment by Olaplex that you might have had at a salon includes the following three products:
- Olaplex No. 1 Bond Multiplier®
- Olaplex No. 2 Bond Perfector®
- Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
Numbers 1 & 2 are typically used by beauty professionals only and are treatments used during a hair coloring process (in addition to the coloring). Olaplex 3 reviews show that this product is used at home as a follow-up treatment.
Here’s what each product does.
No. 1 Bond Multiplier® is a concentrate mixed with water and rebuilds those broken disulfide bonds.
No. 2 Bond Perfector® is applied right over No. 1 and continues the rebuilding and restoring process to create shinier, stronger, and healthier hair.
No. 3 Hair Perfector is used at home to provide continuous protection from ongoing hair damage during your day-to-day styling.
Olaplex Review of the 3 4 5 Treatment (Home)
If you’re looking for where to buy Olaplex without a license, you can easily purchase the Olaplex 3 4 5 treatment from their website to keep your hair looking healthy. This group includes:
- 3 Hair Perfector
- 4 Bond Maintenance™ Shampoo
- 5 Bond Maintenance™ Conditioner
Since we already know what No 3 does, we’ll look at what they say about the other two Olaplex treatment at home products.
No. 4 Bond Maintenance ™ Shampoo is designed for all hair types and provides gentle cleaning while imparting moisture, strength, and manageability.
No. 5 Bond Maintenance™ Conditioner restores, repairs, and hydrated hair in a light-weight formula.
In addition to purchasing on the company’s website, you can usually find Olaplex treatment products for sale at your local salon. We’ll include some places at the end of the review if you’re wondering where to buy Olaplex without a license for the 1 2 3 treatment.
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How Much Does It Cost? | Olaplex Price
If you’re looking for the Olaplex before and after transformation at your salon with the professional 1 2 3 system, then the Olaplex price will vary.
We researched several Olaplex 3 reviews and found a few pricing references to give you an idea of the Olaplex price for treatment at a salon.
- In one Olaplex review, the reviewer said their salon charged $50 for an Olaplex 1 2 3 treatment.
- We found some Olaplex 3 reviews from hairdressers that said the Olaplex treatment price they charged customers is in the range of $30 to $40.
If you’re purchasing the consumer products, Nos. 3 4 5, then the Olaplex treatment price is $28 for each of the three products on the manufacturer’s website.
You can also compare that with other Olaplex treatment prices you find online. But, if you order from a 3rd party (like on Amazon), make sure you ask about the sell-by date so you’re not getting out of date products.
Olaplex Before and After Testimonials
Wondering about Olaplex reviews with photos? A quick search on “Olaplex before and after” brings up tons of images shared by users and salons. Many of them show damaged and dry hair in a “before” picture next to shiny, healthy hair in an “after” picture.
Some of the most popular places online to find Olaplex before and after photos are:
- Sephora
- Yelp
Here are a few of the comments given with these Olaplex 3 before and after reviews:
- “Amazing! I noticed that my blonde pieces seem brighter.”
- “Olaplex is exactly the miracle treatment I was hoping it would be.”
- “Silky, smooth and healthy looking”
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Olaplex Review | Frequently Asked Questions
We wanted to address some of the common questions people have about this hair treatment product, such as, “How long does Olaplex last?” and “Can I leave Olaplex on overnight?”. Inquisitive minds want to know!
Here are answers to those Olaplex No. 3 review questions, plus a few more.
Q: How long does Olaplex last?
A: According to Olaplex reviews, you might feel like you need another treatment after about 4 to 6 weeks. If you color your hair regularly, you can have it done each time you color.
For the home-use product, Olaplex No. 3 reviews say that if you have moderately damaged hair, once a week should be fine for using that product. If your hair is more severely damaged, then you may want to use it 2 or 3 times a week.
Q: Can I leave Olaplex on overnight?
A: The Olaplex instructions say to leave it on for a minimum of 10 minutes and that the longer you leave it on, the better for shinier and healthier hair.
You can safely leave it on overnight, according to Olaplex treatment reviews, without worrying about waking up to, “Olaplex damaged my hair!”, but you should make sure it doesn’t get in your eyes. Olaplex is meant to be washed out, so after you wake up, rinse it.
Q: Will Olaplex wash out already colored hair?
A: No. Olaplex is usually used along with hair color and many Olaplex 3 reviews say it makes their hair look brighter, but does not wash it out.
Q: Do I have to use Olaplex with hair color?
A: No, the Olaplex treatment can be used as a stand-alone hair repair treatment and doesn’t need to be used along with hair color.
Q: Do I need No. 1 and No. 2 or can I just use Olaplex No. 3?
A: Olaplex No. 3 reviews confirm that you can just use the No. 3 treatment if you like, but your hair won’t get as much help as it does from the entire 1 2 3 treatment.
Q: Will Olaplex damage my hair?
A: Hair is generally damaged by bleaches and chemical used in the dying process, but not from the Olaplex treatment. The products do not contain any silicone, sulfates, phthalates, DEA, or aldehydes.
It’s formulated to repair hair, not damage it.
Q: Does heat need to be applied during the Olaplex treatment?
A: No, you do not need to apply heat while treating your hair with Olaplex.
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Olaplex Treatment Reviews from Customers
While you may see Instagram “influencers” giving praise in their Olaplex review, it’s time to find out how this product really works! Does it make your hair as soft, healthy, and strong as it promises?
We’ve scoured the web for Olaplex reviews bad and good to bring you the truth about this hair repair system. We’ve included consumer Olaplex review highlights and lowlights so you can make your mind up for yourself.
We’ll start with an overview of Olaplex 3 reviews and ratings. This will give you a good picture of the product’s overall score and whether there were more Olaplex reviews bad than good, or vice versa.
Olaplex Review & Ratings
- Amazon (1,767 Olaplex 3 reviews) – 4 out of 5
- Influenster (601 Olaplex reviews) – 4.8 out of 5
- MakeupAlley (107 Olaplex 3 reviews) – 4 out of 5
- Sephora (1,382 Olaplex reviews) – 4.5 out of 5
Those are pretty decent scores. Now, let’s hear what Olaplex reviewers had to say about this repair treatment. We’ll start with the negative and end with the positive.
Olaplex Reviews Negative
- One Olaplex review at Sephora said their hair felt great right after using it, but after they washed their hair it seemed gone. If asked, “How long does Olaplex last?” they’d answer, not long enough to be worth the price.
- In another negative Olaplex review the reviewer said, “Olaplex damaged my hair.” They found it breaking more after using the product and they said it was the worst product they’ve ever used.
- It left their hair feeling sticky and tacky was the complaint in an Olaplex review on Amazon. They said it was a big disappointment and make it impossible to blow dry their hair and dried it out even more than it had been before.
- In one of the Olaplex 3 reviews on Influenster, the reviewer said they’ve used it twice and left it in between 3 to 12 hours and it did nothing. They felt it was ridiculous for the $28 Olaplex price.
Olaplex Reviews Positive
- In a positive Olaplex review at MakeupAlley, the over 50 reviewer said Olaplex is a must if you color your hair. They said it’s the stuff of miracles and it leaves their hair soft and shiny.
- A reviewer at Sephora said they get their hair relaxed, highlighted, and color treated regularly, and after using the Olaplex treatment their hair never felt so soft and healthy. They like that they can keep up the treatment at home with Olaplex No. 3.
- A reviewer with frizzy hair gave a 5-star Olaplex review. They said the product works wonders and is worth the price. They would definitely recommend it to friends.
- The benefits are instantly noticeable after an Olaplex treatment said one reviewer on Influenster. They said it leaves their hair feeling healthy and strong and has something that other hair care products don’t.
Where to Buy Olaplex Without a License
If you are interested in using the salon products, Olaplex No. 1 and No. 2 at home, but don’t have a cosmetology license, there are some places you can find it to purchase.
Just be aware that the reason certain hair care products are typically only sold to professionals is that some expertise is needed in order to properly apply the treatment. So you’ll want to be very diligent about following the instructions to the letter.
Looking for where to buy Olaplex without a license? Here are a few places:
- Amazon
- eBay
- Keratin Hair Boutique
- Walmart (online)
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AdvisoryHQ’s Olaplex Review Conclusion
If you’ve been struggling with dry, damaged hair and haven’t been able to find a conditioner that can help, then you may want to look into the Olaplex treatment.
The products are based upon patented formulations, that were even successfully defended in court against hair care giant, L’Oreal. So there is some legitimate science behind these hair repair serums.
Reviews for the products are overwhelmingly positive. We did note that in Olaplex reviews where damaged hair by Olaplex was mentioned, often the reviewer chemically treated or bleached their hair quite a bit, so it’s possible that the damage was already very severe.
It’s a good idea to speak with your hair care professional if you’re worried that Olaplex might not work for you. They can do a strand test to check before doing a full application.
Another positive is that the Olaplex treatments are purchased outright, meaning there is no subscription service to sign up for, as you’ll see with some beauty products. We found that a great majority of customers gave Olaplex high praise.
So, if you’ve been seeking healthier, shinier, and stronger hair, Olaplex is an excellent product to consider. It is pricier than your typical conditioner, but for many people, it’s well worth the price.
Image sources:
- https://olaplex.com/
- https://olaplex.com/pages/how-it-works
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/95631192064147469/
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