Have you ever heard of Olaplex? If not, where have you been? Olaplex has taken the hair world by storm and for good reason. It’s an amazing collection of products that can do wonders for your hair but where do you start?

What is Olaplex and How Does it Work?

Olaplex is one of a few bond-building treatment treatments on the market today that help to actually repair damaged hair. Disulfide bonds in your hair strands are responsible for giving the hair its strength and elasticity. This translates to less frizz and breakage and the ability to grow your hair longer or subject it to more styling manipulation.

All products in the Olaplex line contain a patented active ingredient called Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. This ingredient rebuilds disulfide bonds in the hair shaft that break down from heat styling, manual manipulation (like putting your hair in a tight pony tail), chemical processing, and age of the strand.

In addition to repairing these bonds, Olaplex helps to protect the hair from future damage and makes it more resilient to breakage. This makes Olaplex especially popular for those of us who can’t help but torture our hair with damaging hair processes like straightening with a flat iron or bleaching.

Olaplex’s product line can all be used on all hair types, including color-treated and chemically-treated hair. In fact, it was originally created for use only by salon professionals alongside color treatments. Today, you can still go the salon route or you can try the majority of the product line at home for similar results.

Does Olaplex really work?

Reviews from many thousands of satisfied users say it does. Many report seeing results after just the first use! Clinical studies on Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate also suggest that this signature ingredient really does repair damaged hair bonds so its not all marketing hype. Importantly, since Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate is patented, no other product lines can claim to be a real dupe.

What are the best Olaplex products?

When people talk about Olaplex, they are often talking about the Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector. This is the most popular at-home product that Olaplex offers but it definitely isn’t your only option.

Olaplex uses a numbering system that isn’t super helpful. Do you apply them all in the order of the numbers? Are they in the order of most concentrated active ingredients? The numbering can get a little confusing for those new to the brand but don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it.

Our Picks for Best Olaplex Products – Ranked

We’ve ranked the entire product line from best to worst you’ll know what to pick up and what to skip.

A Couple of Notes

• Olaplex does not release the official percentage of Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate contained in each product though smarty pants consumers on the internet have been able to make estimates based on the ingredients list. I’ve included estimates below when available.
• Olaplex No. 1 Bond Multiplier and Olaplex No. 2 Bond Perfector are only available to be sold to salon professionals. You may still be able to pick them up on Ebay but honestly its probably not worth the trouble. . Olaplex No. 1 Bond Multiplier is estimated to have between 50-80% of the active ingredient while Olaplex No. 2 Bond Perfector is likely around 15%.
• A higher percentage of Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is better. Olaplex No. 1 Bond Multiplier is meant to be mixed with bleach, for example, so it’s high percentage will be diluted in the end product. In addition, the overall formulation of each product plays an important role in how your hair feels after you’ve used it. It’s also important to remember that more isn’t always better as anyone who has taken massive amounts of Vitamin C only to see it flushed down the bowl can tell you.

While there are many Olaplex products to choose from, hopefully this guide helped point you in the right direction! The whole line is outstanding so you really can’t go wrong no matter which product you choose to repair damaged hair or prevent future damage.