My hair has been through a lot, to say the least. As a beauty editor, I’m no stranger to experimenting with different colours and testing various heat styling tools, all in the name of research (I know, it’s a hard job but someone’s gotta do it). It’s fair to say that, although fun, it does take its toll on the health of my hair. As well as leaning on the best hair masks out there to add much-needed moisture back into my lengths, I also turn to Olaplex No.3 to revive my broken strands.
Although you’ll have seen Olaplex everywhere (mostly on TikTok), you might still be unsure exactly what the treatment does. It’s different to a typical hair mask and needs to be used correctly to get the most out of it. After all, it doesn’t come cheap so you probably want to get as many benefits from it as you can.
Here, I dive into what Olaplex No.3 is, how it works, what its limitations are and how best to use it so that you're getting the most out of this hardworking product.
What is Olaplex No.3?
Starting at the beginning, let’s look at what Olaplex No. 3 actually is. Olaplex was founded in 2014 and began as a salon-only bonding treatment used during the hair colouring process. Thanks to the power of a patented ingredient called bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, Olaplex works to fix bonds caused by the bleaching process—but more on that later.
After a roaring success in the salon, the brand released Olaplex No.3 (the name comes as a follow on from No.1 and No.2 being the in-salon treatments) in 2018, which meant people could take the professional ingredient home.
Olaplex No.3 has the same ingredients as the No.2 formula but lower concentrations, so think of it as a mini treatment.
How does Olaplex No.3 work?
Olaplex works by basically repairing broken bonds thanks to bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate. This ingredient finds each strand that has been damaged due to bleaching, over-processing or chemical straightening and repairs each one by artificially linking each bond back together. That’s why these Olaplex or bond building 'dupes' won’t ever be as good as the real thing, because the ingredients don’t contain bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate.
In the salon, the treatment does exactly the same thing but has higher concentrations of the key ingredient. It's also used during the dyeing process to help reduce the damage that can be done by things like bleach.
Olaplex No.3 features
As for the product features, most people I know who have bought Olaplex without reading into what it is have been disappointed to see how small the bottle is (100ml is the standard size). But you truly don't need a lot to see the benefits. Add to that, the consistency is thinner than most moisture hair masks so it's much easier to work into the hair, particularly if you use a comb to distribute throughout.
The scent is pleasant, nothing particularly notable but nothing offensive either. It's light, fresh and actually reminds me of getting a treatment at the hair salon with my head resting on the wash basin. If you like your hair to smell particularly nice, I'd follow this treatment with a fragranced conditioner.
Olaplex No.3 Before and After
Here's a before and after following my Olaplex No.3 treatment. Believe it or not, both were blow dried straight but the natural texture of my hair in the before was misbehaving thanks to being somewhat frazzled. You can still see where my hair is damaged and dry from previous colouring, but it's helped repair strands and smooth out the lengths.
Limitations of Olaplex No.3
Although Olaplex No.3 isn’t a protein treatment (since it doesn’t contain enough to be classed as such), it’s not a moisturising treatment either. This is why some people don’t think the treatment works for them, and that’s because you likely don’t need it in the first place. Rather, you need a treatment to hydrate dry stands rather than fixing broken bonds.
For this reason, Olaplex No.3 shouldn’t be used in place of your conditioner or hydrating weekly mask. Think of it as an SOS if you’re bleaching, dyeing, chemically straightening or over-processing your hair. If you have virgin hair that is styled a few times a week and in great condition, stick to moisture masks.
How to use Olaplex No.3
Thanks to illness and life getting in the way, my hair has seen better days. After about 6 inches cut off a few weeks ago and bleached dye growing out in my ends, that hair is prone to damage and definitely needs some TLC. Thanks to heatless curls, I don’t use heat styling as much as I used to and I’m off colouring altogether. For that reason, I don’t need to use Olaplex No.3 religiously. If I were currently bleaching my hair and heat styling everyday, I would be reaching for the product far more.
Instead, I use Olaplex every few weeks when I feel like my hair is looking a little broken. As for hydrating hair masks, I grab those at least twice a week because my hair needs moisture more than anything.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is people using Olaplex without reading the instructions or understanding exactly what it is—too much of a good thing applies here.
Before you go any further, yes it takes a little extra effort, but it's well worth it. First, I wash my hair with shampoo and then gently towel dry. I then apply Olaplex No.3 through my mid-lengths and ends first then using what's left over applying to my scalp without working this in (I don't want too much in my roots). I leave this loosely in a bun for 10-20 minutes to marinate. Afterwards, I shampoo again (making sure I don’t scrub the ends of my hair with shampoo just let it wash over) and follow this with a conditioner. If I have extra time, for example while writing this story, I let the conditioner sit in my hair for another 10-20 minutes because why not? For the purpose of this story, I did use the Olaplex Shampoo and Conditioner. But generally, I switch up what I use and find the Olaplex No.3 works well with other products, too.
The result leaves my hair feeling and looking less like shredded straw, makes my brush pass through my lengths easier and gives is a healthier and significantly more shiny finish.
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