If you’ve been a hair coloring enthusiast for a while, I’m sure you’ve heard of the term “Olaplex” recently. It has become a staple in salons across the world and if you haven’t tried it yet then perhaps it’s time that you do! I’d like to share with you some information about Olaplex 0, Olaplex 3, & Olaplex 8, what it is, how it works, and why it should be included in your at-home kit as well. Let’s take a look.
What Is Olaplex?
In 2010, two chemists were developing a product to help fix broken down chemical bonds in the hair during lightening processes – both color and bleach were tested. testing this new product on various lightened samples, they noticed that the lightened hair seemed “healthier” and more resistant to breakage and damage and was even showing signs of growing. They continued their research to see what properties allowed this remarkable result and eventually discovered that it was a compound called “Bond Multiplier”.
They decided to name their product Olaplex! Bond Multiplier is its proper name but as you can imagine, it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily as Olaplex. The formula has been patented by Dr Eric Pressly (one of the two chemists) despite being a fairly simple combination of amino acids, thioglycolic acid, and sodium hydroxide.
What Does Olaplex 0, Olaplex 3, & Olaplex 8 Do?
In short, it fixes broken down chemical bonds in the hair. When you lighten your hair, the top layer of the cuticle gets broken off. If this breakage happens on a large scale then that part of your hair is going to be extremely weak and prone to damage and breakage. This is where Olaplex 0, Olaplex 3, & Olaplex 8 step in – as an insurance policy if you will – repairing those broken bonds so they become as good as new again! It also allows for more dramatic lighting with less damage which means no more trips to your hairdresser every six weeks to cover up the regrowth.
How Does Olaplex Work?
Olaplex works with your hair in three steps – Olaplex No 0, Olaplex No 3, & Olaplex No 8, you can use it on its own if your hair is in good condition, but when combined with coloring processes or bleach, the results are amplified!
The way Olaplex works is by using a single active ingredient called “Undo” which is meant to reactivate disulphide bonds in the hair. These bonds are responsible for holding your strand of hair together tightly so it doesn’t break. This molecule attaches itself to broken sulphur (S) atoms along the strand and then links them back together once they have been reduced to fresh SH groups. Once these disulphide linkages have been repaired, they are then ready to be exposed to bleach or color again without risk of breakage.
How to use Olaplex 0 and Olaplex 3?
You can use Olaplex No 0 with any hair color or chemical service that you would normally do. You can apply Olaplex 0 to your hair before application of any chemical service such as bleach, lightener, etc.
You don’t necessarily need a developer with Olaplex – but you can use one if you want. You will get better results just using conditioner! If you do use Olaplex with a developer make sure it is a very low volume (5-10 vol). We recommend Paul Mitchell The Color XG or O way 10 Volume. Mix in equal parts and only leave on the given time on the instruction sheet for each given service.
If you are applying Olaplex No 3 – this is done after bleaching when the hair is lifted at least 2 levels lighter than where you want your end result to be. There is no waiting period for Olaplex 3.
You simply apply it to clean, towel dried hair and leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing. You can then go ahead with your normal color process (normally all over bleach or permanent dye).
