I Didn't Realize How Damaged My Hair Was Until I Used This Repairing Treatment

By Sarah Siegel

Updated on 10/10/2023 at 5:30 PM

Amazon
Photo Illustration: Ava Cruz
Amazon
Photo Illustration: Ava Cruz
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A few years ago, I started lightly dyeing my hair with highlights, and while the color looks great, I noticed it started feeling drier than usual (as it tends to happen any time you chemically alter the hair). Looking for a remedy, I discovered that Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 ($30) had received thousands of five-star reviews on both Amazon and Sephora. So many colorists and hairstylists I've worked with as a beauty editor have also sworn by the professional version of the product before, so I figured it might solve my hair woes. Now that I've been using it for some time now, I can attest: it really works.

Keep reading for my full review of the Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3, and learn why it's worth every penny.

About Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3

  • This is a pre-shampoo hair treatment meant to help reduce breakage and split ends.
  • While it's intended for color-treated hair, it also works across textures.
  • It is formulated with patented bond-building technology to treat frizz and dryness in addition to restoring hair that has been weakened through breakage.
  • It's vegan and cruelty-free and is now made without lilial, a synthetic ingredient often tied to skin reactions that was recently banned from the EU.

What I Like About Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3

Once I decided to try it out, I hopped in the shower to wet my hair and then followed the directions by applying a liberal amount of the product from the roots to tips of my towel-dried hair and waited 10 minutes. I then rinsed, washed, and conditioned my hair as normal and went to bed.

When I woke up and my hair was dry, I was amazed by the results. Even after just one use it feels healthier than it has in years and has incredible volume.

How to Use Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3

This is meant to be used as a pre-shampoo treatment, so apply a generous amount from root to tips while hair is still damp (but not dripping). The brand recommends you leave it on for a minimum of 10 minutes before washing, but you can leave it on for longer as needed. (Some hairstylists even recommend you leave the treatment on overnight before shampooing in the morning if your hair is extremely damaged.) After that, rinse out with water and then shampoo and condition as usual.

For best results, Olaplex recommends you use it once a week to keep damaged or color-treated hair looking healthy, and I'm excited to incorporate this into my routine from here on out. If you've been curious to try it out yourself, don't sleep on this one.

Rating:
★★★★★