So I just lightened my hair for the summer and got an Olaplex treatment as part of the process. My hair colorist gave me part 3 to take home while part 1 & 2 were done in the salon. Whenever you dye your hair, whether you use bleach or no bleach, you are breaking the cuticle and weakening your hair strands. Sounds dramatic, but basically the makeup of your hair strands isn’t the same because you’ve opened up the outer layer. The texture feels different and breakage is more likely to happen.

No matter what your hair type is, we all get damage from styling, coloring, and just living in this world where our environment can also come into play like sun damage or swimming in a pool. But I wanted to share with you two preventative ways to protect your precious strands that are entirely different but both super effective. Here’s to ending that damaged relationship with your hair.

Treatment Mask

Treatment masks for hair are like body butter for skin or paraffin treatments for hands & feet. It’s an intense version of your conditioner that provides hydration and nourishment to fight frizz and damage. The difference between your conditioner and masks is in the ingredients. There are more beneficial oils and butters in masks and the application take 5 minutes after shampooing.

My go to treatment mask since high school has always been the Aussie brand 3 Minute Miracle Treatment. I think I’ve stuck with this product because the cool squirt bottle, color, and scent makes me feel some type of nostalgic way about summer showers after swimming in my neighborhood pool. That was when chlorine was damaging my hair, but now it’s the heat styling and coloring that’s causing it. It always seemed to work well for me until I tried Virtue Labs’ Restorative Treatment Mask.

I’ve been using Virtue Labs hair products for 8 months now and am in love with everything about the brand. They have a special keratin formula they put in all of their hair products that has been a game changer for my hair. They recently came out with a restorative treatment mask that I tried for the first time about a month ago. There was a clear difference between the Virtue mask and the Aussie mask I had been using.

First off, the texture was lightweight but still hydrating. I noticed there wasn’t as much buildup compared to the Aussie Brand. There are a lot more real oils whereas the Aussie brand only has jojoba oil listed and aloe extract. Virtue has sunflower seed, moringa, baobob, and olive oil along with 8 more plant extracts, and the special keratin formula. To sum it up, I felt like the Virtue mask melted into my hair and worked from the inside out to repair. The Aussie mask just sat on top of my hair strands and created a layer that acted as a protective barrier but could also turn into buildup.

Olaplex

Olaplex is a 3 step treatment – Bond Multiplier 1, Bond Perfector 2, and Hair Perfector 3. I’ve gotten Olaplex twice at the salon while coloring my hair. The Bond Multiplier 1 is added to the color process and the Bond Perfector 2 is applied when you rinse our the dye. The Hair Perfector 3 is the take home part where you use once a week. Without getting into too much detail about the science, it basically has an active ingredient that repairs broken chemical bonds in the strands of your hair.

So what’s the difference between a hair mask and Olaplex Hair Perfector #3? A treatment mask re-hydrates and Olaplex repairs. I would compare it to putting Neosporin on an opened wound vs stitching it back together. If you have a big cut, both are essentially needed during the healing process, but they both repair in different ways. Make sense?

The consistency of the take home #3 is like a serum. I’ve seen different ways to use it, but I have been applying it on damp hair after shampooing. I do it on days where I have a little extra time to take a shower. I apply it after shampooing then let it sit for 10 minutes. During this time I apply a face mask and do a sea salt body scrub or aztec clay mask on my body while standing in the shower. After the 10 minutes I rinse out the #3 and shampoo & condition as normal. You can also leave the treatment on overnight in a shower cap for longer if needed.

Olaplex is not only for colored hair. It can be used to strengthen chemically straightened, relaxed, or permed hair. It’s also used to tighten curls and repair curl patterns. Even if you have that untouched virgin hair, you may be damaging it with your dryer, curling iron, and straightener.

Verdict

There is a clear difference between hair treatments and Olaplex. Personally I would stick to hair treatments unless you have seriously damaged hair or color it regularly. Since I lightened my hair for the summer, I have been using the Olaplex 3 Hair Perfector every other week. If I decide to bleach my hair in the future, I’ll probably use it more often. I don’t foresee myself getting perms and my hair is naturally straight but if your hair has gone through any process in that realm, I would suggest giving #3 a try.

Olaplex is also a brand. There are other types of “bonders” on the market that claim to repair hair, but I haven’t tried them yet.

Treatment masks are easier and more convenient to use for your day to day life. An extra 5 minutes two times per week will get rid of dull hair and keep it vibrant and free of frizz. Since it’s not something you’re using every day, I think it’s okay to spend an extra $20 for a higher quality product like Virtue vs. Aussie Brand. I’ve definitely made the switch to Virtue and my hair has less frizz now compared to when I took this video! Make sure you look into the ingredients of what you’re buying so you know what you’re paying for!

Do you use hair treatments and/or Olaplex? What are your thoughts and results? Let me know in the comments below <3.