Shutterstock / Sofia Zhuravetc. By Celeste Polanco ·Updated April 8, 2024
As a curly girl, I sometimes feel left out when certain hair care products are not marketed towards my hair type. I scroll endlessly on TikTok as “the blowout girlies” would rave about the magical effects of Olaplex. They’d show off their perfect before and after results: a beautiful bouncy and, most importantly, healthy blowout. I watched in awe, thinking, “my hair could never.” As Olaplex grew increasingly popular, I couldn’t help but feel a little envy for not being included in an incredible product that was changing loosely textured hair by the minute.
I was confused and honored when the social media manager from Olaplex asked if I’d like to receive their products. Naturally, I went to their page to see if anyone with my hair type had tried the brand—there were tons of photos of flawless blowouts and very few women with coily hair textures.
As much as I wanted to decline respectfully, let’s be honest: free products in this economy are gold. I accepted it, and the product arrived in no time. I opened the packaging and noticed a few models on the box with effortless blowouts. The marketing didn’t make me feel too confident that the product was made for my hair type, but I decided to try it out and let it speak for itself.
The Number 4 Bonding Maintenance Shampoo lathered easily throughout my thick, wet hair strands. I gently worked the product into my scalp and ends of my hair to remove all the build-up from the past week. Despite the first wash working through my hair just fine, I went in with a second cleanse to ensure my scalp could get the refreshment it needed. It was then that the product was genuinely able to target my strands and provide a deeper cleanse.
There was a moment in the shower when I debated if I should use the Number 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner or the Number 3 Hair Perfector. The website says to use the hair perfector before shampooing. However, my excitement came in the way of following proper directions. I went with the bonding treatment after shampooing and found the results were as good as they probably would have been if I followed the instructions.
My hair welcomed the bonding treatment and its benefits– strengthening my ends and restoring the frizz I had been fighting with all my life. I’d love to say I will use this every week, but the bottle size had other plans. The 3.3oz product is far too small for my hair type. Even when wet, I typically need a lot of product to penetrate my heavily textured hair. After one use of the perfector, I was nearly halfway through the bottle.
The steam in my shower was giving sauna vibes by the time I got to the Number 5 Bonding Maintenance Conditioner. I am slightly impatient, so I rely on a good conditioner to get me through the detangling process. Some may say I can be a bit of a snob regarding conditioner, but, ain’t nobody got time to be detangling in the shower all day. Thankfully, the conditioner was generous and worked through my knots with no issues. The consistency is thick with dense moisture, perfect for detangling after a wash-and-go week.
It’s fair to mention that Olaplex takes a few uses before seeing results. I’ve been using my Olaplex for about a month now and can see why the everyones loves it. The products have indeed revived my curls. I’ve noticed my hair texture becoming increasingly more hydrated, giving a healthy appearance.
That said, I can live without the perfector and live happily with their shampoo and conditioner combination. The perfector doesn’t provide enough product to be sustainable for natural hair. However, the shampoo and conditioner will still offer the excellent results we typically see online. I’m proud to say this is approved for natural hair!
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