Olaplex For Curly Hair: Everything You Need To Know
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If you’re a woman with curly hair, you know the importance of keeping your locks healthy and strong. Olaplex can help with that! This revolutionary product rebuilds the bonds in your hair, which can make it stronger and more resilient to damage. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about using Olaplex for curly hair!
What Is Olaplex
Olaplex has quite literally taken the world by storm since its release. From rave reviews from fans all the way to professional and celebrity hair stylist endorsements, Olaplex has to be one of the best selling hair care lines on the market.
It’s a patented hair care line that is designed to strengthen, repair and protect hair, no matter your hair type. It uses a patented bond building technology called Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimeleate (holy throwback organic chemistry nightmares!). That big, fancy word is the active ingredient that does all the magic.
I’ll spare you an organic chemistry lesson and just tell you that basically this magic ingredient searches and finds single sulfur hydrogen bonds and cross links them back together to form a disulfide bond. This is key because these disulfide bonds are a key part of our hair structure.
This is also important when it comes to curly hair because the more disulfide bonds your hair has, the curlier it will be. So that means curly hair has more disulfide bonds than wavy or straight hair. And when those break, that can affect our curls as well as our hair’s health.
Although it’s marketed as suitable for all hair types, is Olaplex ok for curly hair? In this post we’ll talk all about Olaplex for curly hair, the curly girl method and more so you can figure out if it’s right for your curls.
For me, Olaplex has become my absolute favorite hair care brand and as someone with wavy hair, I’m always looking for something to help smooth my hair, decrease frizz and strengthen it. And of course if you have curly or wavy hair, you know how hard it is to make sure your hair is getting the right amount of hydration and nutrients so your curls stay bouncy and shiny.
Benefits Of Olaplex
While the Olaplex line has several different products in it that all do different things, Olaplex does have some great benefits in all of their products.
- Repairs Bonds – This is the bread and butter of Olaplex and what it’s most known for. It’s a bond builder, which means it helps to repair disulfide bonds that have been broken. This can happen from heat damage, chemical damage or just everyday wear and tear.
- Strengthens Hair – Olaplex also strengthens hair by fortifying the disulfide bonds in your hair. This makes your hair less likely to break and more resistant to damage.
- Repairs Damage – Olaplex can also help to repair damage that has already been done to your hair. If you have heat damage, chemical damage or just general breakage, Olaplex can help to repair it and make your hair look and feel healthier.
- Reduces Breakage – One of the best benefits of Olaplex is that it can help to reduce breakage. If you have weak, brittle hair that breaks easily, Olaplex can help to fortify your hair and make it stronger so it’s less likely to break.
- Reduces Split Ends – Olaplex can also help to reduce split ends. If you have dry, damaged hair that is prone to split ends, Olaplex can help to nourish and moisturize your hair so split ends are less likely to form.
- Less Frizz – Olaplex can also help to reduce frizz. If you have frizzy, flyaway hair, Olaplex can help to tame it and make it smoother and more manageable.
- Shiny Hair – Olaplex can also help to make hair shinier. If you have dull, lifeless hair, Olaplex can help by moisturizing the hair and smoothing the hair cuticle
Olaplex For Curly Hair
Now we’ll talk about everything olaplex and curly hair! From what Olaplex does to curly hair and we’ll examine if Olaplex is CG approved.
Is Olaplex Ok For Curly Hair?
Now that we’ve gone over some of the benefits of Olaplex, let’s talk about whether or not it’s ok for curly hair.
Olaplex is definitely ok for curly hair! In fact, it can be a great choice for curly hair. As we mentioned before, Olaplex can repair bonds in the hair which can enhance your curls. It can also help to reduce frizz, add shine and make your hair stronger overall.
What Does Olaplex Do For Curly Hair?
With heat styling, relaxing, coloring or even perming, there are tons of things that can mess with curls and cause them to be a little lackluster. Not to mention if you’re anything like me and spent you teen years flat ironing the crap out of your hair. And when that happens you need something powerful to bring your curls back to life.
Enter Olaplex.
Curls are fragile. Curls are picky. But if you give ‘em a little love and tlc they’ll repay you with bouncy, shiny curls!
Although it’s marketed as a haircare line for all hair types, Olaplex really shines when it comes to curly hair! Oftentimes curly hair will become frizzy, dry and lose its curl because of many different factors. Some of those factors like heat, UV damage, bleaching and coloring breaks the disulfide bonds in the hair, so repeat damage can eventually break most of the bonds in your hair leading to a loss of curl. But when you repair those bonds, the curl will start to show again. How cool is that!?
Olaplex for curly damaged hair is probably one of the best things you can ever do for your hair!
Can Olaplex Make Your Hair Curlier?
Yes, Olaplex can actually make your hair curlier! Although it’s not considered a “curl enhancing” product, it can help to make your hair curlier by repairing the bonds in your hair and the more disulfide bonds you have in your hair, the curlier it will be.
So, when Olaplex repairs bonds to create disulfide bonds, your hair will become curlier. However, do keep in mind that your hair has to have disulfide bonds in it already for this to work – it does not create new disulfide bonds. The bonds are only part of what gives your hair a curl.
Is Olaplex Curly Girl Approved?
Unfortunately only some Olaplex products are curly-girl approved. Most of their styling products are not CG approved. The only products that are curly girl approved are their “treatments.” Keep in mind that 2 of the Olaplex treatments are professional only, which means unless you visit a salon for these treatments, you won’t be using these at home. So really, only 2 products are CG approved.
Curly Girl Approved Olaplex Products
- Olaplex No. 0 – This is the only Olaplex product that is not a treatment, but it’s still CG approved. It has the same bond building technology and is meant to intensify the effects of Olaplex No. 3.
- Olaplex No. 1 – a salon-only product, not available for at-home use. These are professional products that are designed to repair the hair even more so than the at home Olaplex products
- Olaplex No. 2 – a salon-only product, not available for at-home use These are professional products that are designed to repair the hair even more so than the at home Olaplex products
- Olaplex No. 3 – the OG hair treatment, also known as the “Hair Perfector.” This is a leave-in treatment that you apply to damp, clean hair and let sit for at least 10 minutes before rinsing out. Olaplex 3 is probably the most popular product in their line and the one that people see the most results with
Not Curly Girl Approved Olaplex Products
Keep in mind that although these products are not CG approved, everyone’s hair is different and there are many people who can use these products with great results, even with curly hair.
- Olaplex No. 4 – a shampoo that gently cleanses the scalp and hair while hydrating and repairing the hair. It’s not curly girl approved because it contain silicones and cleansing agents that are not approved
- Olaplex No. 5 – a nourishing conditioner that hydrates, strengthens and repairs hair. Not CG friendly because of silicones
- Olaplex No. 6 – a leave-in styling cream that strengthens hair, repairs bonds, smooths frizz and protects against heat damage. Not CG approved because of silicones, waxes and oils
- Olaplex No. 7 – a lightweight oil that smooths, strengthens, protects against heat damage and adds shine. Not CG approved because of oils and silicones
- Olaplex No. 8 – a repairing treatment mask designed to add moisture back into the hair while repairing bonds. Not curly girl approved because of silicones and alcohols
Which Olaplex To Use For Curly Hair
As we talked about above, the only CG approved Olaplex products are Olaplex 0-3, and two of them are in-salon only. So really only Olaplex No. 0 and Olaplex No. 3 are curly girl approved. Which is fine because these are really the best Olaplex products and the ones where all the magic happens!
So if you have curly hair and follow the CG method you’ll want to use:
Keep in mind that there are many people who follow the CG method but use the Olaplex line (even the ones that aren’t CG friendly!).
How do you use the Olaplex 3 Curly Girl Method
Using Olaplex for curls is no different than using Olaplex for straight hair! Just follow the directions on the bottles and you’ll refresh your curls in no time!
- Shampoo hair with your regular shampoo to remove any product, dirt and oil buildup that could cause Olaplex to not be as effective
- Towel dry hair for a few minutes and make sure that hair is damp and not wet
- Apply Olaplex No 0. working in sections. Ensure that root to tip is covered. Hair should not be dripping wet but just damp with this product. Leave on for at least 10 minutes. Do not rinse out
- Apply Olaplex No. 3 from root to tip on top of Olaplex No. 0. Leave on for at least 10 minutes. (I personally try to leave it on for at least 1 hour, but you can also leave it on overnight!)
- Rinse hair
- Shampoo and condition like normal
- Style as usual
Best Olaplex Products For Curly Hair
Olaplex No. 0
Olaplex No. 0 is kind of like an extension of Olaplex No. 3. Olaplex No. 3 is really where all the magic happens, but No. 0 makes it even better. Olaplex No. 0 is a pre-treatment that you apply to your hair before Olaplex No. 3 (or any other Olaplex product). It helps to open up the hair cuticle so that Olaplex can penetrate even deeper and work even better.
Which means more bond repairing which can help keep your curls bouncy, soft and smooth!
Keep in mind you don’t have to use Olaplex No. 0 with Olaplex No. 3, but it’s definitely recommended if you have damaged or frizzy hair.
Olaplex No. 3
Olaplex No. 3 is the star of the show when it comes to Olaplex products for curly hair. It’s an at-home bond builder that helps to repair damage and make your hair stronger, healthier and less prone to breakage.
It can also help to smooth out frizz, add shine and keep your curls looking their best! The Olaplex Curly Hair kit is also great get started with the line.
Olaplex For Curly Hair: Wrap Up
Olaplex is a line of products that can be used by those who follow the CG Method and want to keep their curls healthy, bouncy and frizz-free. The only Olaplex products that are CG friendly are Olaplex No. 0 and Olaplex No. 3, but many people use other Olaplex products with the CG method. Olaplex is a great line for those with curly hair who want to keep their hair healthy, repair damage and keep their curls looking their best.
All in all, Olaplex for curly hair is amazing and should certainly be considered to keep your curls healthy. Especially if you find that your curls are becoming frizzy, tangled and not-so- curly anymore.