Olaplex’s Bond Maintenance Shampoo Is Like a Reset Button for Your Hair

We put Olaplex's No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

I’ve been many versions of a brunette, a blonde, a redhead, and a few other colors in between. I dye my hair constantly, and the thing no one tells you (or they did and I wasn’t listening), is that all of these fun, spontaneous, new personalities come with a price. 

It’s very difficult not to leave your hair feeling over-processed, dry, and damaged after as much coloring as I’ve done. Despite being able to largely avoid heat-styling because of my naturally (and annoyingly) straight hair—it still felt brittle and fragile after years of changing my color. It felt like an ultimatum with no real upside—either give up the dye or live with frayed cuticles. 

It’s the kind of conundrum only a team of NASA scientists could help solve, and they simply don’t have time for me. So when a hair care brand comes around that claims to have ground-breaking technology and science behind it, I’m intrigued. Olaplex is fairly new to the scene (founded in 2014), but its bond-building system has made waves for its magical repairing abilities. I believe in science, despite not having performed particularly well in high school, so I wanted to see if the results could stand up to the hype.

About My Hair: Color-treated, straight, thin, and oily

People often tell me how lucky I am that I don’t ever have to straighten my hair. I couldn’t disagree more. Truly—my kingdom for a little texture and volume! Because my hair is so straight and so thin, I spend a lot of time hunting for volumizing products. I avoid moisturizing or repairing products in fear that the hydrating ingredients might weigh my hair down and make it even flatter. My hair also gets oily fairly quickly, so too many thick, hydrating ingredients means I’ll get an itchy, irritated scalp. 

Because of this, my hair doesn’t always get the nutrients it needs, especially because I color my hair regularly. I’ve defaulted to a cocktail of moisturizing shampoos and products, and a good conditioning hair mask a few times a week to balance out any color-related damage. 

The Delivery and Packaging: No nonsense

I appreciate how the minimalist Olaplex system looks. The bottles are sleek, hardy, and straightforward (and comes with no box, which means a reduced carbon footprint). It gives you the sense that you’re using a product that was painstakingly formulated in a lab—so it’s going to work hard.

The Ingredient: Bis-Aminopropyl Digycol Dimaleate

(Say that ten times fast.) This patented technology is the headliner in most of the Olaplex lineup, and the ingredient restores hair from the inside out—smoothing out the frayed cuticles that give hair that brittle, damaged look.

The Feel: Creamy with a buildable lather

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about the shampoo right out of the bottle. If you Pepsi-challenged me with a dollop of Olaplex and a drugstore shampoo, I’m not sure I could tell the difference. That said, once you work it into your hair, it creates a nice, buildable lather that is very satisfying. 

The Scent: Fresh

There’s something citrusy and almost… grapefruit-y about the Olaplex fragrance. My hair was left smelling clean and light in a subtle way—which is what I want from my shampoo. I can’t stand overly-sweet smelling products or a scent that overpowers a room if I flip my hair. 

The Results: Lightweight hydration with repair

A few weeks before reviewing this product, I (well, a salon) colored my hair a deep, dark brunette. I love the color, but I don’t love how fried and dry the process left my strands. I tried a few repairing masks but the results were short-lived and barely noticeable. 

I went into testing Olaplex thinking one of two things would happen: Either it would be too hydrating and would weigh down my hair, or it would simply smooth out my mane for a few hours before losing its grip on my hair. 

Neither of these things happened. I simply let my hair air dry after using the shampoo and conditioner and was blown away by how nourished and smooth my hair felt, but didn’t feel heavy or greasy. It was like hitting a reset button on my hair—as if this color was natural and I had never touched my hair with dye in the first place. 

The Value: Totally worth the price

I love how healthy and fresh my hair feels after using the Bond Maintenance shampoo. It’s a relief to find a nourishing product that actually works on all hair types (I often feel like us thin-haired folk are left behind). My hair went from feeling brittle and frayed to smooth, shiny, and healthy—without having to sacrifice any volume. 

Olaplex is a system, however, which means there are other products meant to complement the shampoo. I only tried the shampoo and conditioner and was very impressed with the two on their own. 

Similar Products: You have options

Climaplex Strength and Volume Shampoo: This shampoo lathers beautifully and helps restore hair's resilience and bounce. Its secret sauce: A proprietary blend of bond-building ingredients that help repair the hair.

Bumble and Bumble Bond-Building Repair Shampoo: Equipped with its proprietary bond-building blend, this shampoo strengthens strands while cleansing.