Is anyone else overwhelmed by all the hair bonding products out there?

[greeneyedgirl107]

I feel like hair bonding products have taken over.   I really need to up my research.  I was under the impression that the only ones that made a significant difference were K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask 1.7 oz/ 50 mL Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector Pre-Shampoo Hair Repair Treatment and Living Proof Triple Bond Complex Leave-in Hair Treatment 1.5 oz / 45 mL ...maybe Virtue Damage Reverse Hair Serum 1.7 oz / 50 mL. 

Are literally most/all of the rest just jumping on the bandwagon and marketing hype?

[NadiaDenisse]

Yes! And it’s actually a disservice because many don’t know that over use of binding products will damage your hair. I was getting frustrated because I couldn’t mix and match certain products for that reason. It’s too much 

[Titian06]

@greeneyedgirl107 - I thought hair bonding products were only for damaged hair.  Then I tried a sample of Living Proof Triple Bond Complex Leave-in Hair Treatment 1.5 oz / 45 mL .  OMGosh, what a difference it made to my fine, thin, natural, untreated hair!  It was so much wavier/curlier, softer, and less frizzy after one use.  I bought the full size and use it once a month.  Between the sample and FS, I've used it about six times and love how great my hair looks each time.  The results seem to last around three to four weeks.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Titian06 I bought some, but haven't used it as you need to wait 10 min before you can put in your styling products.   Do you wait this long?

[Titian06]

@greeneyedgirl107 - Yes.  I style my hair when it's damp, so I typically wait 15 or 20 minutes before I start adding products and styling anyway.  You can mist your hair with water from a spray bottle if it's too dry for the way you like add products.  That's what I do when the front is dryer than the back when I'm ready.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Titian06 thanks for the tip!

[faeriegirl]

Yes! There are so many now @greeneyedgirl107 . I’m still loving K18. I would definitely like to see more research on it!

[greeneyedgirl107]

I found an informative article online at Harper's Bazaar, titled

Hair-Bond Repair Is Booming—and As Confusing As Ever (3/19/25)

[Mel231]

@greeneyedgirl107 

I prefer K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask 1.7 oz/ 50 mL over Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector Pre-Shampoo Hair Repair Treatment for efficacy and ease of use. I have a sample of the Living Proof Mini Triple Bond Complex Leave-in Hair Treatment 0.33 oz / 10 ml but have only used it once, so I don't have any opinion yet, other than it is easier to use than Olaplex.

These three products use different technology. Olaplex has an ingredient that relinks broken disulfide bonds in keratin; it does not provide protein. K18 provides hydrolyzed wheat protein, which my hair loves. The Living Proof product does not contain proteins; it has an ingredient that binds to hair with heat styling, and also helps relink broken bonds even if you air dry.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Mel231 thank you for the comparison! Helpful!

[CynthieLu]

There really are tons out there, I think the first ones I really remember catching my eye were Olaplex and this one from the Hair Stylist... Ooooh I'm trying so hard to remember the brand name but I really can't. Uugh I may come back if I remember. I can only recall that the bottle was a deep forest green. 😭 @greeneyedgirl107 

[Mel231]

@CynthieLu 

Maybe Rita Hazen or Rene Furterer.

[CynthieLu]

Thank you for that 🙏 @Mel231 I am just so surprised I can't remember it was only a few years ago. 😅