I know your not working for the company but you seem very intent on sharing your personal findings with these products so I have a few questions.
Hi Kahuna Hair! I thought it'd be easier to answer this way! Hope that's ok!!
Ok... how does colorpHlex work differently to olaplex or are you saying their the same sort of product? That's the general idea I'm getting here.
According to both colorpHlex (Scott Breed) and Olaplex (Jordan and Ab) reps present on the other feeds, they both agree that each other aren't the "same product". Different ingredients as we all know. I'm copy and pasting directly from each company's websites here: colorpHlex: "ColorpHlex uses ColorStrong Complex™ which is a combination of bond building co-polymer and protein. Protein not only add strength to the hair, it is also an important part of the natural moisture factor of the hair." Olaplex: "Olaplex is a bond multiplier containing a single active ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. Olaplex works by finding single sulfur hydrogen bonds and cross linking them back together to form disulfide bonds before, during and after services. That being said, I can't say that they are the same sort of product. They don't get mixed exactly the same, they process slightly different. One has protein in it, the other doesn't among other things. So no. Was colorpHlex developed as a result to Olaplex's new technology? Probably. But lets be real. It's a world of commerce and capitalism and companies want a piece of the success whether a category was invented by them or not. It's the same reason we have multiple manufacturers (Paul Mitchell, Kerastase, Goodwell, Redken, Schwarzkopf). They all offer very similar ingredients, ideas, products. Now it's sorting out which products in this so-called new category work, and which don't. This one, in my opinion, works. But no, it's not the same. It has it's own performance benefits. It's just made to compete in the same category.
Are you saying that olaplex & colorpHLex both rebuild the hair (inside)? (Because that's why we're using olaplex at all).
I am saying that yes, because both companies have provided me information that says they do. Before Olaplex became so so huge, I received a complimentary kit to use from Olaplex. Not to test, but to sample, if you will. They weren't asking for any feedback (it was because of my NAHA nomination at the time). Our salon network then began to carry Olaplex from that point on because it works. I received colorpHlex from a local distributor maybe 8 months later asking me to test it for them, to see if it was worth them distributing, since Olaplex was in discussion of distributorship with Salon Centrix in the US which has now grown to other large distributors like Cosmoprof, the distributor was unable to carry Olaplex and wanted to offer something else locally to compete. So I tested colorpHlex for them, so see if it indeed lived up to it's claims, just as I did Olaplex before for my salon. And I received the same results (physical feeling results AND visual results) as I did with Olaplex. I did not put hair under a microscope from either to see what was happening. That was before the 'plex' wars all began. So I forwarded them that info to the local distributor, and as I saw colorpHlex as an alternative at the time to Olaplex (since our salon volume is so high and Olaplex had to be ordered online at the time and we couldn't always keep it in stock), we stocked colorpHlex to use when we were out of Olaplex because it performed the same for us and we could get it locally. Now our salon network (13 locations individually operated) primarily uses colorpHlex, however we carry and all use Olaplex as well as I'll explain below!). I know they both disagree strongly on chemistry and performance, so they can battle that out themselves, but until a lawsuit provides me actual proof that colorpHlex is directly lying to me (which has not been done) about building bonds, I will continue to use it because my experience with the performance shows it works just as well. Everything else is just companies fighting for "their place" and is heresy as far as I'm concerned.
In your opinion would colorpHLex be a better product because it's got protein in it? (You mentioned it in a post recently) or would it only be suitable for a client that needed added protein? (I'm very aware of issues relating to protein overload on compromised hair)
. This is a good question, and one that I asked colorpHlex myself! Protein loss is inevitable with or without Olaplex or colorpHlex. Olaplex says their active ingredient bonds to the specific part of the hair during the chemical process, preventing protein loss most of the time. colorpHlex says: "The active ingredient bonds to sulfur side chains at damage sites on the keratin protein found in hair." And they also assured that the patent holder of their active ingredient rebuilds bonds. Both products, at some point will accrue damage and protein loss to the hair. You can only push hair so far. But I've found that the protein in Step 1 helps with added strength between process, reducing the amount of colorpHlex's "take home shampoo, conditioner and leave-in, all containing the active ingredient", so I can keep my clients on their normal Kerastase, Shu Umura or Bumble/Bumble product routine, as it's what they like and already use and is much higher retail $$ for the salon business. HOWEVER, I have found, and colorpHlex confirmed this and helped me resolve this when I spoke to them, that because the second step also contains protein, on highly processed bleached/compromised hair, leaving the step two on for too long (5-10 minutes) can cause the hair to become dry from too much protein. That is prevented by reducing step 2 time to 2-4 minutes, not the full 10 minutes. Which solved my challenge. That was not an issue on normal-processed/normal-bleached clients.
Do you ever use olaplex any more as well as colorpHLEx? If there was a free supply of both for you which would you pick to use? & why?
Yes, I do use both. And I will continue to use both (but for the sake of a free supply, I would choose colorpHlex, as explained below!) Like I've said, I use colorpHlex 98% of the time. But there are times where I find that Olaplex works in my favor, due to it's longer processing time. I'll explain... On some clients old and new that have been years of highlights, where there may be some uneven coloring starting to take place (for example, brighter looking white highlights closer to their roots, and a plethora of highlights through the ends that can resemble more yellowness since there's no longer much ashy natural hair blending in with it). When I need to do a full highlight in foils, top to bottom, all over (45 min application time), and I want to pull bleach through the ends to add brightness to match the brightness happening at the root, I will use a bleach and 10 volume (we use Redken flashlight generally, which lifts 7-9 levels (I think)) + Olaplex, which slows down the chemical process of the bleach, allowing me time to foil the whole head before the beginning highlights over process. Since 90% of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA is full highlights and blonde, it happens frequently enough. colorpHlex would not slow that processing down, thus risking over processing on already level 9 hair that needed slight bumping. I use colorpHlex because of it doesn't slow down my day. I'm double booked from 9am-8pm 5-6 days a week, and I understand that Olaplex has now been saying to experiment around and reduce the amount Olaplex in my bleach and time won't be affected, but realistically with my clientele, I don't have time in a week to "mess around" and experiment with what amount of what with what on which client. Nor do I have time to reschedule clients due to possibly running behind (as I was doing back in my Olaplex only days). I would like to spend my 1-2 days a week off work, not re-highlighting clients that may not have lifted high enough or doing clients that needed to be rescheduled because I got behind. colorpHlex solved that issue for me, again with the same result. TO ADD: I also use Olaplex on a client if they specifically request it (if I know and can plan in advance). I'm not blind or unaware of Olaplex's giant following and success on social media to both the public and hairdressers and will not turn away a specific request. That's unethical to me.
Why do you choose keratesse treatments over colourpHLex & olaplex for stand alone treatments? Does keratesse rebuild the bonds on the inside of the hair or is it a moisture product that works on the outside of the hair? Is it a financial reason or is it better for the clients hair? (Personally I offer a deep conditioning treatment as well as olaplex stand alone)
There's a couple factors here. 1. Since colorpHlex nor Olaplex don't address lipid/moisture loss (Utah is desert climate and very dry), density or natural frizziness (styling issues) (although both provide shiny beautiful hair, temporarily I may add, unless sustained with either's at home care, and both can restore natural curl formation), I use Kerastase treatments in addition or alone. 2. We charge $20 per application of colorpHlex/Olaplex and $35/Kerastase treatment. So upsale and $$ wise, it's more beneficial for me to upgrade to a Kerastase treatment, since most of my clients are colors, they've already had colorpHlex or Olaplex on their hair, so a stand-alone treatment isn't necessary. And if they haven't had colorpHlex or Olaplex in their hair, I probably don't chemically process it, which means I see no benefit in a stand-alone on basically virgin hair. But yes, Kerastase treatments work on the exterior of the hair (although they do penetrate fairly deep in to), and are not a permanent change of same claims as Olaplex or colorpHlex. 3. Our salon has also been a Kerastase salon for upwards of 15 years now, so our clients are very loyal and fairly cult-ish to Kerastase, and we're ok with that!
How dies colourphlex and olaplex differ in your opinion? And how does it improve the hair (are there differences?).
Physically and visually, I do not feel like they differ. If you put one of my colorpHlex clients next to one of my Olaplex clients, you will not be able to tell me a difference in their hair. They will both have shiny, healthy, strong looking and strong acting hair and color. Both clients will also have healthier looking hair than before the use of colorpHlex or Olaplex until it becomes damaged again. I've also used each separately on blondes going back darker for the fall (an awful trend in the states, not sure if its the same in the UK and Europe! I hope it's not). Typically I would tell clients that due to the amount of structural damage from being so blonde for so long, that the now dark color will fade relatively quickly, and will need to be refreshed sooner than normal. But when you add colorpHlex or Olaplex to the formula, that fadage is drastically reduced, since structurally the color molecules have something to now attach to. SO NICE! I do feel like colorpHlex works better in that regards. Not sure if it's because of the protein colorpHlex provides, or what. That's not a selling point. Just something I've noticed. Chemically, I have to say they're different, because they are!
These are genuine questions and I'll look forward to reading your responses,I'm in no way challenging you in case you feel like that ('re defensive posts above) just genuinely interested in the differences / similarities if the product.
I have to say that I really do appreciate a real conversation here. It's very refreshing!!! 
And again, I'm not looking for the whole world to agree with me! And I'm happy to hear if they don't. I just wanted to let everyone know my experiences that aren't in the form of a rebuttal. So thank you for allowing me to do that, and thank you for taking the time to be genuinely involved and not a bystander.
