Olaplex alternative?

[jordanstylist]

Hey everyone, just thought I'd share my experiences of trialling the various alternatives for "anti hair breakage" products on offer.

I have tried them all in salon, for me I believe it's important to try all the options first and see what works best for myself rather than buying in to any hype and committing to a product without even trying it first.

So far we have tried Olaplaex, Colorphlex, Niophlex, Magibond, Eslabondexx and Edplex... as you can see there are lots of
options out there at various price points.

From the feedback we have had from the clients based on initial condition post service and the length that the result lasted we found that
Magi bond actually came out on top, followed closely by Olaplaex and the others were not too far off either.

The point I'm trying to make here is this... don't get sucked up by any hype about any product that claims to do x, y and z.
Try them all yourself and you decide which is best or better still, involve your clients in the selection process, ours really enjoyed the process and felt special that they'd been selected to help us.
I'm not here to tell you which to use though, I'd encourage you to try them too and see for yourself which works best.

If Olaplaex, Magibond or any others work best in your situation then fine, go with that option but I don't personally think it's the best use of anyone's time sitting on here slating or sticking up for any one product or brand.
I want to exceed my clients expectations every time they visit my salon so I'll use whatever works best to help me do this based on their feedback, not what any rep tells me or what any brand tells me I should be doing.

Some people on here are way too pushy about certain products which for me questions their motives and why they're so keen to persuade you that alternatives are not worth considering. Some have an obvious bias as they're speaking on behalf of the brand they work for or founded but that makes sense, they're bound to do that.

Anyway, we're all our own people so I'm sure you'll also make your choices based on experience rather than hype, cost etc etc.

Best
Marco

You do realize that you're saying you like one product more than two of the others that all share nearly identical ingredient decks. Same factory private labeling with different brand names. It's not about pushing a product. It's differentiating between chemistry and advertising. Try highlighting a swatch with 40vol with these products. Take this same swatch and highlight again with 40vol or perm it. See which ones disintegrate.

 

[jordanstylist]

First post here...

All the brands claim that their product has a new magical wonder ingredient that makes it better than anything else out there. The best idea is to make an informed decision as best you can, based upon knowledge, budget and necessity. Then the proofs in the pudding - different salons have different wants, needs and clientele.

We actually do have a unique ingredient. It's not magical, it's science. Bis-aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate is a single active ingredient with two reactive ends that cross links single sulfur hydrogen bonds both ionically and covalently to form disulfide bonds. There are 8 worldwide patents publishing shortly.

Care to explain why your product shares a nearly identical ingredient deck to Niophlex, ProCortexx, Cureplex and Eslabondexx? What scientists created the product? Is it patented or just old ingredients thrown in a bottle? If it is patented, what's the patent number? Your claims with NAC, what bonds exactly are being relinked? If that product was unique, it wouldn't be private labeled under multiple names.

I'll leave you with this quote from Dr. Eric Pressly. "Keep in mind that it’s very hard to argue how something doesn’t do something cause it just doesn’t. The analogy that I gave when speaking to a bunch of future scientists about Olaplex recently regarding this issue was: Imagine you invent a car, then your competitor has a rock and says that it does the same thing and they push it down a hill and it rolls too. It’s painfully clear the rock is not a car but how do you frame that argument."

Results speak for themselves as seen by 200,000+ salons worldwide using Olaplex daily.

 

[Paul Breslin AH]

We actually do have a unique ingredient. It's not magical, it's science. Bis-aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate is a single active ingredient with two reactive ends that cross links single sulfur hydrogen bonds both ionically and covalently to form disulfide bonds. There are 8 worldwide patents publishing shortly.

Care to explain why your product shares a nearly identical ingredient deck to Niophlex, ProCortexx, Cureplex and Eslabondexx? What scientists created the product? Is it patented or just old ingredients thrown in a bottle? If it is patented, what's the patent number? Your claims with NAC, what bonds exactly are being relinked? If that product was unique, it wouldn't be private labeled under multiple names.

I'll leave you with this quote from Dr. Eric Pressly. "Keep in mind that it’s very hard to argue how something doesn’t do something cause it just doesn’t. The analogy that I gave when speaking to a bunch of future scientists about Olaplex recently regarding this issue was: Imagine you invent a car, then your competitor has a rock and says that it does the same thing and they push it down a hill and it rolls too. It’s painfully clear the rock is not a car but how do you frame that argument."

Results speak for themselves as seen by 200,000+ salons worldwide using Olaplex daily.

I was just offering a general overview on new hairdressing products in general from my experience.
I have no doubt that Olaplex will be the market leadeing brand, and a great success in the UK with a good distributor in A&F.
Magibond is not 'my' product, and I'm no chemist, we merely retail it to salons. The fact that it shares a comparative ingredient base is probably due to it being a similar product to all the fine products available in this category. Reviews so far have been very positive, and repeat sales brisk.
There appears to be a lot of overly defensive and unnecessarily derisory attitudes going on in this thread.
If Olaplex is to be significantly superior in the long run, the sales will reflect that.

 

[jordanstylist]

I was just offering a general overview on new hairdressing products in general from my experience.
I have no doubt that Olaplex will be the market leadeing brand, and a great success in the UK with a good distributor in A&F.
Magibond is not 'my' product, and I'm no chemist, we merely retail it to salons. The fact that it shares a comparative ingredient base is probably due to it being a similar product to all the fine products available in this category. Reviews so far have been very positive, and repeat sales brisk.
There appears to be a lot of overly defensive and unnecessarily derisory attitudes going on in this thread.
If Olaplex is to be significantly superior in the long run, the sales will reflect that.

Results will speak for themselves in the long run. After dealing with entirely untrue and slanderous statements from many of the brands coming onto the market, we have been defensive and working to correct any misinformation given out. All stylists will make their own choices.

 

[tsparker78]

I do think once stylists actually try olaplex all of this ridiculous copy cat nonsense will come to an end.

 

[Head To Toe]

I have used Olaplex, and it's ok, but my biggest issue is customers can buy the product off Amazon. We as professionals need to support companies that only sell to licensed professionals! They are stepping on our toes, and stealing from our bank accounts!!

 

[tsparker78]

I have used Olaplex, and it's ok, but my biggest issue is customers can buy the product off Amazon. We as professionals need to support companies that only sell to licensed professionals! They are stepping on our toes, and stealing from our bank accounts!!

But the truth is, if money can be made, the product will be sold on the open market. Manufacturers can't stop pros from buying and reselling to non pro's. I guess one good thing about the knock offs is hardly anyone has heard of them so there isn't the demand for resell..

 

[jordanstylist]

I have used Olaplex, and it's ok, but my biggest issue is customers can buy the product off Amazon. We as professionals need to support companies that only sell to licensed professionals! They are stepping on our toes, and stealing from our bank accounts!!

Sadly, Amazon and other websites like this are an issue all companies have to deal with. It's as simple as a stylist walking into a supply store, buying product and selling it on Amazon for a quick profit at the expense of their peers. We have cut people off already from our distributors and online orders when found to be doing this. Olaplex is professional only and will remain that way.

 

[Head To Toe]

It is on Amazon! And I too will cease using a product that becomes available on the open market! And shame on those who would turn on their peers just to make a quick buck! That type of mentality only hurts them and the rest of us in the long run! There's a reason things are sold professionally only and when people don't respect that they slap all of us in the face! We all need to take a stand against this!

 

[Head To Toe]

It is on Amazon! And I too will cease using a product that becomes available on the open market! And shame on those who would turn on their peers just to make a quick buck! That type of mentality only hurts them and the rest of us in the long run! There's a reason things are sold professionally only and when people don't respect that they slap all of us in the face! We all need to take a stand against this!

 

[tsparker78]

If i stopped using products based on there availability on Amazon, i wouldn't have much to use!

 

[jordanstylist]

It is on Amazon! And I too will cease using a product that becomes available on the open market! And shame on those who would turn on their peers just to make a quick buck! That type of mentality only hurts them and the rest of us in the long run! There's a reason things are sold professionally only and when people don't respect that they slap all of us in the face! We all need to take a stand against this!

On Amazon currently, Redken 9,303 items. Bumble & Bumble 34,708. Aveda 6,885. Goldwell 6,484. Moroccan Oil 313. Aquage 1,631. Wella 8,672. That's just going through a couple of the professional lines. Do you really plan on cutting out every single salon line you carry because it's sold through a third party? Diversion is a serious issue that all companies have to face on a daily basis. We actively cut people off and will continue to do so. This comes down to educating your clients on products and what diversion actually is. There is zero guarantee that you are getting genuine product when purchased this way. It's very hard to stop something that isn't illegal in the U.S. However, we will continue to do all that we can to stop this.

 

[Head To Toe]

I don't disagree with educating our clients. This is exactly what I do but I will cut off a line that shows up at Walmart or any other store similar in nature. I don't use the products you have listed. Most of my products come from distributors that carry specific lines and those lines respect their relationship with the distributor that they don't supply to their competitors in the area. These are the types of business relationships we should support not the ones selling out and if the majority did this then it would choke out those who promote diversion.

 

[jordanstylist]

I don't disagree with educating our clients. This is exactly what I do but I will cut off a line that shows up at Walmart or any other store similar in nature. I don't use the products you have listed. Most of my products come from distributors that carry specific lines and those lines respect their relationship with the distributor that they don't supply to their competitors in the area. These are the types of business relationships we should support not the ones selling out and if the majority did this then it would choke out those who promote diversion.

What lines do you carry specifically? The problem is diversion is something every single line has to deal with. Talking about WalMart though is something entirely different. WalMart and big box retailers do not carry diverted product. Stylists that think this is the case are misinformed. WalMart, Target and any other big box retailer work on a plan-o-gram system. This means every single inch of shelf space is predetermined and mapped out. In cases like this, this is direct involvement of a company. WalMart would not put product on the shelves that they do not have a continuous supply for. They also will not carry expired product as some people think as that would cause another issue entirely that their legal team would have to deal with. If you see a product in Wal Mart such as Schwarzkopf or Brazilian Blowout, that is direct involvement of a company. This is entirely different than a stylist going into a store, buying product and then selling on Amazon or another third party for a quick profit. It's very important to differentiate between these two as they are totally separate issues.

 

[Scott Breed]

Not every bond building product is a "knock off" of Olaplex. "Bond builders", as they have come to be called, represent a new category in the beauty industry. There are many categories such as shampoos, conditioners, various categories of hair colors, gels, mousses, etc. In addition, the notion that anything that is not Olaplex is an oil or lubricant is simply not true and very obvious to even the casual observer.

Several have suggested to try the various brands in this category to see which proves the most effective which is an enlightened approach. When you do try them, be sure to follow the manufacturers directions because they can vary markedly from one another. Olaplex, in particular, has very different procedure directions and if you don't use those directions the product will not work as desired. Therefore, you should not use Olaplex's directions with someone else's product and expect that product to perform as designed.

 

[Steven Robertson]

You're 100% right. Olaplex doesn't repair the cuticle nor does it reolace protien or moisture treatments.

My beef is that all the knock offs out their are taking people's money and not producing the same results.

Being a past user of Olaplex, I do appreciate the results of colorpHlex very much. Equal physical results as, without having to increase processing time or developer. Love it!!!

Steven Robertson
www.stevenrobertsonhair.com

 

[AbMcDonald]

Not every bond building product is a "knock off" of Olaplex. "Bond builders", as they have come to be called, represent a new category in the beauty industry. There are many categories such as shampoos, conditioners, various categories of hair colors, gels, mousses, etc. In addition, the notion that anything that is not Olaplex is an oil or lubricant is simply not true and very obvious to even the casual observer.

Several have suggested to try the various brands in this category to see which proves the most effective which is an enlightened approach. When you do try them, be sure to follow the manufacturers directions because they can vary markedly from one another. Olaplex, in particular, has very different procedure directions and if you don't use those directions the product will not work as desired. Therefore, you should not use Olaplex's directions with someone else's product and expect that product to perform as designed.

Olaplex IS the category, they did not create a new category for others. Our second patent is due out on the 29th, and other "me too" products only coat the hair, acting as a bandaid until they wash away. There are many unbiased side by side comparisons being done by stylists that turn up everyday with more and more truth, showing that Olaplex as a company is honest and is the only one, able to do as it claims.

Dropbox - phlex.mp4

 

[AbMcDonald]

Being a past user of Olaplex, I do appreciate the results of colorpHlex very much. Equal physical results as, without having to increase processing time or developer. Love it!!!

Steven Robertson
www.stevenrobertsonhair.com

Dropbox - phlex.mp4

Just going to leave this here. I would recommend anyone search the other threads that steven is leaving the exact same thing on, trying to promote colorphlex, if you understand chemistry, you will know that colorphlex, actually does the opposite. It is NOT a patented technology and it does not rebuild disulfide bonds. in the video above from a stylist, not associated with us, you will see that it actually damaged the hair worse than just using lightener. You don't even have to speak the language to understand the message in the video.

 

[Scott Breed]

Dropbox - phlex.mp4

Just going to leave this here. I would recommend anyone search the other threads that steven is leaving the exact same thing on, trying to promote colorphlex, if you understand chemistry, you will know that colorphlex, actually does the opposite. It is NOT a patented technology and it does not rebuild disulfide bonds. in the video above from a stylist, not associated with us, you will see that it actually damaged the hair worse than just using lightener. You don't even have to speak the language to understand the message in the video.

Dropbox - phlex.mp4

Just going to leave this here. I would recommend anyone search the other threads that steven is leaving the exact same thing on, trying to promote colorphlex, if you understand chemistry, you will know that colorphlex, actually does the opposite. It is NOT a patented technology and it does not rebuild disulfide bonds. in the video above from a stylist, not associated with us, you will see that it actually damaged the hair worse than just using lightener. You don't even have to speak the language to understand the message in the video.

Ab, in response to you posting the "Denmark" video link again, I have posted the explanation.

I am compelled to weigh in on this discussion to add some information and clear some misinformation. There have been several posted comparison "tests" of colorpHlex with Olaplex and other products posted on the internet. Unfortunately these test are not very telling to the general public and, in fact, are misleading. Below is an explanation of why.

THE TESTS

In these tests individuals are usually taking four (4) strands of hair and processing them with four (4) different formulas as follows:


One swatch bleached with powdered bleach and 40 vol. developer (H2O2).

A second swatch bleached with the same mixture plus Olaplex.

A third swatch bleached with the same mixture and colorpHlex.

And a fourth swatch bleached with another additive of some type.


THE RESULTS

The results showed that:

Swatch #1 (No Additive) is lightened and has the normal damage due to bleaching.

Swatch #2 (Olaplex) is in good shape but not as light as the other swatches.

Swatch #3 (colorpHlex) is as light as Swatch #1 but in much better condition.

Swatch #4 produced varying results depending on the additive being "tested" by that individual.


WHAT DOES THE TEST SHOW

The problem is that these experiments are obviously amateurish and poorly designed for the purpose, plus the results were not properly extrapolated and, therefore, incorrect.

Olaplex official instructions say to increase the volume of developer and add at least 10 minutes to the processing time. If this is done in the comparison test, then the colorpHlex bleach is being left on at least 10 minutes too long with developer that is 10 vol. too high. This is obviously not a proper assessment of colorpHlex nor a proper comparison.

THE REALITY

colorpHlex does not slow down the coloring and/or lightening process. It simply protects and repairs the damage that normally occurs in the hair during hair-coloring and bleaching. The colorpHlex swatch was likely completely lightened 10 to 20 minutes earlier than the Olaplex (depending on temperature), and the bleach should have been removed at that time. The key ingredient in colorpHlex is the ColorStrong ComplexTM, which is a naturally derived vegetable protein complex and does not interfere with the processing of the hair color or bleach.

Because colorpHlex does not interfere with the chemical processes of coloring or bleaching the hair, colorists are instructed that it not necessary to increase the volume of their developer (H2O2) nor to increase the processing time. The colorist is also instructed to watch the color/bleach development just as they normally would. The result is great color and great hair in the normal amount of time.

Anyone interested in a real scientific test showing what colorpHlex is capable of doing should visit colorpHlex.com and go to the tab marked "The Technology" and click on the menu item "Anti-Breakage Report" (http://colorphlex.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/15124-ColorpHlex-Anti-Breakage-Report1.pdf). This is a report on the scientific tests conducted by an independent research lab, that shows that hair bleached with colorpHlex was as strong or stronger than the same hair BEFORE it was bleached. We are not aware of any such study done by any other color strengthening additive in the world.

Speaking of the world, colorpHlex is manufactured in the USA and distributed world-wide. We have been available in the UK since April of this year.

As for colorpHlex being a "knock-off", clearly the chemistry is different as evidenced by the facts above. Olaplex deserves recognition for being a pioneer in this product category, but if colorpHlex was just a "copy cat", it would be used the same way (increasing the strength of the developer by 10 volume and adding 10 minutes to the processing time) and you would get the same results.

One final thing, colorpHlex does form a covalent (chemical) bond with the radical cysteic acid side chains that are produces in these oxidative services. Cysteic acid is responsible for much of the damage that occurs during the coloring and lightening processes. The bonds formed by colorpHlex can not be broken with simple shampooing and rinsing with water. colorpHlex also polymerizes in the hair to create additional strength and abrasion resistance while helping to maintain the natural moisture factor of the hair.

Olaplex is based on ionic bonding, which can be strong, but or broken/disolved by water alone.

 

[Steven Robertson]

Dropbox - phlex.mp4

Just going to leave this here. I would recommend anyone search the other threads that steven is leaving the exact same thing on, trying to promote colorphlex, if you understand chemistry, you will know that colorphlex, actually does the opposite. It is NOT a patented technology and it does not rebuild disulfide bonds. in the video above from a stylist, not associated with us, you will see that it actually damaged the hair worse than just using lightener. You don't even have to speak the language to understand the message in the video.

That video makes no sense. I've done numerous tests of my own testing my own doubts and none have produced that result. Before you pass around a video with a random stylist testing product, I would first suggest looking into the actual skill set and legitimacy of that stylist first. That video shows what you want it to show, drama. Not results.