Opinions on my hair care routine with Olaplex please?

[x Fee x]

Morning ladies and gents

I was hoping you could look over my hair routine to see if it is effective, or if it's just overkill lol. I've been using Olaplex regularly to repair and maintain condition, but I'm not sure if the products I use alongside it are suitable for the external care of my hair.

I have shoulder length level 2 hair naturally and my hairdresser has given me an ombre/balayage where the last mid lengths to ends are quite pale blonde. We used olaplex to lighten originally, to around a level 6 I think, and the condition was great, but we have continued to lighten up to a very pale blonde over the last 3 months and it's starting to suffer with lack of elasticity and breakage.

I currently have a standalone Olaplex treatment every 2-3weeks and at home I am using Schwarzkopf Fibre Force as my usual shampoo & conditioner every other day. I use Philip Kingsley Elasticizer twice per week overnight, as I've seen KHS recommend it so many times!
At the weekends I use Joico K-pac shampoo, and then alternate between K-pac reconstructor followed by Intense hydrator, or Olaplex 3 and the K-pac shampoo and conditioner.

I also use Schwarzkopf Moisture Kick spray conditioner after towel drying and Matrix Biolage Exquisite Oil on the ends. I only heat style, even blowdrying, once per week with heat protection.

After the essay I guess what I'm asking is, is this a good routine or am I am just throwing too many products at my hair and could make it simpler and more effective?

 

[Claire Olsen]

Too many products! You need to stick with one brand of shampoo and conditioner, what step Olaplex are you using? #2?

 

[x Fee x]

Too many products! You need to stick with one brand of shampoo and conditioner, what step Olaplex are you using? #2?

Thank you Claire I did suspect so lol. I think the problem is I had lots of products to look after my hair before Olaplex, and don't want to waste them! And i know I need something to manage my hair externally as well as the Olaplex

I use Olaplex #3 at home, but as I say I have access to all the Olaplex steps because I share my salon with a hairdresser, so I do the standalone treatment 1&2 every fortnight or so.

 

[Claire Olsen]

Well treatment 1 is used for coloring services such as bleaching and light base colors.
Treatment 2 is for when the hair gets rinsed from foils/base than you apply that before shampooing.
I would only use treatment 2 as a conditioner once a week with 1 pair of shampoos and conditioners on the other days you wash your hair.
The US is different with Olaplex we don't stress as much about the treatment 3!

 

[AcidPerm]

Check if any of the products you are using add Protein to the hair as too much protein will cause breakage unfortunately.

Moisturising shampoos are fine.

 

[x Fee x]

Check if any of the products you are using add Protein to the hair as too much protein will cause breakage unfortunately.

Moisturising shampoos are fine.

Ah okay. The k-Pac is very protein rich, so I'll stop using it so often maybe, but then all of the products I'm using are for repair so I may well be over loading with protein in everything. I'll get my hair lady to get me in some more moisture based bits when our Schwarzkopf rep pops in.

Claire, we're going by the Olaplex website advice that as well as using 1&2 during colour services, you can also do a standalone treatment with them independent of colouring and then use the number 3 for home maintenance weekly.

Thank you both x