This Isn't a Drill—Olaplex Just Launched a New Hair Product
Mention Olaplex in a room full of beauty editors, and you can be sure that it will strike up lots of conversation. Olaplex has become a modern-day beauty classic, with coveted products that help to repair bonds for stronger and healthier hair. If you don't already have an Olaplex product, then you'll no doubt have seen it in a friend's bathroom or on the bathroom shelves of beauty insiders on Instagram. The little bottle called Olaplex No.3 is probably the most well-known. But what makes Olaplex products so special? The range has patented bond-building technology (called Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate). It basically works to repair damaged hair bonds from the inside out, which is ideal if you colour your hair or use hot styling tools regularly. Because it actually gets through to the middle of the hair shaft, it really does transform damaged hair, leaving it shiny, healthy and full of life, and it works for all hair types too.
Today, Olaplex added another product to its cult haircare line. Enter Olaplex 4C Shampoo. Curious to know what the Olaplex 4C Shampoo is and what it does? Read on for all the details.
What is Olaplex 4C, and what does it do?
Olaplex No.4C Shampoo is a clarifying hair cleanser. This means that it helps to remove build-up from the roots and lengths of your hair. Think oil, pollutants and hair products such as dry shampoo, which can cling to hair and leave it looking and feeling lacklustre. This is a particularly important step if you use a lot of hairstyling products daily or find that your hair gets greasy easily or quickly. Products can gradually build up on the hair, making it feel lank, flat and lifeless. The Olaplex No.4C Clarifying Shampoo is designed to be used weekly—think of it as a Sunday-night reset for your hair—to remove this excess build-up. The result is that your hair is left feeling lighter, swishable and really clean. You might even notice that your hair is shinier after using this.
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If you live in a hard-water area, you might be subjected to more metals in your shower water, which can cling to hair and make it look dull. If you colour your hair, hard water can even distort your hair colour or fade it prematurely. By removing these metals from your hair, this shampoo can make hair look shinier and colour more vibrant and long-lasting.
"The addition of a clarifying shampoo is a natural progression for Olaplex, and we took clarifying one step further with the launch of Olaplex No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo,” said JuE Wong, chief executive officer of Olaplex. "Olaplex No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo is an elevated clarifying experience, gently removing everything you don’t want in your hair, like product buildup and pollutants, while our patented Olaplex bond building technology repairs and strengthens hair,” she added.
How to use Olaplex No.4C Shampoo:
Olaplex recommends using this once a week, applying at the roots to create a lather and leaving it on the hair for up to five minutes to let the shampoo break down excess oil, product, metals and chlorine that might have clung to the hair from swimming. Olaplex recommends following up with Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner or, for a more intense moisture boost, using the Olaplex No.8 Bond Maintenance Intense Moisture Mask.
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This Olaplex product works best when used in conjunction with Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector (more on that below), helping to prepare the hair for the patented active to get to work. Spray it onto dry hair to saturate it fully for 10 minutes before shampooing as normal. Think of this as the primer of your hair routine. Olaplex No.1 and No.2 are only available in salons as a professional treatment, so the next product in the home haircare range is No.3.
This is the product that Olaplex is most known for. This is designed to be left on wet hair that hasn't been shampooed yet, and it can be left on for hours at a time. It helps to deeply nourish and repair lengths, leaving them fortified and shiny.
This sulphate-free shampoo is ideal if you colour your hair, as it won't strip your hair dye down the drain.
This shampoo has purple corrective tones. So if you have blonde hair, you might be better opting for this shampoo. The purple tones help to counteract yellow and brassy tones that can appear in blonde hair.
All Olaplex products contain the same active ingredient, including this conditioner. Simply leave on the lengths of your hair for three minutes after shampooing for bouncy, healthier hair.
If you find that your hair is thicker or needs more nourishment than a standard conditioner, then try this. This one can be left in the hair, helping to tame flyaways.
Olaplex's range also extends to styling products. This oil is great for finishing off your look. It's really lightweight, so you don't need to worry about it weighing down your hair.
If you use a lot of heat on your hair from hair dryers or styling tools, then this mask is great at repairing damage. Read our full review of Olaplex No.8 here.
Designed as the last step in your haircare routine, this serum helps to add shine and protection to your lengths. Read our more in-depth review of Olaplex No.9 here.
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Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.