Living Proof vs Olaplex – Which hair care brand is best?

Looking after your hair can be difficult. Even if you regularly condition your hair, don’t dye it, and don’t straighten it, it’s still susceptible to natural breakage. If you’ve been struggling to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy, why not try a good hair repair mask?

Living Proof and Olaplex are both hair-based companies that create products meant to repair hair damage and prevent any new breakages. Although both brands are fairly well-known, choosing which one to use simply comes down to optics. The formulation, usage, and results of the two are remarkably similar. 

In this article, we will be going into more detail about each product, and what hair types they are best suited for. To help you further decide which brand is best for you, we will offer a comparison and price evaluation of hair repair masks, shampoos and conditioners. 

Contents

Hair treatments and repair masks

Living proof and Olaplex are are two popular hair treatment brands. They both offer a variety of products that claim to improve the health and appearance of your hair. But which one is better? To find out, we’ll need to take a closer look at each brand’s products, ingredients, and customer reviews.

Living proof Restore Repair Mask

Living proof No Frizz Intense Moisture Mask, New Formula

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I’m always on the lookout for good hair care products, and I was intrigued when I heard about Living Proof’s new Restore Repair Mask. I decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did! This mask has made my hair softer and shinier than before. It also claims to help repair damaged hair and is intensively moisturising. I can’t say for sure whether it’s repaired any of my damaged hair so far but I love the formula. Living proof’s restore repair mask is a deep conditioning treatment that can be used once or twice a week so don’t overdo it.

Living proof restore repair mask contain Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter. Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter is good for your hair because it is full of essential fatty acids. It can help to repair damage, add shine, and protect your hair from environmental factors. Another interesting ingredient in this formula is the use of Jojoba Esters. Jojoba Esters are used in hair care products because they closely resembles human sebum.

This natural oil is structurally and chemically very similar to the oil our skin produces, so it can penetrate the hair shaft and moisturize from within. Jojoba Esters can also be used as a natural surfactant or emulsifier in hair care products.

These natural ingredients don’t come cheap so you’ll have to pay salon prices to get hold of this repair mask. You may also find the scent to be quite overpowering, but I personally quite like it and it reminds me of my local hairdressers, where I’ve spent way too much time over the past few years.

Olaplex Hair Perfector Repairing treatment

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector Repairing Hair Treatment, Concentrated for Dry Damaged Hair, Repairs & Strengthens All Hair Types, 3.3 fl oz

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Olaplex hair perfector repairing treatment is a product that can easily be compared to the Living proof restore repair mask. Both offer intensive hair treatments that aim to help strengthen your hair follicles. These formulas aren’t designed to offer soft hair overnight but instead to repair and try to reduce hair breakage and improve the health of your hair.

The Hair perfector is very much a clean beauty product because it’s nut free, gluten free, cruelty free and avoids just about all the ingredients you don’t want to see in your hair care products.

Comparing shampoos

Product image
Perfect for dry & damaged hair
Living proof Restore Shampoo + Conditioner
Repair and strengthen all hair types
Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, Repairs, Strengthens, & Nourishes All Hair Types, Adds Shine & Leaves Hair Feeling Soft, 8.5 fl oz
Product name
Living Proof restore shampoo
Olaplex No4 bond maintenance shampoo
Click to view on Amazon
Perfect for dry & damaged hair
Product image
Living proof Restore Shampoo + Conditioner
Product name
Living Proof restore shampoo
Click to view on Amazon
Repair and strengthen all hair types
Product image
Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, Repairs, Strengthens, & Nourishes All Hair Types, Adds Shine & Leaves Hair Feeling Soft, 8.5 fl oz
Product name
Olaplex No4 bond maintenance shampoo
Click to view on Amazon

The best shampoo will clean your hair and repair and straighten your hair follicles without drying them out. After a shampoo I like to feel like my hair has soaked up lots of moisture and most importantly it should look shiny on the surface. Dull hair is usually a sign that it hasn’t been washed properly or is damaged. To try to help repair damaged hair, salon quality shampoos can help improve the condition of your hair and can work well if used alongside a hair repair mask or hair treatment.

Let’s compare two of these brands popular shampoos, the living proof restore shampoo with the Olaplex No4 bond maintenance shampoo and find out whether either of these shampoos are suitable for you.

For starters, olaplex No4 is a bond-building and color-safe shampoo that helps to restore and repair damaged hair. on the other hand, living proof’s restore shampoo is designed to nourish and revitalize dry, brittle, or damaged hair. Olaplex No4 shampoo has a thick, creamy consistency that feels luxurious to use. It also has a pleasant scent and leaves your hair feeling clean and soft.

The Olaplex No4 shampoo is a reparative and strengthening shampoo that helps to restore and repair damaged hair and works best if you use it as part of the brands bond maintenance system which includes a treatment, shampoo and conditioner. This shampoo is also sulfate-free, which makes it ideal if you have color-treated or sensitive hair.

Living proof restore shampoo is very gentle on your scalp and hair. It does not strip away natural oils, which can be a problem with some shampoos. Restore also has a nice, thick consistency that feels luxurious when massaging it into your scalp. And, it rinses clean without leaving any residue behind.

The main downside of using The Restore shampoo is that it is not effective at combating oily hair. If you have oily hair, you will likely need to use a separate conditioner or treatment in addition to this shampoo. Some customers also find the thick consistency of Restore to be a bit too heavy for their hair.

Who are OlaPlex and Living Proof

Living Proof

Living Proof was established in 2005 and is one of the few hair care-based companies that don’t test on animals. Although the brand hasn’t been on the market for as long as others, it has quickly gained popularity with anyone seeking natural, cruelty-free products.

The company employs an abundance of well-grounded beauty experts and attracts renowned scientists. But above this, Living Proof has won over 150 awards across 50 different products, credited with solving some of the toughest problems in haircare.

Living proof is a hair care company that offers a variety of products to help improve the health and appearance of your hair. The company was founded by MIT scientists, and they claim their products are backed by science.

Pros

  • Cruelty-free and vegan friendly
  • Cleanses the scalp and hair from the first wash
  • Products do not rip the hair of natural oils and moisture

CONS

  • Products can be expensive when bought regularly
  • Contains some chemicals that could irritate your scalp.

Olaplex

Olaplex is an even younger company than Living Proof, starting up in 2014 in California. Again, the brand has grown quickly and now is one of the leading independent hair care brands with over 100 patents worldwide. 

Not only does Olaplex focus on heightening the quality of hair, but also the colour. All of this is done through the use of a single ingredient; Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. This bond-building technology works on a molecule level. 

Olaplex are a godsend to anyone who colours their hair. They’ve been around for a few years now, and their products are available in most salons. Olaplex is different from other hair care brands because it contains an active ingredient that helps to rebuild the bonds in your hair that are broken during the colouring process.

Pros

  • Suitable for coloured or bleached hair.
  • Free of sulfates, silicone, and phthalates.
  • Ideal for textured hair.

CONS

  • Some products have a longer processing time.
  • Previously contained a harmful fragrance called Lilial.

Which haircare brand is better?

There is no definitive answer as to which brand is better. Different hair types will suit different things, so the only way to find an effective hair product is by matching it up to your specific hair condition. 

Although both companies offer products for colour treated hair, Olaplex is arguably slightly more effective at enhancing and maintaining your vibrant colour. Living Proof offers a great deal of versatility as to which hair types it’s suited to, as it shouldn’t overpower the natural oils within your hair. 

As with both companies, the results will be better if you buy a full set. For example, a hair mask, shampoo, and conditioner rather than just trying to use a single product to fix damaged hair. Nonetheless, this is easier said than done, as you won’t want to invest in a brand that isn’t worth it. Fortunately, both Living Proof and Olaplex have science backing their products, and several happy customers who can confirm that they are reputable brands, so you don’t need to worry. 

Which is more affordable?

For certain products, Living Proof can be slightly more expensive, however, they each work out more or less the same. With Olaplex, a lot of the products are quite compact and therefore not as big as Living Proof sizes, but they make up for it as only a pea-sized amount is required. 

Both brands also often have offers, such as 20% off your first order or complimentary gifts, so it is possible to make the items cheaper. Living Proof has more products to choose from than Olaplex does, but Olaplex has a range of bundles to make individual purchases cheaper. 

Final thoughts about Olaplex and Living proof

Comparing the two products is tricky, and typically it comes down to personal preference when deciding which is better. What works for one person may not work for another, so if after reading this you’re still not sure which brand is best for you, you may need to sample each of them. 

Living proof’s main claims are that their products can help you achieve healthier, fuller, and faster-growing hair. They offer a variety of shampoos, conditioners, treatments, and styling products that are all designed to improve the health of your hair. Olaplex, on the other hand, is best known for their bond-building treatment products. These products can be used to repair damage caused by heat styling, coloring, and other chemical processes.

When it comes to ingredients, both living proof and olaplex use a variety of different chemicals and compounds in their products. Some of these ingredients are beneficial for your hair, while others may cause irritation or other side effects. For example, living proof’s Volumizing Root Lifter contains alcohol, which can dry out your hair follicles.

Customer reviews for living proof and olaplex are generally positive. Both brands have a wide variety of products that receive high marks from users. However, there are some complaints about certain products from each brand. For example, some customers have said that Living Proof’s Frizz Cream leaves their hair feeling greasy. Olaplex’s Bond Repairing Heat Shield Spray, on the other hand, has been known to leave some users’ hair feeling oily.

Overall, both living proof and olaplex offer a variety of high-quality hair care products. Which one is right for you will depend on your individual hair type and needs. If you’re looking for a brand that offers a wide variety of hair care products, then living proof may be a good option. However, if you’re specifically looking for products that can help repair damage caused by heat styling or hair colouring, then Olaplex is the better choice.

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