The New Olaplex No.3 Plus Is Smarter and Faster Than the Original | Review With Photos

Some things don’t need to be reinvented. Sliced bread? Awesome. Paperclips? Never change. So it was a surprise when Olaplex announced it was reformulating its fan-favorite bond repair treatment, Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector. It’s a paperclip. A dependable fix when things are a little frazzled and disorganized.

Olaplex No.3 Plus Complete Repair Treatment is the next evolution of No.3 and, the brand claims, it can do everything its predecessor is capable of, only better and faster. “No.3 was an icon, but technology is always evolving,” says chief science and research officer for Olaplex, Lavinia Popescu. The new technology—what the brand is calling a Damage Defense Cationic Complex—targets cuticle repair specifically.

That targeting of the cuticle is key to the new formula. The original No.3 featured their proprietary bond-building ingredient, bis-aminopropyl digylcol dimaleate, which binds directly to and repairs the three types of bonds within the hair shaft (hydrogen, ionic, and disulfide) after they’ve been frayed by heat, chemicals, water, or environmental damage.

The new formulation still features these ingredients, but adds (hence the “plus”) their new cationic technology that attaches like a magnet onto the cuticle of the hair—what is, essentially, the outer shell of a strand—and repairs it, as well. That way, you’re sealing in all that good healing you got from the bis-amino. “By combining these two technologies, we’re able to repair damage from the inside out and reduce future breakage,” says Popescu.

“We also received some feedback from consumers that when they used (the original formula), they felt like their hair was repaired, but they wanted to have a bit more conditioning,” she adds. So in addition to the cuticle repair upgrade, the new product needed to target softness and manageability.

Not that the OG wasn’t conditioning. The original formula featured a combination of oils and lipids to hydrate and soften the hair, such as glycerin and jojoba seed oil. “The new formula has more modern types of conditioning ingredients,” says Cincinnati-based cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos. She points to the addition of acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride/acrylamide copolymer, a synthetic polymer that has improved long-lasting softening effects.

“There are also some changes to thickening and stabilizing ingredients that I think also contribute to a thicker, richer feel,” Dobos adds.”The original utilized hydroxyethyl ethylcellulose for thickening and stability, and the new formula uses hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, which also offers thickening properties but with a less tacky and more luxurious feel.”

Several natural oils and botanical extracts—crambe abyssinica seed oil, avocado oil, and sunflower seed oil—have also been added to the new formula and may have some additional scalp moisturization and antioxidant benefits, says Dobos.

The brand has also managed to cut the usage time. The original formula was a pre-shampoo treatment that needed to be left on for 10 minutes before rinsing and washing. The new product, the brand claims, gets even better results in just three minutes. Popescu credits the speed to a new ingredient—glutamic acid—which aids penetration to the hair’s cortex. “We can basically restructure the hair from 360 degrees—first increasing the penetration and sealing basically instantaneously,” she says.

Dobos also believes the speed is helped along by those extra conditioning ingredients: “More conditioning agents deposit on the negatively-charged surface of the damaged hair. More polymeric, film-forming conditioners help align damaged hair cuticles quickly.” And there might be a little wish-fulfillment happening. “The addition of oils and butters begins lubricating the hair fiber on application and can enhance the perception of quicker repair even if the ‘bond building’ is a little slower,” Dobos adds. So you’re likely feeling instant smoothing and conditioning, and the real repair comes after a few uses.

The writer’s hair before using the new Olaplex No. 3 Plus

Courtesy of subject

The writer’s hair after using Olaplex No. 3 Plus

Courtesy of subject

As the mother of a 13-month-old, a shower (and time in general) is hard to come by, so faster is always better for me. Plus, while Dobos is in no way affiliated with Olaplex, she calls herself a “No.3 devotee,” and her excitement when I sent her the reformulation news was pretty contagious. “I have been using it for years since my stylist introduced me to it and just love how the product improves my color-treated hair,” she said. “I’m excited to get my hands on this new formula and cut down that dwell time.”

I, on the other hand, have never really “needed” No.3, though I dabble in other Olaplex products (their shampoo and conditioner, primarily). I have fine, stick-straight hair (no need for a straightener), prone to greasiness within 48 hours of a wash. I am also constantly waging a war against gravity, my hair never holding a curl or blow-out for as long as I’d like. I do color my hair, but I’m terrible about routine salon appointments and haven’t dyed my brown hair blonde (or anything other than varying shades of brunette) in about a decade.

All this to say, I tend to avoid products that are marketed as reparative or ultra-moisturizing. I don’t need a ton of repair, and I worry that conditioning ingredients will weigh my hair down. But as luck would have it, I just came off a stretch of dry shampoos and ponytail-wearing, so this felt like as good a time as any to try it and get a healthy reset.

I tried both products as instructed—towel dry hair, apply root-to-tip, rinse after the directed time had elapsed (10 minutes for the old formula, three for the new). I used a Wet Brush to comb through any tangles afterwards, and was delighted at how smoothly the bristles were able to move through my hair. The old formula left a few almost imperceptible tangles, the new almost none—a huge feat considering I live in the hard water capital of America (New Orleans).

After drying (I like the speed of a hair-dryer brush because again, toddler. I use the Drybar Double Shot), I was impressed that both formulas seemed to find and tame frizz I didn’t even know I had. I can’t say one performed better than the other in that respect, but I also don’t have deeply damaged hair. The clinical results point to reversed damage in one use, but it was tested on bleached hair.

I will say that I felt like I had gotten the reset my hair needed—possibly about 20% more so with the new formula, which really left my hair feeling silky and light. You couldn’t tell that my hair had been languishing in a hair tie for days, and maybe possibly had some baby snot up in there. It looked like I had finally gotten myself to a salon—with that same super-soft bounce you get after a professional gets their hands on it. It won’t be a weekly treatment for me, but I’ll definitely rotate it into my routine when needed.

Below, check out more reviews of Olaplex No. 3 Plus from Allure editors with different hair types and conditioning needs.

Senior staff writer Elizabeth Gulino before trying the original Olaplex No. 3.

Courtesy of subject

Gulino after trying the original Olaplex No. 3.

Courtesy of subject

“It’s probably hard to believe that I’ve never used Olaplex No.3 before, given that Allure previously called it the “crown jewel” of the brand, but it’s true. While the original formula claims to “reverse damage,” I wouldn’t say my hair is necessarily in need of intense repair. I don’t color it (and never have), and I use hot tools sparingly, normally opting to let my hair air dry instead of firing up a blow-dryer. I used both the old and new No.3 the exact same way—I covered my damp-ish hair from root to tip, put it up in a claw clip while I exfoliated and shaved in the shower, and let my hair air dry after letting it sit in my Crown Affair hair towel. They were each left on for about 10 minutes total.

Gulino before trying the new Olaplex No. 3 Plus.

Courtesy of subject

Gulino after trying the new Olaplex No. 3 Plus.

Courtesy of subject

“After using the original formula, my hair dried into a sad, straw-like texture. I didn’t feel that my hair was left looking healthier, and I was not impressed. I also was not excited about trying the reformulation if there was an opportunity for the same result. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. The new formula immediately made my hair feel much softer—this could be due to the fact that I used more product the second time around, though. While I don’t think my hair necessarily felt stronger immediately, like the brand claims, I can see how using this more often can have a better effect. Consider me a new fan.”

Associate editor Annie Blay-Tettey before trying Olaplex.

Courtesy of subject

Blay-Tettey after treating her hair with the original No. 3.

Courtesy of subject

Blay-Tettey after treating her hair with the new No. 3 Plus.

Courtesy of subject

“Olaplex No.3 used to be one of my holy-grail products. In 2022, after getting highlights and a bad silk press (on two separate occasions), my hair was literally fried, dyed, and laid to the side. I relied on the bond-building pre-shampoo treatment to nurse my curls back to health—and it certainly helped, along with the rest of the Olaplex wash regimen. After a big chop and establishing new healthy growth, I stopped reaching for the product, so when I heard they’d reformulated one of my OGs, I was excited.

“My impressions after using both formulas are that there really doesn’t seem to be much of a difference. After wetting my hair, I applied the old formula to one side and the new formula to the other. Both provided great slip for detangling, but that was about the only notable thing. Which makes perfect sense, because the product is more geared towards damaged hair, from my understanding, and thankfully, my hair is no longer damaged. Because of that, I don’t think I was able to really reap any of the benefits intended by using the new formula (or the old one, for that matter)

“Overall, the new formula doesn’t make me want to start using Olaplex No.3 again; not because I think it’s a bad product, but because I simply don’t need it. Plus, as a busy mom of a toddler, I don’t have time for extra steps in my already long wash day—just a shampoo, conditioner, and style will do for me.”

Content director Sophia Panych after trying the new Olaplex No. 3 Plus formula.

I’m one of those obnoxious people who wait to watch viral TV shows months, even years, after the buzz dies down. Sometimes all the hype has the opposite effect on me, which is exactly what happened with Olaplex. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that as a beauty editor of nearly two decades, I’ve never tried the brand’s No.3—especially since my fine, fried, highlighted hair exhibits the exact the kind of damage the formula claims to help with. I tried No.3 Plus for the first time and was amazed at how silky it made my hair both in the shower and as I was blow-drying it.

My hair is comically long right now. I’m in desperate need of a haircut, but I’m also cheap and have been putting off my next cut and color as long as possible. That means every blow-dry is a battle to get the mid-lengths smooth and snaggle-free. After using No. 3 Plus, I needed significantly less effort to blow-dry my hair (i.e. less ripping through it with my brush), and I didn’t need to go over it with a flatiron to get the silky sheen I like (I really hope my hairstylist isn’t reading this right now). It’s hard to tell if my hair is stronger than before, as I think I need to use it regularly and over a couple of months to see those types of results.

I will definitely be adding No.3 Plus to my hair-care routine from now on, on days I have a little more time to spend in the shower. For someone who is lazy with their hair and always late, the extra step, even though it’s now only three minutes, may be hard to squeeze in during the work week. But over the weekend, though—between episodes of Emily in Paris season three—sure thing.

The Olaplex No.3 Plus Complete Repair Treatment retails for $34 and is available at Nordstrom and Sephora.

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