Redken Acidic Bonding the copy of Olaplex?

• May 21 2023
• 5 min reading time

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When we suffer from damaged hair and look for miracle products to make our hair shine again, we often end up with the brand Olaplex. Unfortunately, this miracle product comes with a hefty price tag, so we searched for a cheaper alternative.

 

The benefits of Olaplex

Olaplex helps extremely damaged hair to recover from within. By restoring the bonds from inside, the hair looks healthy, shiny, and beautiful again. What’s unique about Olaplex is that the brand has developed hair care products suitable for every hair type: from curly to straight and from thick to thin. The different products work perfectly together to repair the hair. The most popular Olaplex product is the Nº.3 Hair Perfector. This is a pre-shampoo treatment that can be used twice a week to repair and protect the hair. After letting the product work, you rinse it out with the accompanying Olaplex Shampoo and Conditioner. Olaplex is popular for a reason—it really works very well. Unfortunately, the products are not affordable for everyone, so we searched for an affordable dupe! 

 

Comparable results

The product line we came across is the Acidic Bonding from Redken. This line consists of a pre-treatment, shampoo, conditioner, and a leave-in treatment. The Acidic Bonding products help, just like Olaplex products, to repair damaged hair from within. Many hair care products have a high pH value above 6. The pH value of the Acidic Bonding products has been reduced to 4.5-5.5. The low pH value of the Redken products corresponds to that of Olaplex, as the pH value of Olaplex products ranges between 3.5-5. Thanks to the low pH value, color fading is prevented. Additionally, a low pH value also has a positive effect on the health of the hair. The Acidic Bonding products from Redken, like the Olaplex products, are sulfate-free. 

 

Acidic Bonding Pre-treatment vs Olaplex Nº.3 Hair Perfector

Because Olaplex's Hair Perfector is the most popular, we pay a little extra attention to the product from the Acidic Bonding line that resembles it the most: the pre-treatment. 

You use Redken's pre-treatment the same way as Olaplex's Hair Perfector. You apply the pre-treatment to damp hair and leave it on for 10 minutes. Then you can rinse out the product with the corresponding Redken Shampoo and Conditioner. 

 

The Acidic Bonding Pre-Treatment 150 ml you can score with a bit of luck already for €21.50. The Olaplex Nº.3 Hair Perfector 100 ml costs around €30 euros. Looking at the price per liter, there is a clear difference here. Both products have the advantage of being very concentrated. This means you need less product than less concentrated products, so it lasts longer. This makes the price more attractive in the long run. 

What are the similarities between Redken Acidic Bonding and Olaplex?

Of course, we also examined the ingredients of both products. Looking at the ingredient lists, we see some differences in composition, but there are as many as 9 matching ingredients! 

 

Redken Ingredients

Aqua / Water / Eau / Cetearyl Alcohol / Glycerin / Behentrimonium Chloride / Stearyl Alcohol / Citric Acid / Cetyl Esters / Sodium Citrate / Isopropyl Alcohol / Parfum / Fragrance / Phenoxyethanol / Polyquaternium-10 / Polysorbate 20 / Hydroxypropyl Guar / Limonene / Linalool 

 

Olaplex Ingredients

Water (Aqua) / Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate / Propylene Glycol / Cetearyl Alcohol / Behentrimonium Methosulfate / Cetyl Alcohol / Phenoxyethanol / Glycerin / Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose / Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine / Quaternium-91 / Sodium Benzoate / Cetrimonium Methosulfate / Cetrimonium Chloride / Fragrance (Parfum) / Polyquaternium-37 / Tetrasodium EDTA / Benzyl Benzoate / Etidronic Acid / Ascorbic Acid / Phytantriol / Tocopheryl Acetate / Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice / Panthenol / Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil / Citric Acid / Potassium Sorbate

 

If we compare all the previously mentioned features side by side, both products have quite a few similarities:

• Suitable for all hair types and textures
• Low pH value
• Free from Sulfates
• Strengthens the hair from within
• Same in use: both products are used as a pre-treatment
• The high concentration ensures the product lasts longer
• 9 matching ingredients

We see a lot of similarities between Redken's Acidic Bonding line and Olaplex, plus the price of the Acidic Bonding products is a bit more attractive. As far as we're concerned, we can call it a real dupe!