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Olaplex numbers explained, and which ones you actually need
Short answer
The numbers are not steps to follow in order. Most people need No. 3 alone, used once a week on damp hair before shampoo. Add No. 0 first only if your hair is severely damaged, and No. 4 and No. 5 if you want the matching shampoo and conditioner. Everything else is optional. No. 4C is a clarifying shampoo and has nothing to do with 4C hair type.
The numbers are not a sequence
This is the single biggest misunderstanding about Olaplex. People assume you work through No. 0 to No. 9 like a routine. You do not. They are separate products that happen to be numbered, and buying all of them is a waste of a lot of money.
Start with No. 3. For most people that is the whole answer.
What each Olaplex number does
| Product | What it is | Do you need it? |
|---|---|---|
| No. 0 | Primer used before No. 3 | Only if your hair is severely damaged. Optional for most |
| No. 3 | The at home bond repair treatment | Yes, this is the one. Once a week, damp hair, before shampoo |
| No. 4 | Bond maintenance shampoo | Optional. A good everyday shampoo, not a treatment |
| No. 5 | Bond maintenance conditioner | Optional, pairs with No. 4 |
| No. 6 | Leave in styling cream for frizz | Optional. Skip if your hair is fine and greases up |
| No. 7 | Bonding oil, shine and heat protection | Useful if you heat style |
| No. 8 | Moisture mask | Optional. This is the moisture one, No. 3 is not |
| No. 9 | Leave in serum, heat and pollution protection | Optional |
| No. 4C | Clarifying shampoo | Once or twice a month if you have buildup or hard water |
How to use Olaplex No. 3 properly
Most people use it wrong, which is why they think it did nothing.
- Start with damp, towel dried hair. Not soaking, not dry.
- Apply generously from mid length to ends, more if your hair is long or thick.
- Leave it on for at least ten minutes. Longer is fine, up to a couple of hours.
- Then shampoo and condition as normal. You do rinse it out and you do wash after.
- Once a week. More often does not speed anything up.
It is a treatment, not a conditioner. It repairs broken disulphide bonds. It does not moisturise, so if your hair also feels dry you need a moisture product alongside it.
Does Olaplex actually work?
For genuinely damaged hair, yes. Bleached, over processed, relaxed or heat fried hair that is snapping mid shaft is exactly what bond builders were made for, and the difference over six to eight weeks is usually noticeable.
For healthy hair that is simply dry, it does very little, and it can leave hair feeling stiff. That is not a fault in the product, it is the wrong tool. If a wet strand of your hair snaps immediately with no stretch, you need moisture. If it stretches and stays stretched, you need bond repair. Our protein or moisture guide walks through the test.
K18 is the main alternative and works differently, in four minutes with no rinse. It is more expensive per use and needs to go on clean hair with nothing else on it.
Questions people also ask
Which Olaplex should I buy first?
No. 3. It is the at home bond repair treatment and it is the product the brand is famous for. Use it once a week on damp hair before shampooing.
Is Olaplex 4C for 4C hair type?
No. No. 4C is a clarifying shampoo and the C stands for clarifying. It has nothing to do with the 4C curl pattern. Use it once or twice a month for buildup, not weekly.
What is the difference between Olaplex 3 and 8?
No. 3 is bond repair for damaged hair. No. 8 is a moisture and shine mask. They do different jobs and many people with bleached hair use both, No. 3 before shampoo and No. 8 after.
Do you rinse out Olaplex No. 3?
Yes. Apply to damp hair, leave for at least ten minutes, then shampoo and condition as normal.
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