Since its release, Olaplex has been one of the most well-liked and well-praised haircare products in the hairdressing market, but did you know there is a rivalry now that might easily surpass Olaplex? The latest best hair treatment in the haircare industry is the k18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask. So what makes the two different from one another? What is more, which one is superior? Popular hair treatments like K18 and Olaplex claim to strengthen and repair hair. To assist you in choosing the best hair treatment for you, we will compare K18 with Olaplex.

Although the K18 has also been available for some time, it is now starting to gain traction thanks to raving positive feedback from both hairstylists and customers. A lot of individuals who were ardent Olaplex supporters before switching over to the K18 cult, now have claimed that K18 is even better than Olaplex (who thought this was even possible?)

Hailed as the “new Olaplex,” K18 has received never ending praises. But does it measure up to the hairdressing industry’s king of hair restoration and repair products, or is it just marketing hype? Is there truly a better product for repairing damaged hair than Olaplex? To discover, keep reading.

So if you want to learn all about the differences between K18 and Olaplex, continue to read for a detailed analysis and comparison of the price, ingredient etc. (and of course, to answer to the tough question, “Which one is best?”).

How does hair damage start, to begin with?

Now for the scientific part! To begin with, we must comprehend how hair damage happens to comprehend how both products function. Polypeptide chains, or chains of amino acids, are what make up the hair, along with the bonds that bind these protein chains together.

In human hair, protein chains are connected by 3 different kinds of bonds:

  • disulphide bonds
  • hydrogen bonds
  • salt bonds

Hydrogen & salt bonds both are weaker than the strong disulphide bonds. The dispulphide bond must be broken to alter the look of our hair. Furthermore, when hair is chemically processed, the polypeptide chains break, which results in the fundamental structure of the hair—the one that provides it resilience and strength—also being damaged.

How does Olaplex work?

When OLAPLEX initially exploded  into the haircare landscape in 2014, it was groundbreaking as well as it is “a stylist and colourist’s dream.” Megastars like Chrissy Teigen & Kim Kardashian are among its many famous supporters. With its patented ingredients, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Olaplex’s line of products promises to repair and mend broken bonds and restore damaged hair.

This ingredient, by Olapex, “dramatically enhances the hair strength, protects from inside, and gives instant results for all hair types.” The hair shaft’s bonds are repaired with Olaplex. In other words, it acts nearly like glue to repair the damage. These Olaplex products have gained cult status due to their outstanding results. Olaplex is not only a fad, it is a miraculous product that has fundamentally altered how we perform hair colours and highlights.

K18: What is it and how does it work?

The outstanding Olaplex seems to be in danger of losing its crown to the newcomer K18, or at the very least sharing its golden pedestal. K18, so called for its active ingredient K18Peptide, can reconnect the polypeptide chains which constitute the inner structure of the hair. It contains a unique sequence which allows it to restore damaged hair to its natural state and condition. The bioactive peptide in K18 resembles the natural structure of keratin building blocks  (amino acid sequences) in hair. In the process, K18 Peptide may also fix any broken disulfide bonds, much like Olaplex.

Even more amazing is the fact that K18 may repair and restore damaged hair in as fast as four minutes. Last but not least, rather than being “glued over,” the hair damage has been reversed, thus the outcome will not be washed away.

What are the main distinctions between the Olaplex and K18?

Both products seem to have a more profound ability to restore hair and deeper level of repair than other conditions or treatments. This is the clear distinction between the two. While K18’s polypeptide chain repair affects the inner core of the hair, Olaplex’s bond repair has a more structural, surface-level effect.

When Should You use K18?

K18 is essential for hair repair and restoration, making it a great product to use before colouring hair, while it may also be used to repair and restore damage from daily wear and tear on virgin hair.

Olaplex: When to Use It

The hair will be temporarily rejuvenated with Olaplex following hair damage from heat, styling or chemicals.

Olaplex provides several products to pick from, but K18 has an edge in terms of speed due to its very rapid results on the hair.

Given the obvious popularity of both products, it would seem that the best method to decide which to use would be to test them out on your own based on the needs of your hair.

When people began praising K18 in comparison to Olaplex which is a well established brand like, it could have seemed strange. However, it might be difficult to ignore the hype, and it may contain some truth

Can I now move to K18? Or perhaps, “Can I combine Olaplex with K18?” You could need some explanations to these queries immediately. Fear not! This page gives the details of this conflict.

Is there a product that surpasses Olaplex?

It might be tough to even look at the new kid on the block who claims they could do greater than what you are having when something is working for you. particularly if you have Olaplex.

By using the ingredient, bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, this proprietary Olaplex system restores and repairs damaged disulfide bonds. These bonds in healthy hair serve as a strong connection inside and between the keratin chains, giving your hair its strength and elasticity.

Olaplex has found this chemical that, if the disulfide link breaks, can hold it back together, like an extended artificial bridge. The fact that most individuals like heat style, bleaching, colouring, and outdoor activities, these bonds ultimately break, causing brittleness, frizz and split ends due to tension and stress.

Your hair receives temporary regeneration with their proprietary chemical as opposed to going into full damaged status.

Here is where aesthetic science accomplishes another outstanding achievement. What could be more effective than a man-made bridge? A real bridge, of course.

K18 makes that commitment.

K18 has a proprietary technology that connects broken disulfide bonds without the need for chemicals. Instead, it employs biomimetic peptide technology.

Yes, it does sound fancy, but it is very effectively. 10 years of research into the keratin building block gave rise to this technology.

The real shocker, then? Every kind of hair may use it.

Olaplex has a loyal followers although K18 seems to be more theoretically advanced. Olaplex also has its great benefits.

K18 or Olaplex, which is superior?

To further understand the differences between K18 peptide and Olaplex, it is essential to first dive in to examine what each one offers.

You should familiarise yourself with amino acids for that.

Between two cysteines, an amino acid, there is a disulfide bond. Cysteines are unique among all the amino acids in a keratin because they form the disulfide bond that gives the keratin its structural integrity. A keratin chain is made up of several different amino acids.

For broken disulfide bonds, Olaplex acts as a synthetic bridge. However, there maybe two distinct weakness to this bridge: (1) the patented chemical has ionic bonding, and (2) it only connects disulfide bonds.

The first section may present a problem since the ionic bond-containing part of the chemical may be washed away by extremely alkaline products like a normal shampoo. In alternate words, the bridge might fall apart.

The second issue is that if a hair is damaged, the keratin structure breaks down completely, not only disulfide bonds break. Keep in mind the other amino acids. They too require repair.

With its peptide technology, K18 addresses these two issues. In their products, a chain of 18 amino acids to compose of enough cysteine to resemble the keratin in hair is introduced.

The catch? The peptide chain fuses into the keratin structure as if it were a natural component of it. Without assistance from outside sources, your hair constructs a real bridge and repairs the damage.

It is appealing to think that a bottle of K18 will replace several other hair repairing products. Since you will not need more products, which translates to less waste, it also provides an environmentally sustainable system.

Now that you are aware of K18, you can compare it to Olaplex using the following guidelines.

First, they both repair and strengthen, although in different ways. Olaplex is a great option for those who prefer to use it at home with all their time in it, while K18 is for people who need to repair their hair quickly and the hair is in critical condition.

Olaplex offers more products than K18.

The wider variety is fantastic for some people who want to completely commit to a brand, but it may be overwhelming for others. Their complete line makes sure that you can restore your hair from the shower down to hairstyling.

Hair growth is an additional consideration factor to think about. This hair problem is indirectly resolved by Olaplex’s reparative capabilities. So, K18 promotes hair growth?

Hypothetically, yes.

You will appear to have no hair length if your hair falls off more often than it grows. K18 may be of assistance to you in this situation as it reconstruct the keratin structure to a state which your hair feels as if it were once again virgin.

Both are quite safe in terms of ingredient.  Need a bit more direction? You could get a clearer idea by doing more comparisons of the both products.

K18 hair therapy vs. Olaplex

Olaplex and K18 both have products that are solely offered to professionals. While K18 only includes 2 parts system as compared to Olaplex that has 3 parts system.

The third and last part of Olaplex is the take-home No.3 product.

Despite how most people use it, technically it is not a standalone product. After you received the other two parts (Olaplex No.1 and Olaplex No. 2) in the hair salon, No. 3 is meant to be your insurance. The Olaplex No. 1 Bond Multiplier and No. 2 Bond Perfector are exclusively accessible to experts.

Both the K18 pro hair mask and mist are used as part of the K18 hair treatment. Before any professional or chemical hair treatment, the mist is used as part of their 4-minute, 2-step salon service.

Before using the professional mist, you must spray your hair using water and let it air dry before any hair processing. The K18 hair mask may then be applied after that.

Can you use Olaplex and K18 together?

You could start to believe that these two can not share a bathroom shelf because of their intense competitiveness. Can I combine Olaplex with K18, you may be thinking right now. Nobody is as inquisitive as you are!

Yes, you can, to get right to the point.

More than just repair products are available from Olaplex. In addition to the K18 leave-in treatment, you may utilize the Olaplex No. 7 and No. 8 hairstyling products. If you shower before the mask, Olaplex No. 4 might be an excellent option for your shampoo. Following the K18 applications, that are recommended, you may consider to use Olaplex No. 8 that will deliver extensive repair and moisture.

However, please DO NOT mix them together. Overconsumption of products ultimately leads to build-up, which might damage your hair reparation efforts.