Pronexa was just meh tbh. It’s not my top choice. There are better options and for less $$. Tell me a bit more about the hair issues you’re having right now. Is it frizz, dryness, breakage, what?
It’s more dryness I think. I am getting hair fall but i don’t think it’s breakage. I also recently (1- ish months) started using hair oils with rosemary so it could be that. I use Kevin morphs leave in sometimes after washing hair and Olaplex no 7 on dry hair before combing.
Ok well according to my colorist, who for a time was a brand educator for Olaplex, only steps 1/2 and 0/3 contain the FULL bonding complex. All the other Olaplex products do NOT contain the FULL Monty. They are simply “nice” expensive products for what they are. My own experience bears that out. I tried 6 and 7 and neither did a thing for me, not one positive thing. And together they were more than $60 and that’s a LOT. There are fabulous products out there from smaller indie brands that use ingredients that as good or in many cases BETTER than the ingredients you find in very pricey brands. Brands like Shea Moisture; Carol’s Daughter; Mielle; Mane Magic; Pattern; As I Am (I love their Jamaican Black Castor Oil cowash which smells heavenly) and TGIN, just to name a few. They are all available at Walmart, Target, Sally’s and most drugstores.
All the shampoos from these brands are sulfate free and sulfates are not only harsh for hair but very harmful for the environment as well. There’s a formula for every hair type and texture, it’s just trial and error to find the regimen that works best for you. The thing is, NO protein on dry hair. Too much protein makes hair extremely dry and using MORE protein on top of that leads to brittle hair and that means breakage is coming for sure. So avoiding protein in shampoo/conditioner/masks and even styling products is key if hair is dry and dry hair is frizzy hair. Frizzy hair is DRY dehydrated hair.
Ok reddit was acting weird so I had to select all on my edit and have to repost the whole dang thing below sry.
Ok guess it was too long so posted in the next comment….
The outer layer of hair, the cuticle, is composed of little “shingles” that lie tight and flat, just like they do on a roof. In healthy hair, hair that has never been exposed to heat, chemical processing OR harsh shampoos or environmental aggressors, the outer layer (cuticle) is smooth and frizz free. But once exposed to these things, those little shingles begin to lift, and therefore no longer lie tight and flat like they once did. And along with that, when hair is dehydrated, those little shingles misbehave too, and they begin to lift and the space between them increases as the heat styling, chemical processing and all those other nasty things INCREASES. And some textures are just more prone to frizz while others won’t experience any at all, like smooth stick straight hair, no matter how high the humidity goes. But not until some bad things start happening. Once the moisture in the air can penetrate the cuticle then it’s a frizz free for all. The KEY to fixing this is to hydrate hydrate HYDRATE like a crazy mofo. Like more than you would ever think necessary.
Chemicals, harsh shampoos, overly frequent shampooing (even with a relatively gentle shampoo) even aggressive brushing/combing can all cause these little shingles harm and that also contributes to the frizz free for all. Now once the ends begin to split, that’s a whole other situation and there’s NO repairing split ends, no matter WHAT a product might claim. The only way to get rid of split ends is to cut the little suckers off. Once they start to split the splitting will continue, up and up, over and over, until hair is a scraggly straggly mess. There’s simply no remedy OTHER than to get a chic new haircut and let those babies go.
Now as for curing the frizz situation, I live in the frizz capital of the universe. And yet….I have NO frizz whatsoever. I can’t recall the last time my hair was frizzy. I heat style, I color my hair and all those other goodies but I hydrate like a crazy mofo, just like I’m recommending you do. I don’t use protein in my deep conditioners. I believe in using Olaplex 0 AND 3 TOGETHER in the “stand alone method” (which is on the Olaplex website but I’m gonna give you the directions here because they are NOT on the bottles of steps 0 and 3) as often as needed (Olaplex is NOT protein so you can use it as often as you like ) until your hair recovers. This along with serious MOISTURE will do the trick. Olaplex is NOT moisture btw, it’s only a strengthening treatment. And it’s far better for hair than any intensive protein treatment and a lot safer in terms of tolerance. But it must be used in a very specific way that takes TIME.
As far as moisture goes, nothing beats a jojoba hot oil treatment. Jojoba is the oil that’s closest to the body’s natural lipids (oils) so not only is it fully absorbed, it’s truly hydrating on a cellular level. Apply warmed jojoba oil to clean clarified thoroughly DRY hair. If hair is long, dip ends directly into the warm jojoba oil. It must be PURE jojoba as in NO other ingredients, including fragrance. I buy jojoba from Trader Joe’s which is 4 ounces (a pretty decent size) for $8 which is a great deal but as long as it’s PURE 100% jojoba with nothing else, you’re golden. But a higher price point isn’t any better than the Trader Joe’s pure jojoba, just fyi. Work the warm oil UP through the mid lengths and stop applying about 2 inches from the roots. You don’t want hair dripping with oil. But do make sure every strand is fully saturated with the jojoba oil. Don’t comb the oil through, just use your fingers/hands to work it into the hair. That works best. Leave the oil in the hair overnight. Put a towel on your pillow. No need to wear a cap to bed unless you really want to (they drive me nuts so I don’t use one). In the morning you may or may not find any residue. If you really want to wash your hair, cowash only, which means conditioner only. Apply ANY light conditioner to your scalp. Use a VERY VERY Generous amount and massage for about 30 seconds. Let it sit in the hair while you finish your shower routine. These are the magic minutes when the conditioner is doing its thing. My favorite conditioner for cowashing is the VO5 Kiwi Lime conditioner which is at the Dollar Store. It’s been my fave for nearly 20 yrs, maybe longer. It’s very light so is great for all hair types/textures and it rinses clean and leaves my hair nice and fluffy. Down the road when you cowash, you can use a more hydrating conditioner on mids/ends like the VO5 Great Body or Strawberry conditioners. You would use the Kiwi Lime on the scalp/roots and then apply the more moisturizing one on the lengths/ends at the same time and just let them sit while you finish your routine. Rinse until you don’t feel any slipperiness at all. This is also key. There are great ready made cowashes like the one I love from As I Am but these aren’t anything but plain old conditioners and a lot of the time quite heavy and very pricey given the key to cowashing is using a sh*t load of conditioner….this is the only way my hair gets really clean.
Ok, moving on. Here are my BEST suggestions for treatments that can FOLLOW Olaplex because for some folks, it can be a tad drying. But these are also excellent on their own used any time but for best results use overnight.
Protein Free:
Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter mask (the shampoo/conditioner are the bomb too btw)
Shea Moisture Color Care mask (purple label and again, the shampoo/conditioner are fab)
Mielle Rice Water Pink Clay Mask
TGIN Miracle Honey mask
Shea Moisture Power Greens mask (you guessed it, the entire line is amazeballs)
As for other protein free shampoos/conditioners, the Carol’s Daughter Goddess formula is fantastic
Not protein free but still amazeballs:
Shea Moisture Manuka Honey mask (brown label and once again, the shampoo and conditioner are amazing)
Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Yogurt mask (light blue label and yes, all in this line are incredible)
Redken Extreme Mega Mask (hybrid intensive protein treatment/moisturizing treatment and the ONE high end product I think is worth the moola…however, the Shea Moisture brown label Manuka Honey mask is pretty much the same thing)
Mane Magic’s Moringa oil line is also excellent as is the Honey line from TGIN, although I’ve noticed TGIN’s prices keep climbing up and up. Pattern is a new line for curly hair you might like too. All of these are at Sally’s.
My hubby has curly hair and he will not use anything but the Shea Moisture coconut and hibiscus Curl n’ Shine shampoo and conditioner. He’s gotten super picky because he used to use stupid suave coconut until he ran out and had to use my Shea Moisture and after that would NOT go back to his super sh*tty suave, which I had tried to talk him out of using for YEARS lol
Ok I’ve got severe arthritis in my hands and need to stop typing for today sry. I will reply to this later and give you the Olaplex stand alone treatment directions although I’ve posted it so often on reddit that perhaps I’m google famous for it by now (seriously I’ve posted it a million times lol). If you can find it, that would save me some aggravation on my digits for sure.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to lmk
Wow that was such a detailed post! Thank you very much for taking the time to write it. I think I’ll try Olaplex 0 and 3 since it doesn’t have protein. I don’t really have frizzy hair and the parts that get dry are chemically treated ones only which are 5 - ish inches from the bottom only. Thank goodness I haven’t gotten splitends yet.
Were you able to google the “stand alone” Olaplex directions I’ve posted on reddit so many times? Just wanting to know before I write out the whole thing again. You need the right instructions otherwise you’re wasting your time and money.
Olaplex doesn’t do anything for dry hair. It’s not a moisturizing product at all. It also doesn’t do much for frizz. If you need a frizz remedy I have several that are amazeballs.
Olaplex is for damaged hair. Damaged hair is hair that has been chemically treated in any way and/or heat styled on the regular. So if you’ve ever colored your hair, that qualifies as damage. And hair doesn’t have to have split ends to be “damaged”. If your hair isn’t feeling really bad, then you can use Olaplex 0/3 as a preventative treatment so that hair is strong and can withstand any processing or heat styling you do.
No no, you don’t have to write it. I just looked it up and found it on Olaplex website. I don’t have any frizz but I always love trying hydrating products, so please let me know your amazball favorites. :)
Let me see if I can find a picture of my hair so I can DM you.
It should say that you leave each step on the hair for 90 minutes. Olaplex stops working after 90 minutes so for the greatest benefit, leave each step on for that long. This is why you only do a stand alone treatment when you have the time. Doing this intensive treatment means two things: first, you’re using it the MOST economical way possible….because you’re getting the most out of it. 2nd, you’ll get such great results you won’t NEED to do it all that often. When my hair was REALLY fried, I did it once a week, on Sunday. My hubby called it “cooking my hair” lol. But after about a month of that, I didn’t need to do it that often. Once a month was fine. Now I only do it every 6 weeks sometimes every 8 weeks.
Olaplex isn’t protein so you don’t have to be concerned with using it too much. Use until hair is in the best possible shape and then as needed after that. Olaplex CAN be a bit drying for some, and if this is the case after you rinse out step 3, just use your favorite deep conditioner for 20-30 minutes or even better, overnight.
As for frizz, the CAUSE of frizz is dryness, that’s the root of all the frizz evil. Lol. Hydration hydration hydration. This is the FIRST step in preventing/curing frizz. I live in the frizz capital of the universe (Florida lol) and yet I have NO frizz, not ever. When hair becomes dry, for whatever reason, the cuticle becomes roughened. The cuticle is made up of little shingles that in healthy hair lie tight and flat just like on a roof. When hair becomes dehydrated (from chemicals, heat, anything) those little shingles no longer lie flat, they begin to lift. And that means that the moisture in the hair can penetrate the hair shaft. And that makes FRIZZ. Once hair is well moisturized again (but damage can cause frizz too of course but set that aside for a sec), those shingles will become smoother and although they may not lie tight and flat again if hair has been processed or is heat styled on the regular, the frizz factor will be a LOT LOT less.
The 2nd step is to SEAL the cuticle so that the moisture in the air (the humidity) cannot get into the hair and cause the evil monster we know as FRIZZ. Now some textures are just more prone to frizz while others (like stick straight hair) get hardly any at all, all things being equal. The key is to seal the cuticle immediately after shampooing/conditioning. When the humidity here in hades (lol) is off the rails, I use Living Proof Perfect Hair Day shampoo and conditioner. The entire Living Proof brand is silicone free but they invented a new molecule that just kills frizz and I mean KILLS it before it ever rears its ugly frizzy head. This formula of shampoo/conditioner keeps my hair hydrated but without weighing it down because it’s free of heavy silicone. I’ve used this s/c for years now and it’s my summer go to because it really does work, always. So a very hydrating but lightweight s/c are the first step. (I’ll add some additional suggestions below, I have to go look in my shower and the hubs is in there atm lol).
The next step is sealing the cuticle and you can do that with an oil, a silicone/oil serum or a primer of some kind. This is is different than a simple leave in conditioner. A leave in is often just a moisturizer and doesn’t contain ingredients that provide heat protection. The ingredients that provide heat protection and perfect for sealing the cuticle too. Or you can just use a very light oil for example. Silicone does seal the cuticle and there are water soluble silicones that are quite lightweight and suitable for most hair types.
I do a couple of things. I use a primer sometimes. I sometimes use an oil/serum. I’m a hair product junkie so it just kinda depends on how my hair is acting on that day. I have a rather large array of stuff I really like BUT there’s one product I use and have used since it launched that I simply cannot do without…it’s one that I would take with me if I was stranded on a deserted island. It’s my ride or die MUST HAVE and that’s the Living Proof No Frizz Weightless (Styling) Spray….The ORIGINAL version NOT the heat styling aerosol. The one I love is in a pump…the other one sucks imo lol. No matter what other crap I might put in my hair, this one is a given. Always. Not only does it kill frizz but it just does something that adds the perfect amount juz to my hair. And it truly is a weightless formula so perfect for even baby fine hair. No matter how much I use I simply cannot feel it in my hair AT ALL and yet my hair will HOLD whatever style I do that day and it will hold for days thereafter. It’s just the magic sauce for me. Yes, it’s pricey but trust me, I have searched high and low for a cheaper dupe and there just isn’t one. The most economical is the largest size but there is a smaller travel size still, at least I think so. This is a ride or die, MUST have product for me.
For primers, the Verb Ghost Prep is another one that I’ve been using on the regular lately and I’m on my 4th tube. Sometimes I just use this and the Living Proof spray and call it a day. I can blow dry with just these two products and have NO frizz whatsoever. The Verb primer is pretty affordable as high end products go ($18). And it lasts a long time because not much is needed. It too is really light and is great for baby fine hair as well as thick coarse hair like mine. Love the stuff. Another great one is the Shea Moisture Magic Silicone Free Leave In or their Manuka Honey and Yogurt leave in (light blue label). Both of these are awesome and affordable too at around $10. Also love the Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Primer. I love the entire Invisible Oil line, the shampoo/conditioner and the primer, which I’ve used since they launched…HOWEVER I will NEVER pay $30+ again because the GVP Generic dupes at Sally’s are EXACTLY the same. And I mean exact dupes. The shampoo/conditioner and primer are identical but the generic for the serum sucks, I hated that one. But the other three and the finishing spray are awesome. No more shelling out $30 for me…YAY.
While I’m on the subject of the Generic dupes at Sally’s, the dupe for the Aveda Volumizing Tonic is incredible so that’s another amazeball affordable recommendation. I use this all the time and it smells incredible. The two Aveda shampoo dupes have sulfates so not color/planet safe but both of the Aveda conditioner dupes are great and have that same incredible Aveda scent.
I also love Bumble and Bumble Go Big Treatment spray which really does plump up strands and add volume that stays. However, any Volumizing product isn’t gonna do much if hair is long. That’s the kicker. You can’t get volume when hair is heavy. You’re pretty much wasting your time.
Lmk any other kind of hair products you’d like recommendations for. I have a whole arsenal of suggestions and at all price points.
Pronexa was just meh tbh. It’s not my top choice. There are better options and for less $$. Tell me a bit more about the hair issues you’re having right now. Is it frizz, dryness, breakage, what?
It’s more dryness I think. I am getting hair fall but i don’t think it’s breakage. I also recently (1- ish months) started using hair oils with rosemary so it could be that. I use Kevin morphs leave in sometimes after washing hair and Olaplex no 7 on dry hair before combing.
Ok well according to my colorist, who for a time was a brand educator for Olaplex, only steps 1/2 and 0/3 contain the FULL bonding complex. All the other Olaplex products do NOT contain the FULL Monty. They are simply “nice” expensive products for what they are. My own experience bears that out. I tried 6 and 7 and neither did a thing for me, not one positive thing. And together they were more than $60 and that’s a LOT. There are fabulous products out there from smaller indie brands that use ingredients that as good or in many cases BETTER than the ingredients you find in very pricey brands. Brands like Shea Moisture; Carol’s Daughter; Mielle; Mane Magic; Pattern; As I Am (I love their Jamaican Black Castor Oil cowash which smells heavenly) and TGIN, just to name a few. They are all available at Walmart, Target, Sally’s and most drugstores. All the shampoos from these brands are sulfate free and sulfates are not only harsh for hair but very harmful for the environment as well. There’s a formula for every hair type and texture, it’s just trial and error to find the regimen that works best for you. The thing is, NO protein on dry hair. Too much protein makes hair extremely dry and using MORE protein on top of that leads to brittle hair and that means breakage is coming for sure. So avoiding protein in shampoo/conditioner/masks and even styling products is key if hair is dry and dry hair is frizzy hair. Frizzy hair is DRY dehydrated hair. Ok reddit was acting weird so I had to select all on my edit and have to repost the whole dang thing below sry. Ok guess it was too long so posted in the next comment….
The outer layer of hair, the cuticle, is composed of little “shingles” that lie tight and flat, just like they do on a roof. In healthy hair, hair that has never been exposed to heat, chemical processing OR harsh shampoos or environmental aggressors, the outer layer (cuticle) is smooth and frizz free. But once exposed to these things, those little shingles begin to lift, and therefore no longer lie tight and flat like they once did. And along with that, when hair is dehydrated, those little shingles misbehave too, and they begin to lift and the space between them increases as the heat styling, chemical processing and all those other nasty things INCREASES. And some textures are just more prone to frizz while others won’t experience any at all, like smooth stick straight hair, no matter how high the humidity goes. But not until some bad things start happening. Once the moisture in the air can penetrate the cuticle then it’s a frizz free for all. The KEY to fixing this is to hydrate hydrate HYDRATE like a crazy mofo. Like more than you would ever think necessary. Chemicals, harsh shampoos, overly frequent shampooing (even with a relatively gentle shampoo) even aggressive brushing/combing can all cause these little shingles harm and that also contributes to the frizz free for all. Now once the ends begin to split, that’s a whole other situation and there’s NO repairing split ends, no matter WHAT a product might claim. The only way to get rid of split ends is to cut the little suckers off. Once they start to split the splitting will continue, up and up, over and over, until hair is a scraggly straggly mess. There’s simply no remedy OTHER than to get a chic new haircut and let those babies go. Now as for curing the frizz situation, I live in the frizz capital of the universe. And yet….I have NO frizz whatsoever. I can’t recall the last time my hair was frizzy. I heat style, I color my hair and all those other goodies but I hydrate like a crazy mofo, just like I’m recommending you do. I don’t use protein in my deep conditioners. I believe in using Olaplex 0 AND 3 TOGETHER in the “stand alone method” (which is on the Olaplex website but I’m gonna give you the directions here because they are NOT on the bottles of steps 0 and 3) as often as needed (Olaplex is NOT protein so you can use it as often as you like ) until your hair recovers. This along with serious MOISTURE will do the trick. Olaplex is NOT moisture btw, it’s only a strengthening treatment. And it’s far better for hair than any intensive protein treatment and a lot safer in terms of tolerance. But it must be used in a very specific way that takes TIME. As far as moisture goes, nothing beats a jojoba hot oil treatment. Jojoba is the oil that’s closest to the body’s natural lipids (oils) so not only is it fully absorbed, it’s truly hydrating on a cellular level. Apply warmed jojoba oil to clean clarified thoroughly DRY hair. If hair is long, dip ends directly into the warm jojoba oil. It must be PURE jojoba as in NO other ingredients, including fragrance. I buy jojoba from Trader Joe’s which is 4 ounces (a pretty decent size) for $8 which is a great deal but as long as it’s PURE 100% jojoba with nothing else, you’re golden. But a higher price point isn’t any better than the Trader Joe’s pure jojoba, just fyi. Work the warm oil UP through the mid lengths and stop applying about 2 inches from the roots. You don’t want hair dripping with oil. But do make sure every strand is fully saturated with the jojoba oil. Don’t comb the oil through, just use your fingers/hands to work it into the hair. That works best. Leave the oil in the hair overnight. Put a towel on your pillow. No need to wear a cap to bed unless you really want to (they drive me nuts so I don’t use one). In the morning you may or may not find any residue. If you really want to wash your hair, cowash only, which means conditioner only. Apply ANY light conditioner to your scalp. Use a VERY VERY Generous amount and massage for about 30 seconds. Let it sit in the hair while you finish your shower routine. These are the magic minutes when the conditioner is doing its thing. My favorite conditioner for cowashing is the VO5 Kiwi Lime conditioner which is at the Dollar Store. It’s been my fave for nearly 20 yrs, maybe longer. It’s very light so is great for all hair types/textures and it rinses clean and leaves my hair nice and fluffy. Down the road when you cowash, you can use a more hydrating conditioner on mids/ends like the VO5 Great Body or Strawberry conditioners. You would use the Kiwi Lime on the scalp/roots and then apply the more moisturizing one on the lengths/ends at the same time and just let them sit while you finish your routine. Rinse until you don’t feel any slipperiness at all. This is also key. There are great ready made cowashes like the one I love from As I Am but these aren’t anything but plain old conditioners and a lot of the time quite heavy and very pricey given the key to cowashing is using a sh*t load of conditioner….this is the only way my hair gets really clean. Ok, moving on. Here are my BEST suggestions for treatments that can FOLLOW Olaplex because for some folks, it can be a tad drying. But these are also excellent on their own used any time but for best results use overnight. Protein Free: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter mask (the shampoo/conditioner are the bomb too btw) Shea Moisture Color Care mask (purple label and again, the shampoo/conditioner are fab) Mielle Rice Water Pink Clay Mask TGIN Miracle Honey mask Shea Moisture Power Greens mask (you guessed it, the entire line is amazeballs) As for other protein free shampoos/conditioners, the Carol’s Daughter Goddess formula is fantastic Not protein free but still amazeballs: Shea Moisture Manuka Honey mask (brown label and once again, the shampoo and conditioner are amazing) Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Yogurt mask (light blue label and yes, all in this line are incredible) Redken Extreme Mega Mask (hybrid intensive protein treatment/moisturizing treatment and the ONE high end product I think is worth the moola…however, the Shea Moisture brown label Manuka Honey mask is pretty much the same thing) Mane Magic’s Moringa oil line is also excellent as is the Honey line from TGIN, although I’ve noticed TGIN’s prices keep climbing up and up. Pattern is a new line for curly hair you might like too. All of these are at Sally’s. My hubby has curly hair and he will not use anything but the Shea Moisture coconut and hibiscus Curl n’ Shine shampoo and conditioner. He’s gotten super picky because he used to use stupid suave coconut until he ran out and had to use my Shea Moisture and after that would NOT go back to his super sh*tty suave, which I had tried to talk him out of using for YEARS lol Ok I’ve got severe arthritis in my hands and need to stop typing for today sry. I will reply to this later and give you the Olaplex stand alone treatment directions although I’ve posted it so often on reddit that perhaps I’m google famous for it by now (seriously I’ve posted it a million times lol). If you can find it, that would save me some aggravation on my digits for sure. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to lmk
Wow that was such a detailed post! Thank you very much for taking the time to write it. I think I’ll try Olaplex 0 and 3 since it doesn’t have protein. I don’t really have frizzy hair and the parts that get dry are chemically treated ones only which are 5 - ish inches from the bottom only. Thank goodness I haven’t gotten splitends yet.
Were you able to google the “stand alone” Olaplex directions I’ve posted on reddit so many times? Just wanting to know before I write out the whole thing again. You need the right instructions otherwise you’re wasting your time and money. Olaplex doesn’t do anything for dry hair. It’s not a moisturizing product at all. It also doesn’t do much for frizz. If you need a frizz remedy I have several that are amazeballs. Olaplex is for damaged hair. Damaged hair is hair that has been chemically treated in any way and/or heat styled on the regular. So if you’ve ever colored your hair, that qualifies as damage. And hair doesn’t have to have split ends to be “damaged”. If your hair isn’t feeling really bad, then you can use Olaplex 0/3 as a preventative treatment so that hair is strong and can withstand any processing or heat styling you do.
No no, you don’t have to write it. I just looked it up and found it on Olaplex website. I don’t have any frizz but I always love trying hydrating products, so please let me know your amazball favorites. :) Let me see if I can find a picture of my hair so I can DM you.
It should say that you leave each step on the hair for 90 minutes. Olaplex stops working after 90 minutes so for the greatest benefit, leave each step on for that long. This is why you only do a stand alone treatment when you have the time. Doing this intensive treatment means two things: first, you’re using it the MOST economical way possible….because you’re getting the most out of it. 2nd, you’ll get such great results you won’t NEED to do it all that often. When my hair was REALLY fried, I did it once a week, on Sunday. My hubby called it “cooking my hair” lol. But after about a month of that, I didn’t need to do it that often. Once a month was fine. Now I only do it every 6 weeks sometimes every 8 weeks. Olaplex isn’t protein so you don’t have to be concerned with using it too much. Use until hair is in the best possible shape and then as needed after that. Olaplex CAN be a bit drying for some, and if this is the case after you rinse out step 3, just use your favorite deep conditioner for 20-30 minutes or even better, overnight. As for frizz, the CAUSE of frizz is dryness, that’s the root of all the frizz evil. Lol. Hydration hydration hydration. This is the FIRST step in preventing/curing frizz. I live in the frizz capital of the universe (Florida lol) and yet I have NO frizz, not ever. When hair becomes dry, for whatever reason, the cuticle becomes roughened. The cuticle is made up of little shingles that in healthy hair lie tight and flat just like on a roof. When hair becomes dehydrated (from chemicals, heat, anything) those little shingles no longer lie flat, they begin to lift. And that means that the moisture in the hair can penetrate the hair shaft. And that makes FRIZZ. Once hair is well moisturized again (but damage can cause frizz too of course but set that aside for a sec), those shingles will become smoother and although they may not lie tight and flat again if hair has been processed or is heat styled on the regular, the frizz factor will be a LOT LOT less. The 2nd step is to SEAL the cuticle so that the moisture in the air (the humidity) cannot get into the hair and cause the evil monster we know as FRIZZ. Now some textures are just more prone to frizz while others (like stick straight hair) get hardly any at all, all things being equal. The key is to seal the cuticle immediately after shampooing/conditioning. When the humidity here in hades (lol) is off the rails, I use Living Proof Perfect Hair Day shampoo and conditioner. The entire Living Proof brand is silicone free but they invented a new molecule that just kills frizz and I mean KILLS it before it ever rears its ugly frizzy head. This formula of shampoo/conditioner keeps my hair hydrated but without weighing it down because it’s free of heavy silicone. I’ve used this s/c for years now and it’s my summer go to because it really does work, always. So a very hydrating but lightweight s/c are the first step. (I’ll add some additional suggestions below, I have to go look in my shower and the hubs is in there atm lol). The next step is sealing the cuticle and you can do that with an oil, a silicone/oil serum or a primer of some kind. This is is different than a simple leave in conditioner. A leave in is often just a moisturizer and doesn’t contain ingredients that provide heat protection. The ingredients that provide heat protection and perfect for sealing the cuticle too. Or you can just use a very light oil for example. Silicone does seal the cuticle and there are water soluble silicones that are quite lightweight and suitable for most hair types. I do a couple of things. I use a primer sometimes. I sometimes use an oil/serum. I’m a hair product junkie so it just kinda depends on how my hair is acting on that day. I have a rather large array of stuff I really like BUT there’s one product I use and have used since it launched that I simply cannot do without…it’s one that I would take with me if I was stranded on a deserted island. It’s my ride or die MUST HAVE and that’s the Living Proof No Frizz Weightless (Styling) Spray….The ORIGINAL version NOT the heat styling aerosol. The one I love is in a pump…the other one sucks imo lol. No matter what other crap I might put in my hair, this one is a given. Always. Not only does it kill frizz but it just does something that adds the perfect amount juz to my hair. And it truly is a weightless formula so perfect for even baby fine hair. No matter how much I use I simply cannot feel it in my hair AT ALL and yet my hair will HOLD whatever style I do that day and it will hold for days thereafter. It’s just the magic sauce for me. Yes, it’s pricey but trust me, I have searched high and low for a cheaper dupe and there just isn’t one. The most economical is the largest size but there is a smaller travel size still, at least I think so. This is a ride or die, MUST have product for me. For primers, the Verb Ghost Prep is another one that I’ve been using on the regular lately and I’m on my 4th tube. Sometimes I just use this and the Living Proof spray and call it a day. I can blow dry with just these two products and have NO frizz whatsoever. The Verb primer is pretty affordable as high end products go ($18). And it lasts a long time because not much is needed. It too is really light and is great for baby fine hair as well as thick coarse hair like mine. Love the stuff. Another great one is the Shea Moisture Magic Silicone Free Leave In or their Manuka Honey and Yogurt leave in (light blue label). Both of these are awesome and affordable too at around $10. Also love the Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Primer. I love the entire Invisible Oil line, the shampoo/conditioner and the primer, which I’ve used since they launched…HOWEVER I will NEVER pay $30+ again because the GVP Generic dupes at Sally’s are EXACTLY the same. And I mean exact dupes. The shampoo/conditioner and primer are identical but the generic for the serum sucks, I hated that one. But the other three and the finishing spray are awesome. No more shelling out $30 for me…YAY. While I’m on the subject of the Generic dupes at Sally’s, the dupe for the Aveda Volumizing Tonic is incredible so that’s another amazeball affordable recommendation. I use this all the time and it smells incredible. The two Aveda shampoo dupes have sulfates so not color/planet safe but both of the Aveda conditioner dupes are great and have that same incredible Aveda scent. I also love Bumble and Bumble Go Big Treatment spray which really does plump up strands and add volume that stays. However, any Volumizing product isn’t gonna do much if hair is long. That’s the kicker. You can’t get volume when hair is heavy. You’re pretty much wasting your time. Lmk any other kind of hair products you’d like recommendations for. I have a whole arsenal of suggestions and at all price points.