Index / Olaplex / No. 3 Hair Perfector
Olaplex

No. 3 Hair Perfector.

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
Haircare

About this product

A leave-in hair treatment designed to repair and strengthen hair structure at the molecular level without adding coating or conditioning buildup.

Haircare

The Guru Index verdict

71%

Approved

Approved · 71%
3Reviewers
2Approved
1Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus agree the product is effective at protecting and maintaining hair integrity, particularly during chemical treatments like bleaching. The recurring issue is misuse: it's a targeted repair treatment, not a general conditioning mask, and many people use it incorrectly as a heavy leave-in conditioner. A lilial ingredient controversy briefly damaged the brand's reputation, though the company clarified the concentration was negligible and exposure profile different from animal study conditions.
Synthesized from 3 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Vitamin CVitamin EAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Water, 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, Polyquaternium-37, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Etidronic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Phytantriol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
~Mixed
"Olaplex's Number 3 Hair Perfector contained this ingredient, which was obviously a big problem as the hair perfector was a bestseller for the brand, so the idea that it might cause fertility issues was incredibly damaging to the brand's image. Olaplex CEO Ju Wong released a statement saying that lilial was only used in their hair perfector for fragrance purposes at a concentration of 0.0119% and that it wasn't an active or functional ingredient, whereas the ingredient was given to rats in ridiculously large amounts which weren't realistic in the real world. She also pointed out that the study had rats ingest lilial whereas that isn't what humans do, you don't eat your shampoo, you rinse it off."
All 2 takes from James Welsh
What Went Wrong With Olaplex? From Breakthrough to Backlash - Behind The Beauty
"Olaplex's Number 3 Hair Perfector contained this ingredient, which was obviously a big problem as the hair perfector was a bestseller for the brand, so the idea that it might cause fertility issues was incredibly damaging to the brand's image. Olaplex CEO Ju Wong released a statement saying that lilial was only used in their hair perfector for fragrance purposes at a concentration of 0.0119% and that it wasn't an active or functional ingredient, whereas the ingredient was given to rats in ridiculously large amounts which weren't realistic in the real world. She also pointed out that the study had rats ingest lilial whereas that isn't what humans do, you don't eat your shampoo, you rinse it off."
Biore's Bizarre Tiktok Ad, Olaplex Sales Plummet & Wild Deodorant Ads Get Banned - Ugly Beauty News
"Olaplex No. 3, which is the one that a lot of people say you should be using because it's the most potent, was never designed as the conditioning treatment that everybody's treating it like. They're assuming that Olaplex is a conditioning treatment that will make hair softer and more manageable, but it's only really meant to change the structure of the hair without any sort of coating. You're not supposed to drench your hair in it, put it in a bun, put it in a hat, then sleep with it. I used to work in a salon and Olaplex was a huge part of our bleaching treatments. Depending on the hair type, we'd be like, we're not going to do your hair unless you allow us to use Olaplex, because it can snap, it can break. It was a system, it was part of a process. When people started using No. 3 on their hair when they didn't even have color in their hair or anything like that, I was confused. Treating it like a leave-in conditioner, I don't think that's really how it goes."
Approved
"I don't have a substantive quote to extract. The transcript window does not contain any discussion of Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector. The reviewer discusses foundations, blushes, and palettes, but never mentions this product."
Approved
"Olaplex No. 3 is a product that I have used since 2019. It's a leave-in molecular mask and I think that is one reason that my hair strand, my actual texture hair, is still very healthy despite all the abuse."
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