It's a 10 vs Olaplex (The Definitive Guide)

Today, we're comparing two heavyweight hair care products, each boasting unique blends of hair-loving ingredients: It's A 10 Haircare Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Spray and Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother.

Let's take a closer look at what makes each of these products tick, and hopefully, help you decide which one is the best fit for your luscious locks.

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It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In vs. Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother

It's A 10 Haircare Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Spray touts itself as a high-performance leave-in treatment that aims to transform your hair immediately. Its key promises include repairing dry, damaged hair, preventing split ends, imparting shine, creating silkiness, and preserving hair color.

This product isn't shy about its ambitions: it's here to minimize hair breakage, enhance natural body, and serve as your go-to for thermal protection. From detangling to UV protection, it positions itself as your all-in-one hair solution, offering immediate, tangible benefits.

Meanwhile, Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother wears a slightly different hat. It prides itself on smoothing, conditioning, and strengthening hair without adding excess weight. It boasts a highly concentrated formula suited for all hair types and textures, even the most chemically treated ones.

Olaplex aims to redefine hair health, speeding up blow-dry time, defining air-dried curls, and reducing frizz for up to a whopping 72 hours. Its unique promise lies in its patented single molecule, offering dramatic improvement in hair strength from within.

Each product has made some lofty promises, but do their ingredients deliver? Let's take a closer look...

Common Ground: Shared Ingredients

Let's begin by identifying the shared components between these two formulations. Both products contain water, cetearyl alcohol, and behentrimonium chloride. (Nothing *too* exciting just yet!)

Water is the most common solvent in hair products, acting as a carrier for other ingredients. Cetearyl alcohol, despite its name, is not a drying alcohol; it's a fatty alcohol that softens and conditions the hair. Meanwhile, behentrimonium chloride is a powerhouse ingredient that conditions, detangles, and fights static.

They also share fragrance ingredients like citronellol, hexyl cinnamal, and limonene. Though they add a really rather pleasant scent to both products, some individuals may be sensitive to them (both in the sense of olfactory-wise, but also scalp-wise), so please be wary.

Unique Ingredients and Their Impact

It's A 10 stands out with a number of botanical extracts such as camellia sinensis leaf extract (green tea), sunflower seed extract, and aloe barbadensis leaf juice. These natural extracts are rich in antioxidants, which protect hair from environmental damage.

Furthermore, linseed extract soothes the scalp and adds body to the hair, while silk amino acids and panthenol (a form of vitamin B5) work to strengthen hair, improve luster, and add a silky finish.

On the other hand, Olaplex No.6 comes with its unique ingredient - Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. This single molecule forms bonds within the hair's structure, providing protection from within and offering immediate strengthening results.

Additionally, the bond smoother contains hydrolyzed vegetable protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol that fortifies and hydrates the hair, reducing breakage and frizz. Other natural extracts like gigartina stellata (red algae) and cocos nucifera (coconut) oil offer hydration and conditioning, keeping hair soft and manageable.

Ingredients of Concern

The It's A 10 formula contains methylparaben, propylparaben, and ethylparaben. While these preservatives prevent bacteria growth and prolong the shelf-life of the product, some studies have raised concerns about their potential endocrine-disrupting effects.

Conversely, Olaplex No.6 is free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and gluten, which makes it a great choice for individuals looking for cleaner formulas and those with sensitivities or allergies.

So, How Do We Choose Between the Two?

Deciding between It's A 10 and Olaplex No.6 really comes down to understanding your individual hair care requirements and your comfort level with certain ingredients.

Opt for It's A 10 if you're seeking a lush blend of botanical extracts and silk amino acids, which work together to yield smooth, shiny hair. Keep in mind, however, that this product does contain parabens - something you may wish to avoid depending on your personal stance on these controversial preservatives.

On the flip side, if you're prioritizing a product that boasts a reparative, bond-building formula and a paraben-free, sulfate-free, and phthalate-free ingredient list, Olaplex No.6 will be more up your alley.

Ultimately, remember that there's no universal solution in hair care. It's about experimenting and identifying what yields the best results for your unique hair. Always conduct a patch test before trying out a new product, and here's to finding your perfect match for flawless, healthy hair!

Other It's a 10 Best-Sellers

For blonde hair:
Try Miracle for Blondes

For volumizing hair:
Try Miracle Volumizing

For dry hair:
Try Miracle plus Keratin

Other Olaplex Best-Sellers

Step 1:
Try the No.3 Treatment

Step 2:
Try the No.4 Shampoo

Step 3:
Try the No.5 Conditioner