Olaplex vs Coco & Eve (The Definitive Guide)

We’re diving deep today into the science of hair care. The contenders? Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector and Coco & Eve Bond Building Pre-Shampoo Treatment.

These brands have both gained a cult following for their claims of repairing and fortifying hair, but how do they stack up when we take a closer look at their ingredients? Let's break it down!

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Olaplex vs Coco & Eve Bond Building Treatments

Bond Building Technologies

With Coco & Eve, their innovative 3D Bond Building Technology is a bit mysterious, but oh-so-exciting! While they don't name drop the actual ingredient behind this tech, we do know it's a crafty little polymer. "Polymer" might sound like something from a high school chemistry class, but in hair care, these large molecules can be absolute game-changers!

One of the ingredients on Coco & Eve's ingredients list is Bis-4 PCA Dimethicone, which might just be the polymer we're looking for, and it's what is known as an amino silicone. In other words, it is a silicone molecule modified to include Pyrrolidone Carboxylic Acid (PCA), an organic compound that includes a carboxylic acid group and a secondary amine, which gives this silicone its amino properties.

If you've researched hair treatments before, you'll know that aminos are like little hair superheroes – they rush to the rescue of our damaged strands because they're attracted to areas where our hair is most negatively charged (and therefore most damaged). Once they latch on, they work to protect and strengthen the hair, giving it a chance to rebuild those essential disulphide, ionic, and hydrogen bonds.

On the other side of the ring, we have Olaplex, who's very upfront about their special ingredient: Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate. This powerhouse compound also possesses amino properties, and goes straight for the broken disulfide bonds in our hair (the ones that leave our locks looking less than lovely) and works to piece them back together.

So, there you have it! Coco & Eve is a bit like a caring fairy godmother, protecting your hair and helping it repair itself, while Olaplex is your personal hair repair specialist, working tirelessly to rebuild those broken bonds.

Nourishing Oils & Other Noteworth Ingredients

Now, let's not overlook the supportive ingredients.

Coco & Eve brings a cocktail of strengthening oil complex and protective botanical oils into the mix. The combo of coconut and avocado oils works to restore the lipid-moisture balance of hair, thereby strengthening and repairing damage. Adding to that, the pomegranate and apricot oils form a protective layer on the hair, keeping moisture locked in and hair soft and smooth.

Olaplex, in contrast, is more minimalist, featuring the iconic Jojoba oil, known for its rich, nourishing properties that mimic the natural oils produced by the scalp. This aids in maintaining the hair’s natural moisture balance and shine. It also features ingredients like Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice for extra hydration and soothing properties, and Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) to moisturize and improve hair elasticity.

Vegan, Cruelty-Free, And All That Good Stuff

Both Coco & Eve and Olaplex are champions of cruelty-free, vegan hair care, and both avoid common harmful ingredients like sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. Olaplex has the added bonus of being nut-free and PH balanced, while Coco & Eve boasts of being toxin-free and PETA approved.

So, is Coco & Eve a Dupe for Olaplex?

While Coco & Eve and Olaplex both share a noble mission—repairing and strengthening our precious locks—the way they go about it is quite different.

Coco & Eve uses what we think might be an amino silicone-based polymer to protect hair and help it rebuild itself (we say think because they never explicitly say which of their ingredients is the actual "Bond Building Technology").

On the flip side, Olaplex gets real specific. Its star player, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, works tirelessly to rebuild broken disulfide bonds, acting like a hair repair specialist focused on fortifying your hair from the inside out.

So, while both of these hair heroes aim to give you stronger, healthier hair, they're not exactly twins. Coco & Eve might give you similar results to Olaplex (and reviewers certainly love to boast about this), but it does so using a different strategy. Instead of being a straight-up dupe, think of Coco & Eve as another excellent option in your hair care arsenal, one with its own unique approach to giving you that gorgeous, glossy mane you've been dreaming of.

At the end of the day, whether you should stick to Olaplex or give Coco & Eve a whirl really depends on your specific hair needs and preferences. The good news is that with either choice, you're investing in quality products that aim to transform and protect your hair. So why not give them both a go and see which one your hair prefers? Either way, you’re in for a treat!