Bond repair products are transforming the way hair damaged by heat, chemicals, bleach and colour treatments is revived and restored.
They contain powerful, often-patented molecules that penetrate deep into the hair shaft to rebuild broken bonds, restructuring hair at a molecular level.
These innovative products use different technologies, but the aim is the same – to create stronger, smoother, shinier, more manageable hair.
Here’s our edit of the best bond repair products and answers to some of your FAQs.
K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
It may be small but there’s magic inside this little bottle. The K18 leave-in mask has taken the hair-repair world by storm since its launch in 2020, topping almost every list of best bond repair products.
The four-minute treatment is used by top hair professionals – think celebrities like Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, Simone Biles and Selena Gomez – and it’s easy to see why. The mask is quick and easy to apply, gives immediate results (as well as long-term improvements with regular use), leaving hair shinier, smoother and stronger.
The magic is performed by the patented bioactive K18 peptide – the “miracle molecule” – that penetrates deep within the shaft to repair broken polypeptide chains and disulphide bonds. Frizz is reduced, hair is sleeker and more manageable, and there’s no added grease.
According to clinical studies, it restores damaged hair up to 82% of virgin strength and elasticity. Try it – it’s well worth the investment.
What we like:
i.N.O Inside Out Haircare Leave-In Instant Repair Mask
Another leave-in repair mask that totally lives up to its name – instantly reviving and repairing dry, frizzy, damaged hair. After just one application, your hair’s texture, look and feel are transformed. Locks are smoother, stronger, more manageable.
As soon as the mask makes contact with hair, the nourishing protein blend and natural concentrates penetrate the structure to repair bonds inside. On the outside, intense moisture restores cuticles to a smooth finish.
The mask is clinically proven to strengthen hair and reduce breakage by 84% – and we believe it. Take note: don’t use a conditioner before the mask.
What we like:
OSMO Chromaplex #3 Bond Sustainer
We love the full, five-step Chromaplex system, which offers advanced repair for damaged or chemically compromised hair. The first two steps, the Chromaplex Bond Builder Step #1 and Bond Sealer Step #2, are available only for professional use.
Step #3 is this ultra-conditioning, at-home treatment, featuring the same active strengthening ingredients. Bridging salon and home care, it actively rebuilds hair bonds – repairing and strengthening the hair, and leaving it soft, shiny and pliable.
It’s also excellent for sustaining the effects of salon bond building treatments.
After shampooing and towel drying, simply apply the Bond Sustainer, work through the hair and leave in for up to 10 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly.
What we like:
Celeb Luxury BondFix Strengthening Conditioner
If your bleached, lightened hair feels dry and fragile, try this bond-building conditioner. It repairs broken bonds deep within the cortex of the hair fibre and nourishes the surface to strengthen and rehydrate.
It’s fast-absorbing, non-coating and is an ideal at-home conditioner, especially after a colour service, that significantly reduces porosity in processed hair and breakage. Hair is left three times stronger for up to five washes.
What we like:
Crazy Color Bond Recovery Treatment
This vegan, nutrient-rich bond treatment is the third step in a regimen that deeply rehabilitates dry, damaged tresses, especially hair compromised by colouring chemicals and heat.
Its protein complex works inside and out, repairing hair at a cortex level by reconnecting broken bonds, and nourishing with highly-absorbent Brazil nut oil, and vitamins E and B. Hair is smoother and softer after just one application.
Use once a week, or two to three times for severely damaged hair. For maximum results, use with the Bond Restore Shampoo and Conditioner.
What we like:
Celeb Luxury Viral Hybrid Toner Colorditioner with BondFix for Brunettes
This hybrid product offers three services – toning, conditioning and repairing – all in one, and is available in 14 colours, including this purple for brunettes. It’s ideal for refreshing salon colour or for adding colour to bleached hair.
What really sets this colour-depositing conditioner apart is it contains a built-in bond rebuilder to strengthen and repair hair, improving overall health and leaving tresses soft, silky and vibrant.
If purple shampoos dry out your hair, this deeply pigmented product is ideal. Leave it on for 20 minutes for stronger colour but, take note, the colour intensity depends on your initial hair colour. On bleached blonde, it can be used to deliver incredibly vibrant purple colour or to tone it (use sparingly).
What we like:
Olioseta Oro Del Marocco Color Alchemist Single Dose Bond Rebuilding System
If you’re bleaching, colouring or perming your hair at home, incorporate this professional two-step strength-and-protect system into the regimen. It repairs and protects hair during chemical treatments through direct action on the internal bonds.
Powerful EasyBond technology penetrates the hair cortex and rebuilds the protein bonds, considerably increasing the hair’s resistance and reducing the risk of breakage caused by chemical, mechanical and thermal damage during the treatment.
What we like: