Olaplex No.3 vs Redken Conditioner
Last reviewed
Quick answer
Buy Olaplex No.3 Bond Building Hair Perfector when color, bleach, or heat has left hair stretchy and snap-prone and you want a treatment before shampoo. Apply it to damp, unwashed hair, leave it 3–10 minutes, rinse, then shampoo. Olaplex says 10 minutes is the longest recommended time.
Buy Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner when color-treated hair needs a conditioner after the wash. This listing is the 10.1 fl oz conditioner, not the Intensive Treatment. Redken says it is sulfate-free, suitable for color-treated hair, and usable as often as each shampoo.
Use them together when you want both steps. No.3 goes on before shampoo. The Redken conditioner goes on after it.
No.3
A pre-shampoo bond treatment you rinse out.
Olaplex No.3 Bond Building Hair Perfector verdict
No.3 on Amazon
Redken ABC
An after-wash acidic conditioner for color-treated hair.
Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner verdict
Redken ABC on Amazon
Comparison
| Olaplex No.3 Bond Building Hair Perfector | Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Olaplex No.3 Bond Building Hair Perfector. The verdict calls it a pre-shampoo bond builder, not a mask you rinse for shine and not a daily styler. This listing is the 3.3 fl oz Hair Perfector, not Nº.3PLUS. | Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner. The verdict calls it the conditioner in the ABC system, not a leave-in. This listing is that conditioner, 10.1 fl oz. It is not the Intensive Treatment. |
| When to use it | On damp, unwashed hair, before shampoo. The verdict calls it the weekly repair step for chemically processed hair. Olaplex says you can use it more than once a week when hair needs more repair. | After shampoo, on wet hair, then rinse. Redken says you can use it as often as each shampoo. The verdict says to use the matching ABC shampoo if you have it, otherwise a gentle cleanse. |
| How to apply | Olaplex says to apply Hair Perfector to damp hair from roots to ends until saturated, leave it on for 3–10 minutes, rinse, then shampoo. Three minutes is enough for a benefit. Ten minutes is the longest time they recommend. Longer does not add more. | Redken’s how-to says to apply the conditioner to wet hair after shampooing and rinse. The same page’s FAQ says to leave it on for 5–10 minutes, then rinse. Start with a dime-size amount and use more only if the hair is longer or thicker. |
| Hair it suits | The catalog lists it for hair that color, bleach, or heat has left stretchy, snap-prone, and dull. Olaplex says Hair Perfector is a strengthening treatment, not a protein treatment, and not a conditioner. | The catalog lists it for color-damaged, brittle hair that feels straw-like after salon color, when regular conditioner slips off a damaged cuticle. Redken says it suits damaged hair of any texture, including color-treated and chemically processed hair, and names citric acid, a sulfate-free formula, and color-fade protection. |
| What it does not do | You rinse it out. It does not take the place of a conditioner, including the Redken conditioner on this page. | It is a rinse-out conditioner. It is not a pre-shampoo treatment, and it is not Redken’s Intensive Treatment. This page does not link that other SKU. |
Who should pick which
Hair that feels weak before the wash
Color, bleach, or heat left hair stretchy and prone to snapping, and conditioner only coats it. Buy No.3 for the step that happens before shampoo.
Read the Olaplex No.3 Bond Building Hair Perfector verdict · No.3 on Amazon
Color-treated hair after shampoo
Salon color looks rich for a week, then feels straw-like, and a normal conditioner does not stay on the damaged cuticle. Buy this when the missing step is the conditioner after the wash.
Read the Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner verdict · Redken ABC on Amazon
Using them together
One wash can hold both. No.3 goes on damp, unwashed hair for 3–10 minutes. Rinse it, then shampoo. Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner goes on the wet hair after that shampoo. Leave the conditioner 5–10 minutes if you are following Redken’s FAQ, then rinse.
The verdict says to use the matching ABC shampoo when you have it, and a gentle cleanse when you do not. Neither product replaces the other. This catalog does not sell Redken’s Intensive Treatment.
Common questions
Is this Redken product the Intensive Treatment?
No. Glow Ritual Finds lists Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner, the 10.1 fl oz after-shampoo conditioner. Redken’s Intensive Treatment is a different product, used before shampoo. This page does not link it. If you wanted the pre-shampoo step, that job on this catalog is Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector.
How long do I leave Olaplex No.3 on before shampoo?
Olaplex’s current Hair Perfector directions say 3–10 minutes on damp hair, from roots to ends, then rinse and shampoo. Olaplex says 3 minutes is enough for a benefit and that 10 minutes is the longest recommended time. Leaving it on longer does not increase the benefit. This catalog product is Hair Perfector, not Nº.3PLUS. Olaplex describes Nº.3PLUS as a different formula with a 3-minute leave-on.
Can I use Olaplex No.3 and the Redken conditioner in the same wash?
Yes. They are different steps. Apply No.3 to damp, unwashed hair, leave it 3–10 minutes, rinse, and shampoo. Then apply Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner to wet hair. Redken’s conditioner FAQ says to leave it on for 5–10 minutes and rinse. The verdict says to use the matching ABC shampoo if you have it, otherwise a gentle cleanse. You do not have to choose only one.
Is the Redken conditioner a leave-in I can use every wash?
It is not a leave-in. The verdict says it is the conditioner vote in the ABC system, and you rinse it. Redken says you can use that conditioner as often as each shampoo. No.3 is also rinsed out. The verdict calls No.3 a weekly repair step for chemically processed hair, not a daily styler. Olaplex says you can repeat Hair Perfector more than once a week when hair needs more repair.
Which one is for color-treated hair that feels straw-like?
Start with the job. The catalog lists the Redken conditioner for color-damaged, brittle hair that feels straw-like, when regular conditioner slips off a damaged cuticle. Redken says that conditioner is suitable for color-treated and chemically processed hair. The catalog lists No.3 for hair that color, bleach, or heat has left stretchy and snap-prone, used before shampoo. Straw-like color-treated hair can use No.3 before the wash and the Redken conditioner after it.
Where this comes from
Who each product is for comes from the Glow Ritual Finds verdict. Directions were checked on October 28, 2026 against the brand pages below. The Redken product here is the conditioner, not the Intensive Treatment. This page does not add prices or ratings.
- Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector — Pre-shampoo directions: saturate damp hair, leave it 3–10 minutes, rinse, then shampoo. Ten minutes is the longest time Olaplex recommends.
- Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner — The conditioner page: after shampoo, on wet hair, then rinse. The FAQ says 5–10 minutes and as often as each shampoo. Not the Intensive Treatment.
- Olaplex No.3 Bond Building Hair Perfector verdict
- Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner verdict
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