Olaplex built a category. Before its launch in 2014, "bond repair" was not a mainstream hair care concept. The brand's patented technology, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, demonstrated that it was possible to rebuild disulfide bonds in the hair shaft broken by chemical treatments and heat damage. The products became a reference point in professional and consumer hair care.
Olaplex is not, however, a certified natural or organic product. It does not hold COSMOS, ECOCERT, or Soil Association certification. For buyers who prioritise third-party verified natural formulation, Olaplex is not the answer, but understanding what it does helps evaluate what alternatives can and cannot offer.
What Olaplex Does
The active ingredient in Olaplex, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, is a patented synthetic compound that works by forming temporary bonds with free thiol groups on keratin proteins, cross-linking broken disulfide bonds in the hair shaft. This mechanism is specific to chemically processed or heat-damaged hair where those bonds have been disrupted.
Olaplex's ingredients are synthetic. The brand makes no natural or organic claims, and its formulas include conventional preservatives and synthetic conditioning agents. This is not a criticism, it is simply an accurate description of what the product is. The bond repair technology is effective within its stated application; it is a chemistry-based treatment, not a natural one.
What COSMOS Certified Alternatives Offer
No COSMOS certified product replicates Olaplex's specific patented chemistry; the Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate mechanism is proprietary and not available in certified natural formulas.
What certified natural alternatives can offer is:
- Hydrolysed protein reinforcement. Hydrolysed keratin, wheat protein, and silk protein adsorb onto the hair surface and temporarily fill structural gaps in the cuticle, improving tensile strength and reducing breakage. This is a surface-level strengthening mechanism, not internal bond repair.
- Cuticle smoothing. Plant oils and naturally-derived conditioning agents smooth the cuticle layer, reducing friction, improving manageability, and reducing breakage from mechanical stress.
- Scalp and growth foundation. Certified natural products that support scalp health address one root cause of overall hair weakness, a compromised scalp environment that bond repair treatments do not target.
For hair that has not undergone significant chemical treatment, certified natural alternatives that strengthen through protein and cuticle care offer meaningful results. For heavily chemically processed or bleach-damaged hair where disulfide bond integrity is significantly compromised, the specific bond repair mechanism of Olaplex or similar synthetic treatments addresses a need that current certified natural chemistry does not replicate.
What to Look for in a Certified Natural Strengthening Product
When evaluating COSMOS certified alternatives for damaged or fine hair:
- Look for hydrolysed proteins in the upper half of the INCI list, which indicates a meaningful concentration
- Check for the COSMOS Natural or COSMOS Organic certification logo and verify it in the certifying body's database
- Avoid products that claim "bond repair" without disclosing the specific active ingredient; that claim requires a specific chemistry to be meaningful
Our BLOOM BATH Shampoo and BLOOM BALM Conditioner use hydrolysed keratin within a COSMOS certified formula for fine hair strengthening without silicones. Our RESCUE MASK provides intensive treatment for damaged hair. All certified by ECOCERT, verifiable on our certifications page.
Related reading
- How to Repair Damaged Hair (What Actually Works)
- Natural Hair Care Brands: Which Are Actually Certified? (2026 Comparison)
- Botanical Proteins for Hair: What the Science Says
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Olaplex natural or organic?
No. Olaplex does not hold COSMOS, ECOCERT, Soil Association, or other natural/organic cosmetic certification. The brand's active ingredient is a synthetic patented compound. Olaplex makes no natural or organic claims for its products.
Can bond repair be achieved with natural ingredients?
Current certified natural chemistry does not replicate the specific disulfide bond repair mechanism of Olaplex's patented ingredient. Natural proteins and plant oils improve hair condition through surface-level mechanisms, cuticle smoothing, protein film formation, moisture retention. These are meaningful benefits for most hair types but are mechanistically different from internal disulfide bond repair.
What does "bond repair" mean in hair care?
In the context of Olaplex and similar products, "bond repair" refers specifically to the reformation of disulfide bonds in the hair's cortex that have been broken by bleach, chemical relaxers, or perms. Hair is held together in part by these covalent bonds between sulphur atoms in keratin proteins. Bleach breaks these bonds; bond repair treatments aim to reform them. The term is sometimes used more loosely in marketing to mean general strengthening, which is a different claim.
Are there other certified natural brands that compete with Olaplex?
Several certified natural brands offer strengthening and repair-focused products. Looking for COSMOS or Soil Association certification in the specific product (not just the brand) and verifying in the certifying body's database is the most reliable approach. Product ranges certified to COSMOS Natural or Organic that include protein-rich formulations are the closest certified natural equivalent to strengthening treatments.
Is it safe to mix Olaplex with natural hair care products?
There is no known interaction between Olaplex's active ingredient and certified natural hair care products. If you use Olaplex treatments for chemically damaged hair and certified natural products for day-to-day care, these can be used as part of the same routine without conflict. The products serve different purposes and work through different mechanisms.