All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Healthy hair is always in, but that requires a well curated hair care routine—ideally one as thoughtful as your skin-care regimen. Enter the best bond repair treatments: an easy route to hair repair by taming frizzy, damaged lengths prone to dryness.
Vogue’s Favorite Bond Repair Treatments
- Best Fast-Acting: K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, $75
- Best K-Beauty Pick: Dr. Groot Bond Fortifying Shampoo, $30
- Best Weekly Treatment: Living Proof Triple Bond Complex, $45
- Best Heat Protectant: OGX Repair Protect Bond Protein Repair, $10
- Best Breakage Prevention: Bumble and bumble Bond-Building Repair, $35
- Best Post-Shower Spray: The Inkey List PCA Bond Repair Hair Treatment, $14
- Best Color Protectant: Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In, $32
- Best Overnight: IGK Antisocial Overnight Bond-Building Dry Hair Mask, $34
- Best Botanical Styler: Aveda Botanical Repair Bond-Building Styling Creme, $36
- Best Hair Serum: Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Restructuring Bond Repair 3-in-1, $38
- Best for Irritated Scalps: Ranavat Regenerative Veda Shampoo, $48
To truly grasp the rise of bond repair in hair care, it’s worth starting at the roots. “There are three types of bonds found in our hair—hydrogen, ionic, and covalent—that come together to form hair’s structural strength, elasticity, and shine,” explains Ron McLaughlin, senior vice president of research and development at Living Proof. These essential bonds are the architecture behind healthy hair. But when your hair shaft is subjected to chemical processing, color treatments, pollution, and constant heat styling, that architecture starts to crack. “When hair is exposed to chemical services, coloring, pollution, and heat styling, these bonds can break, resulting in reduced hair integrity,” McLaughlin continues. That’s where bond repair comes in—a category of treatments designed to restore what’s been lost by targeting and rebuilding these broken bonds from within.
Though bond-repair technology might feel like the latest innovation, the desire to mend damaged strands is hardly new. Consumers have long chased the promise of restoring health to overworked hair. But something shifted post-2020. “At home bond building products are becoming more commonplace and consumers are more comfortable doing hair activities themselves since the pandemic began,” McLaughlin notes, referencing a 2021 Mintel report during our interview. With salon visits on pause, at-home care entered a new era—and with it, brands like Olaplex and K18 became household names.
Thinking bond repair just another beauty buzzword destined to fade? Not likely, says Shab Caspara, New York City–based trichologist and founder of multibrand hair care platform Leona. “[Bond repair is] here to stay. It is the latest in technology,” she asserts. In other words, this isn’t a fleeting trend—it’s the future of hair care. Scroll to shop the best bond-building products for every texture—stronger and softer hair ahead!
In This Story
- What are bond repairing products?
- Does bond repair really work?
- How often should you use bond-building products?
- Meet The Experts
Best Weekly Treatment: Living Proof Triple Bond Complex
- Why We Love It: For McLaughlin, Living Proof’s formula is suitable for all hair types and damage levels. “It is a first-of-its-kind hair strengthening treatment that actually creates a 3D network within the cortex of the hair, which improves hair strength and elasticity, restoring hair to like-new condition,” he explains. “It creates all three types of bonds found in hair and delivers both immediate repair and lasting protection against future damage. It works for all hair types and levels of damage.” Designed to be used weekly, it’s a smart, science-backed solution for anyone looking to rebuild compromised strands.
- Key Ingredients: Olive leaf extract, sunflower seed wax, jojoba esters, castor seed oil
- Best for: Strengthening weak or over-processed hair, preventing breakage, restoring elasticity and resilience
- Size: 1.5 fl oz
Best Post-Shower Spray: The Inkey List PCA Bond Repair Hair Treatment
- Why We Love It: For a powerful bond-repair spray at an affordable price point, look no further than the Inkey List’s option. “I would suggest using a bond-building product to safely repair and add back the lost protein, like [The Inkey List’s PCA Bond Repair],” Caspara says. “This post-shower spray has the ability to repair the broken bonds caused by chlorine and even hair bleach.”
- Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, black oat extract, sunflower glycolic extract
- Best for: Tackling heat damage, with a post-shower spritz
- Size: 3.4 fl oz
Best Cult-Following: Olaplex No. 0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment
- Why We Love It: Olaplex has earned its cult following for a reason: its bond-repair products actually work. I fell victim to the painterly, bleached balayage trend that swept the nation between 2016 and 2018, taking my nearly jet-black hair to a strawberry blonde. Over time, my strands became brittle—downright dehydrated. Olaplex’s intensive hair treatment (along with regular trims) became my go-to during the recovery phase of returning to my natural dark color and ultra-thick texture. The star ingredient—bis-aminopropyl miglycol dimaleate—works at the molecular level to reconnect broken disulfide bonds in the hair, which are often disrupted by coloring, heat styling, and environmental stress. Think of it as a pre-treatment—liquid hair mask used before shampooing: spray it on for 10 minutes then wash your hair as you normally would.
- Key Ingredients: Water, phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, hair bonding molecules
- Best for: Intensive repair for chemically-treated strands
- Size: 5.2 fl oz
Best Fast-Acting: K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
- Why We Love It: I’ve already waxed poetic about K18’s buzzy hair mask which takes just four minutes to reverse signs of damage. At the heart of the formula is the brand’s breakthrough patented peptide treatment, developed to mimic the natural building blocks of keratin to reconnect broken bonds caused by bleach, color, chemical treatments, and excessive heat styling. The super lightweight formula leaves hair bouncy, as if fresh from the salon—so lightweight, in fact, it’s best applied on freshly washed on toweled dry hair, from ends to roots—just make sure to skip conditioner before applying. Pro hairstylist Cassondra Kaeding cosigns K18’s leave-in hair mask, too, adding: “It works on all hair types to reverse damage on a molecular level, by penetrating at the inner most layer of the hair follicle to create stronger and smoother results.”
- Key Ingredients: K18 peptide, hydrolyzed wheat protein, and wheat starch
- Best for: Mechanical damage, chemical damage, heat damage, breakage, frizz, color-treated hair
- Size: 0.5 oz, 1.7 oz
Best Deep Conditioner: Amika The Kure Intense Bond Repair Hair Mask
- Why We Love It: Amika’s mask pairs deep conditioning with intense strengthening through its bond-cure technology, formulated around a trio of luxurious plant butters—shea, mango, and borage oil infuse strands with deep hydration and nourishing fatty acids. Meanwhile, sea buckthorn, rich in omega‑7 and antioxidants, restores lipids to bolster elasticity and shine hair’s manageability and overall appearance.
- Key Ingredients: Sea buckthorn oil, borage oil, mango butter, shea butter
- Best for: Anyone battling breakage, frizz, or lackluster texture. Plus, it’s color and keratin-treatment safe.
- Size: 3.3 fl oz, 8.4 fl oz
Best Breakage Prevention: Bumble and Bumble Bond-Building Repair Treatment
- Why We Love It: Split ends, frizz, heat damage, and dullness don’t stand a chance against this Bumble and Bumble treatment. It looks to prevent breakage through the brand’s honey bond-building complex, wildflower honey, and honey ferment to enhance elasticity.
- Key Ingredients: Bond-cure technology, sea buckthorn oil, borage oil, mango butter, shea butter
- Best for: All hair types in need fighting split ends from frequent heat styling, or chemical treatments
- Size: 4.2 fl oz
Best Botanical Styler: Aveda Botanical Repair Bond-Building Styling Creme
- Why We Love It: A bond repair treatment that doubles as a styling cream? Yes, please. Aveda’s 100% vegan elixir is enriched with a bond-building plant molecule, macro green blend, and plant-based complex to smooth cuticles and reinforce hair’s integrity with a flexible hold. The nourishing macro green blend—featuring certified organic avocado, green tea, and sacha inchi oils—helps replenish essential nutrients, smooth the cuticle, and prevent breakage. Additionally, a plant-based complex forms an invisible outer layer to protect hair from future damage, including thermal styling up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, avocado oil, sacha inchi seed oil, green tea seed oil, kukui seed oil, sunflower seed oil
- Best for: A multipurpose styling product that strengthens hair while protecting against future damage
- Size: 5.1 fl oz
Best for Irritated Scalps: Ranavat Regenerative Veda Bond Repair Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Ranavat’s ashwagandha-infused cream wash has been clinically tested and proven to improve scalp barrier function and reduce scalp redness, flakiness, and itchy irritation after a single use. On top of all these benefits, this shampoo also has the potential to stimulate hair growth—and increase shine.
- Key Ingredients: Pink lotus, hibiscus, amla
- Best For: Soothing irritated scalp, softening coarse hair.
- Size: 8 oz
Best Overnight: IGK Antisocial Overnight Bond-Building Dry Hair Mask
- Why We Love It: Use your beauty sleep to strengthen your hair as well. Through bond-building technology and vegan silk proteins, this overnight vegan treatment promises to smooth, soften, and repair.
- Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed pea protein, peptides, vegan silk proteins, glycerin, lavender oil, coconut oil, shea butter
- Best for: An effective bond repair with minimal effort. Ideal for air-dry days, between-wash refreshes, or color-treated and chemically processed strands.
- Size: 5 fl oz
Best Hair Serum: Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Restructuring Bond Repair 3-in-1 Sealing Serum
- Why We Love It: This Alterna Caviar serum takes a three-pronged approach to hair care by repairing, protecting, and sealing. Crafted for damaged and aging hair, it includes an amino acid-lipid blend and caviar bond-enforcing technology to diminish breakage and split ends for visibly smoother hair.
- Key Ingredients: Caviar extract, shea butter, sunflower seed oil
- Best for: Straight, wavy, curly, coiled, and chemically treated hair in need of structural repair, split-end protection, and cuticle sealing. Perfect as a leave-in, finisher, or mix-in mask
- Size: 1.7 fl oz
Best Color Protectant: Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Conditioner
- Why We Love It: Think of Redken’s bond repair treatment as the LBD of your hair care arsenal—it’s good for any occasion. This leave-in treatment is powered by citric acid and a concentrated bond-building care complex to strengthen weak bonds, moisturize, smooth, protect against heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and stave off color fading. Celebrity hair extension stylist Priscilla Valles recommends this leave-in treatment if you want to repair ends, strengthen your strands, and grow out your hair. “I would apply it to clean, damp, towel-dried hair without rinsing it out—it will leave you with softer, frizz-free hair,” she previously told Vogue. Damaged hair types, in particular, will notice a difference, as long as you are consistent with using it.
- Key Ingredients: Citric acid, bonding care complex
- Best For: Dry hair, damaged hair
- Size: 5.1 oz
Best Heat Protectant: OGX Repair Protect Bond Protein Repair
- Why We Love It: A true multitasker, this weightless spray protects hair from heat up to 450F degrees while reinforcing internal structure—no salon visit required. Infused with OGX’s blend of wheat protein, hydrogenated castor oil, and panthenol, the formula seals the cuticle for hair that’s visibly smoother, softer, and stronger over time. Ideal for daily use, it layers effortlessly without buildup and keeps strands glossy—even under the stress of a straightener or curling wand. Consider it your blowout’s best-kept secret.
- Key Ingredients: Hydrogenated castor oil, wheat protein, panthenol, glycerin
- Best for: Anyone using heat tools who wants lightweight protection and bond repair
- Size: 6.5 fl oz
Best At-Home Keratin: Epres Bond Repair Treatment Starter Kit
.jpg)
- Why We Love It: Those looking to repair damage rather than mask it can opt for Epres’s treatment, which works similar to a traditional mask without the heaviness or buildup. The brand’s 100% vegan formula can also be used overnight to repair chemical, mechanical, and environmental damage.
- Key Ingredients: Diethylhexyl maleate, oleyl alcohol, denatured alcohol, etearamidopropyl dimethylamine
- Best for: A at-home treatment with keratin-like results
- Size: 15 oz
Best K-Beauty Pick: Dr. Groot Professional Bonding System Bond Fortifying Shampoo
- Why We Love It: A staple in Korea’s sleekest salons, this featherweight shampoo does more than cleanse—it rebuilds. Dr. Groot’s Bond Fortifying Shampoo blends hydrolyzed silk and keratin to gently reinforce weakened strands while restoring elasticity and gloss. The sulfate-free lather is soft yet thorough, sweeping away buildup without stripping the scalp.
- Key Ingredients: Silk protein, keratin, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, yeast extract
- Best for: A lightweight, non-stripping shampoo
- Size: 13 fl. oz
Best Hair Wash Duo: L Oreal Paris EverPure Shampoo and Conditioner Duo
- Why We Love It: Think of this duo as your affordable color-care ritual with a serious hair-health agenda. At their core lies citric acid—a gentle yet potent bond-repairing agent that penetrates the cortex to reinvigorate damaged keratin links, smoothing the cuticle and extending color vibrancy. Plus, you get two products in one—a shampoo and bond repair conditioner. “The L Oréal Ever Pure shampoos and conditioners are sulfate-free and gentle on color-treated hair,” Pro hair colorist Gigi Pogosyan previously told Vogue, noting their blend of naturally derived ingredients and non-harsh chemichals help nourish and strengthen the hair while maintaining the vibrancy of your hair color.
- Key Ingredients: coco‑betaine, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, glycol distearate, citric acid,
- Best for: Color-treated, bleached, heat-stressed, or chemically processed hair—especially when you want daily-strengthening care at an affordable price point.
- Size: 6.8 fl oz, 23 fl oz
Best Leave-In Treatment: Color Wow Dream Cocktail
- Why We Love It: Designed for hair that’s dry, brittle, or chemically parched, this treatment mimics the hair’s natural lipid layer (often stripped away by color and heat) using a potent blend of coconut oil and fatty acids. Once activated by blow-drying, the formula bonds to the hair’s surface, replenishing lost moisture and sealing in softness. The result? Glossy, supple, swingy hair that feels freshly cut and deeply conditioned—even if it’s been weeks since your last trim.
- Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, hydrolyzed keratin, citric acid
- Best for: Anyone who heat-styles regularly and wants smoother, glossier hair with bounce and hydration—without a heavy finish.
- Size: 6.7 fl oz
Best At-Home Gloss: JVN Revive Rapid Repair Bond Gloss
- Why We Love It: Powered by the brand’s signature Pro-Plex+ complex—a blend of rice protein, and algae-derived sugars to target internal damage, rebuilding broken keratin bonds while adding a light-catching sheen. Meanwhile, hemi-squalane, a plant-derived alternative to silicone, glides over the cuticle for effortless smoothness and touchable softness, all without residue or weight. The result is a clean, consciously formulated treatment that leaves even color-treated hair looking freshly revived, richly hydrated, and impossibly glossy—after just one use.
- Key Ingredients: Jojoba esters, squalane, hydrolyzed quinoa, glycerin, ceramide, panthenol, tocopherol, tangerine peel oil, jasmine) oil
- Best for: All hair types seeking a swift bond-strengthening treatment with a gloss-like effect in minutes
- Size: 6 oz
Everything You Need To Know
What are bond repairing products?
The pro’s explain that bond-building hair products work to repair amino acid bonds that make up the keratin in hair, resulting in healthier, smoother looking hair—and these products have been all the rage in recent years.
The difference between bond repair and other solutions on the market is that the former focus on actually rebuilding the broken bonds rather than masking the problem. “The objective of building bonds is to reestablish hair’s structural integrity and lost strength caused by exposure to damaging services,” McLaughlin says, which results in hair that is stronger and healthier—plus, hair feels softer too.
Does bond repair really work?
Long story short—it all depends on the severity of your hair damage. “You can improve the quality of hair with a bond builder after slight chemical damage, however, you cannot fully restore split ends or breakage in severely damaged hair,” says Caspara.
How often should you use bond-building products?
Those eager to begin incorporating this into their regimen should stay true to the product’s instructions. You do not want to overuse bond repair treatments. “[These are] not to be used too frequently as it can cause protein overload to the hair and result in dry, dull, flat, and lifeless hair,” Caspara instructs. “This can occur on a case-by-case situation; therefore, I recommend being cognizant of one’s own hair condition and use accordingly.”
Caspara notes that while results will continue to get better with time, she suggests decreasing use frequency once your hair returns back to normal to avoid protein overload.
Meet The Experts
- Shab Caspara, New York City-based trichologist and founder of hair-care platform Leona,
- Cassondra Kaeding is an LA-based pro hair stylist and K18 ambassador. Her clients include Angelina Jolie, Lily-Rose Depp, Hailey Beiber, Ariana Grande, Kate Hudson, Ciara, and more
- Ron McLaughlin is the senior vice president of research and development at Living Proof
- Gigi Pogosyan is a hair-color specialist and Olaplex Advocate based in Los Angeles.
- Priscilla Valles is a celebrity extensionist based in Los Angeles.
