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I’ve always been intrigued by bond repair treatments, which are designed to reconnect broken protein and chemical bonds inside the hair shaft in order to restore strength and elasticity to bleach-, color-, or heat-damaged hair.
But while my fine hair is often frizzy and could benefit from moisture repair and some major strand reinforcement, I always thought bond repair could be too harsh for my fine, thinning hair, which tends to be dry despite the fact that I don’t use much heat or colouring.
That’s why I was excited to find a gentle bond repair treatment from one of my favorite hair brands: OUAI. I have been a long-time fan of the brand’s Detox Clarifying shampoo and the brand’s signature hair gloss, so I thought their Bond Repair Balm ($50 for a 4.8oz bottle) would be the best place to start exploring bond repair products and start reversing my hair damage.
Staying Innovative
As a brand, OUAI keeps its product lineup exciting and up-to-date while staying true to its focus on simplicity and everyday care. OUAI’s new Bond Repair Balm puts functionality at the forefront of its formula. The balm treatment is gentle and will only take 3 minutes out of your hair routine. In fact, it even replaces a key part (conditioning) of most people’s wash routine.
The Bond Repair Balm contains moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and lipid replacement complex (which contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants) and is suitable for all hair types.
Seeing It in Action
For many years, I had low-maintenance hair that didn’t need too much product or styling. My strands have always struggled to hold a curl, but at least they were sleek and strong. Recently, my hair has struggled to maintain its fullness due to heavy fall-out, and tends to feel very dry and brittle when wet.
I applied the balm after washing my hair (I used the OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo that I always keep handy) and immediately could tell the balm would be moisturizing and helpful for detangling my dry ends.
Since the texture is slippery and seamlessly melts when making contact with freshly washed hair, it did a great job at troubleshooting my dry ends, which are usually tangled due to wearing in my go-to messy bun.
According to the directions on the bottle, it’s best to use it consistently for the first few washes and then reduce usage as needed. After using the balm treatment three times with about two days in between, my dry ends appear noticeably healthier and my air-dried hair feels much less frizzy.
OUAI’s signature Melrose Place scent makes a special appearance in the Bond Repair Balm. The lightweight balm includes notes of champagne, lychee, and peppercorn. As with most OUAI products, the balm also contains heavenly notes of rose, which leaves a long-lasting scent that smells clean, fresh and almost as strong as a fragrance mist.
Final Thoughts
Bond repair treatments have been trending for a few years with good reason. Hair is extremely fragile and unpredictable, and we put a lot of heat on it these days.
Instead of being intimidated by the range of bond repair options available, I was able to easily swap my usual conditioner with a balm from one of my go-to haircare brands. As someone who's always looking for a zero-fuss way to repair damaged strands and looking for the holy grail to my air dry routine, I’ll definitely keep this silky balm in rotation whenever I notice breakage.
The brand also offers a 1.7oz travel version of the balm ($28), which is great because this would definitely be an essential for travels involving sun, beach and pool water.
The gentle formula likely works best for repairing light damage or adding a bit of life back to dry hair but I’d be curious to see how it would help improve highly damaged hair. If I ever decide to experiment with hair dye or heavy styling, I have a feeling the bond-builders and hydration would come to my rescue.
Try it for yourself here.
