As a beauty editor, I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’ve not had a haircut in well over six months. You see, I’ve been indecisive about what to do with my lengths and even my hair colour too, resulting in my hair looking worse for wear, with split ends and a lot of brassiness. Even on good hair days, my hair is prone to frizz and dullness, and coupled with my frayed ends, even the best conditioners and hair masks aren’t cutting it. And as someone who tests hair tools for a living (and is often a bit lax on using heat protection—oops), my hair is looking and feeling frazzled.
So when Ouai’s new Bond Repair Balm (£46) landed on my desk, promising to repair my lengths in just three minutes, I swiftly took it home to test. And I’m so glad I did, because it’s easily become one of my favourite new beauty launches this year. Scroll on for a full review and everything you need to know.
(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)
Ouai Bond Repair Balm
Key ingredients: Vegan silk protein, hyaluronic acid, peptides, lipid replacement complex
Pros
- Repairs damage in 3 minutes by repairing hair bonds
- Replaces conditioner in your hair wash routine
- Has the iconic Ouai Melrose Place scent
Cons
- Can feel sticky if you use too much, so use sparingly
The Formula
(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)
For those who are already acquainted with hair bond repairers, they basically work to rebuild the scaffolding that bonds your hair together. Hair tools such as hair straighteners and hair colour can cause the bonds to weaken, so products such as Ouai’s Bond Repair Balm help to mend these internal structures, leaving you with hair that looks and feels healthier.
This formula contains vegan silk proteins, hyaluronic acid, peptides derived from hydrolysed rice proteins and lipid replacement complex, which work in tandem to smooth, hydrate and repair your strands. The balm itself is lightweight and silky, and easily disperses into your lengths. You only need one pump (or a little more if you have thick or long hair, and maybe a little less for fine hair or short hair), and a little goes a long way.
It replaces your conditioner in your routine, so after shampoo, you simply apply it through your lengths in place of conditioner. My favourite part is that you only need to leave it in for three minutes before rinsing it out. Which, of you’re anything like me, is a total time-saver compared to the chore of waiting around in a hair mask for 20 minutes. Oh, and of course, it smells amazing (like all Ouai’s hair products do) with the cult Melrose Place scent, with rose, lycee and white musk.
Before and After
Before
(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)
Here is my hair before using the balm. My lengths look and feel damaged through the mid-lengths; it lacks the shine I crave, and it feels frizzy and rough to the touch.
After
(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)
And here is my hair after using the bond repair balm. I can see and feel a difference in the health of my hair, which now has a more noticeable shine and smoothness. My lengths feel so silky that my hairbrush glides effortlessly through my easily tangled lengths, and it generally feels more manageable and less frizzy overall. I even feel it’s helped to improve the colour of my old balayage through the mid-lengths, which was an unexpected bonus!
My Verdict
It’s safe to say that this is one of the best hair products I’ve tried in recent months. And I don’t think it’s coincidental that I’ve never had more people ask me what I use on my hair this past week. Somehow, this bond repair balm is convincing people that my hair is healthy, when in reality, it’s been pretty neglected after months without a salon visit. I really love that it replaces conditioner, and only needs to be left in for three minutes, making it easy for a lazy editor like me to nourish my hair without the need for the faff of a hair mask. You only need one pump, so don’t be tempted to apply too much, as it can feel a little heavy, but if you have longer or thicker lengths, then you may need a bit more. But all in all, I plan to have a bottle of this in my bathroom at all times from here on out.
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