The original, what makes it special, the shelf parts we use and how to get closer. Add or swap parts and the score updates.
The original · Olaplex
$32 · 3.0 fl oz
A water-based, silicone-free serum with film-forming polymers and humectants that coat the hair.
Prices and listings checked Oct 28, 2026. Amazon prices change; the link shows today's price.
Step 2 · The build
Not Your Mother's
Not Your Mother's
Adds: Conditioning base
Partial credit means the part only partly matches that standout.
The 100 points
We split Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector Heat Protection & Frizz Reduction Nourishing Hair Serum into 3 standout parts. Each bar shows what the build earns.
Film-formers and polymers (Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pvp) give hold, set and heat or humidity resistance.
Humectants (Propanediol, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate) pull in water and keep the hair feeling soft.
The conditioning base (Quaternium-22, Cetrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride) is what coats and detangles the hair after the rinse. A shelf formula with the same kind of base does the same job.
Optional
76 / 100. We have not found a shelf product that closes more of the gap yet.
Step 3 · Buy
One link per part. Each opens the retailer in a new tab.
Your build
Running total ~$7.99
View product (opens in new tab)Not an affiliate link.
Running total ~$16.38
View product (opens in new tab)Not an affiliate link.
Snapshot prices. Each link shows today's price.
One bottle instead of a build. Sorted by match score; scores use the same standouts as above.
Not Your Mother's
Why it is close. A heat protectant spray without any repair actives.
Not an affiliate link.
Not Your Mother's
Why it is close. Same job (heat protect, detangle). NYM's is silicone-based and has no maleate or panthenol.
Not an affiliate link.
Not Your Mother's
Running total
View product (opens in new tab)Not an affiliate link.
Not Your Mother's
Not Your Mother's
Adds: Conditioning base
Running total
View product (opens in new tab)Not an affiliate link.
Not Your Mother's
In a lab test on hair colored with oxidative dye, adding conditioning agents (a silane/panthenol blend, PEG-12 dimethicone, or hydrolyzed silk and milk protein) cut protein loss and combing damage compared with dye alone.
da 2018 · J Cosmet DermatolA combing test found bleaching raises hair breakage and that nearly all anti-breakage products on the market pair silicones with cationic polymers.
Haake 2009 · J Cosmet SciSpectroscopy on bleached hair treated with maleate-based repair agents saw the agents interact with the hair and give a more regular surface, but found no sign of new disulfide bonds. The test did not use this product.
Di 2021 · Int J Biol MacromolWater/Aqua/Eau, Propanediol, Betaine, Quaternium-22, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PVP, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract, Xylitylglucoside, Polyquaternium-44, Anhydroxylitol, Maltitol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xylitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance (Parfum), Citral, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
We split Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector Heat Protection & Frizz Reduction Nourishing Hair Serum into 3 standout parts worth 100 points in total. The build earns 76 of a possible 100. A full 100 needs every standout fully covered.
Not Your Mother's Beat the Heat Spray Heat Protectant by Not Your Mother's is our closest single-product match at 74 out of 100 for ~$7.99 (6 fl oz). It shares Heat-protectant spray, Silicone film (dimethicone).
Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector Heat Protection & Frizz Reduction Nourishing Hair Serum costs $32 for 3.0 fl oz. The closest dupe costs ~$7.99, a saving of about $24.01. Prices change, so check the seller page.
No. Dupes share the key actives but can differ in concentration, vehicle and supporting ingredients. Missing from this one: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate. See our methodology for how we score.
Olaplex · bond-repair
$10.99our build, 1 partOriginal $34, build $10.99.
Not Your Mother's
Olaplex · conditioner
~$18.78our build, 2 partsOriginal $34, build ~$18.78.
Neutrogena + Not Your Mother's
Olaplex · dry-shampoo
~$17.98our build, 2 partsOriginal $30, build ~$17.98.
Not Your Mother's