A few years ago I found out what happens to my hair when that balance gets out of whack when I gave my hair too much protein. To compensate, I eliminated protein and focused on moisture. Now that my hair is in a better place, I’ve been working to find that new balance of moisture and strength for my hair.
This time instead of using protein treatments I’ve been trying bond mender treatments. I’ve decided to try bond menders to add strength to my relaxed hair because
- I had a bad experience with protein and am wary of doing hard protein treatments on my hair
- Protein treatments are a temporary fix as they fill in cracks in the cuticle while bond treatments are formulated to work from the inside out.
I’ve tried Olaplex and have gotten some nice results but I don’t know that it’s worth the money. So I decided to try out the Creme of Nature Plex Breakage Defense Step 1: Bond Mender Pre-Treatment. I’d heard that it was being seen as a budget-friendly alternative to Olaplex so when it was on sale at Sally Beauty I decided to give it a try.
The Creme of Nature Plex Breakage Defense Step 1: Bond Mender Pre-Treatment is the first step in a three-step system which claims to be “formulated with strength-building key ingredients proven to help strengthen and protect hair on the inside and out for a noticeable difference you can see and feel after just one use when used as a system”
The pre-treatment, which is what I’ve been using claims to
- Help reduce damage and breakage for longer and stronger hair
- Reinforce weak bonds and help fill in fragile strands
- Maintain hair in between chemical processing
Related read: Bond Treatments Vs. Protein Treatments On Relaxed Hair
The instructions for this product are to apply it to dry or wet hair, leave it on for 10 minutes, rinse it out, and then shampoo. I’ve followed the instructions somewhat the three times I’ve used it. The first time I skipped my pre-poo and used the pre-treatment instead. I applied it to damp hair, left it on for 10 minutes, and followed up with my shampoo. The results were okay.
The second time I used it was a week later. I decided to do my regular pre-poo and applied the pre-treatment after rinsing out my pre-poo. I followed up with my regular shampoo. This time my hair felt dry which was different from the first time. I wasn’t sure why but suspected it was because I used it two weeks in a row and my hair probably didn’t need that.
The third time I used the Creme of Nature Plex Breakage Defense Step 1: Bond Mender Pre-Treatment I think I figured out the best way to use it on my hair. I pre-pooed, did my first shampoo, applied the pre-treatment, and left it on for 10 minutes. I then followed up with my moisturizing shampoo. My hair felt strong, smooth, soft, and moisturized. I think this is going to be my routine for it from here on out.
Here are a few details about the Creme of Nature Plex Breakage Defense Step 1: Bond Mender Pre-Treatment
- The bottle has a pump! It is so hard to find hair products with a pump. And this pump is a good one. It makes it easy to get the right amount of product to apply to your hair.
- It has a gel-like consistency and isn’t too runny or too thick.
- It retails for $7.99 on Sally Beauty’s site and you can find it in other places like Walmart and Amazon.
After using the Creme of Nature Plex Breakage Defense Step 1: Bond Mender Pre-Treatment a few times I do think it’s had a positive effect on my hair. I’ve noticed less breakage, and my hair looks and feels smoother, especially my ends. My hair also feels stronger.
While I have seen some good results, I don’t know if it will be a regular in my relaxed hair regimen. I’ve seen some other relaxed hair ladies say that using bond treatments before or after their relaxer touch-up has had positive impacts on their hair.
For now, I plan to use up the bottle that I have and make a decision on whether or not to repurchase. I think I’ll use it the wash after my relaxer touch-up and use it no more than once a month unless my hair feels like it needs it more often.
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