Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve Review

Bond building, Bond repair or Bond strengthening treatments, whatever you want to call them, are all the rage in the haircare space these days, especially the much-famed Olaplex. With hair coloring, bleaching and extensive use of hot hair tools, almost everyone is looking to bring their hair back to good health. Is Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve a good option?

Description by Curlsmith :  Bond Curl is a powerful blend of superfoods and fortifying active ingredients that target all the different bonds that make up the hair structure, helping to repair, rebuild and restore hair fiber strength. Rich in proteins and superfoods, it also provides protection to help against further damage.

Price : 2570 INR. You can buy it here (India). Use code ANJANA for a 10% discount. This post is sponsored by NYNM.

What are hair bonds and what to bond builders do?

Above is a cross section of a single hair strand. As you can see, a hair strand is made up of many keratin strands. There are 3 main bonds that can happen within a keratin molecule(green) and between keratin molecules(red) – Disulphide bonds, Ionic or Salt bonds and Hydrogen bonds. These bonds decide everything from the strength of your hair to how curly or straight it is.

• Hydrogen bonds are formed and broken easily – for e.g. When you put your hair in a bun, and it becomes skewed and then it becomes alright once you wash your hair.
• Disulphide & Ionic bonds need chemicals or excessive heat to be broken. for e.g. After years of heat tools usage or during permanent straightening. These are hard to build back.

Bond repair products relink these 3 hair bonds thus rebuilding the integrity that defines your hair in its most natural form.

Protein treatments on the other hand usually repair the damaged hair cuticle(right most in the figure above).

Ingredient Analysis:

Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Extract, Creatine, Polyquaternium-10, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Lentinus Edodes (Shiitake) Extract*, Opuntia Tuna (Prickly Pear) Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Extract*, Psidium Guajava (Guava) Fruit Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Kale) Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Polyquaternium-37, Hydroxypropylgluconamide, Hydroxypropylammonium Gluconate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Limonene.

1. Water
2. Cetearyl Alcohol – Emollient, softens hair
3. Chia Seed Extract
4. Creatine – Amino acid derivative
5. Polyquaternium-10 – Cationic conditioning ingredient, smoothens the cuticle
6. Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine – Cationic surfactant, smoothens the cuticle
7. Shiitake Extract
8. Prickly Pear Fruit Extract

Ingredients after the first 5 to 8 ingredients are in negligible amounts and can be ignored if you are not trying to avoid any ingredient in particular – Read the Ingredients List, Not the Product Claims.

The label says “Triple-active blend with Chia proteins” as the bond repair complex.

1. Fiberhance™ targets hydrogen and salt bonds – The brand does not reveal what the ingredients are in this complex.
2. ProCutigen Bond® targets disulphide bonds. It is derived from chia seed protein. It also creates a bio-film on the hair cuticle to prevent damage, acting like a protein treatment.
3. TEGO® Cosmo targets salt/ionic bonds. This contains creatine which is an amino acid derivative. It can increase the crosslinking between different amino acids of the keratin fibers.

There are no traditional “protein ingredients” like hydrolysed rice or wheat protein usually seen in protein treatments. The Chia seed extract contains glycoproteins. Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve is not a conditioner, but it does have emollients and cationic surfactants.

Olaplex dupe?

Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve is a mix of a bond repair and a protein treatment. Olaplex on the other hand is a sole bond repair product & is not a protein treatment at all.

Also, from a price point, as well as due to their recent lawsuit, consumers are looking for other options.  Bond Curl Salve comes in as a good alternative.

Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve Checklist :

• CG Friendly: Yes
• Protein free: No
• Texture: Creamy
• Fragrance: Strong fruity bubblegumy

Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve Performance :

I used the Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve after shampoo instead of before(being the rebel that I am), left it on for 30 mins and followed up with a conditioner and styling products. The product has absolutely no slip, so it is a bit difficult to apply it evenly. 

How often to use Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve

You can definitely overdo it, so use it according to your hair porosity – Find out your Hair Porosity

• Low Porosity: use every 4-5 wash days for 15 minutes
• Medium Porosity: use every 3-4 wash days for 20 minutes
• High Porosity: use every 2-3 wash days for 30 minutes

Signs/Scenarios Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve is a good addition to your hair routine

1. Your curls have gotten looser.
2. Your curls don’t hold for too long.
3. Your curls look skewed or wonky.
4. You use hair dyes or bleach.
5. You use heat tools often.
6. You swim in chlorinated pools.
7. Your hair has frequent sun exposure.

In short : Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve is a bond builder and protein treatment in one, good for maintaining the health of your hair every few wash days.