Olaplex No.4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo (250ml)

Use No.4C in place of your usual shampoo on the wash where hair feels coated, weighed down or dull.

1. Wet the hair thoroughly with warm water.
2. Work a generous amount of No.4C through the scalp and lengths and lather.
3. Rinse fully, then repeat if hair still feels coated after the first wash.
4. Follow with No.5 conditioner or a No.8 mask before you towel-dry.

Roughly once a week is the usual rhythm, or whenever buildup is obvious. No.4 remains the everyday shampoo between those washes.

Two practical notes:

• If you swim regularly or live with hard water, this is the wash worth planning around — use it the same day rather than waiting for hair to feel heavy.
• Do not skip the conditioner or mask afterwards. Clarifying can leave hair feeling drier, and No.8 is the straightforward fix.

For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes. Keep out of reach of children.

No.4C is a clarifying formula, which means it is built to lift minerals, chlorine, oil and product residue off the hair rather than to clean around them the way a daily shampoo does. It sits in the Bond Maintenance range alongside No.4 rather than replacing it.

Free from: sulphates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, MIC/MIT and protein. Olaplex lists it as colour safe, vegan and extension safe, and stylist and dermatologist tested. The protein-free formulation is worth knowing about if you already run protein treatments and want to keep control of how much your hair gets.

Scent: grapefruit zest at the top, sugared mint and ginger through the middle, crushed sage at the base. The bottle is the blue one in the range, so it is easy to keep apart from No.4 in the shower.

The complete INCI ingredient list is printed on the bottle. Please read it before first use if you have a known allergy or sensitive scalp.

Can I use No.4C every day instead of No.4?

No. Used every day in place of No.4 it will over-clean the hair — this is a weekly reset, not a daily shampoo. Keep No.4 for the everyday washes and reach for No.4C roughly once a week, or whenever buildup is obvious.

What is the difference between No.4 and No.4C?

No.4 is the everyday bond maintenance shampoo. No.4C is the clarifying version of it: a deeper clean for buildup, hard water and chlorine. They are meant to be used together, not chosen between.

Should this be my first Olaplex product?

Not usually. If you are starting the range, No.4 or No.3 will do more for you. No.4C solves a specific problem, and if your hair does not feel coated it will sit in the cupboard unused.

I swim, or my water is hard. Is this the right one?

That is the case it is made for. Olaplex states it is clinically proven to remove chlorine, and metals and minerals from hard water, along with excess oil, product buildup and pollution.

Will it strip my colour or damage extensions?

It is sulphate-free, and Olaplex lists it as colour safe and extension safe, as well as vegan and stylist and dermatologist tested. It is still a deep-cleansing wash, so use it at the stated frequency rather than more often.

Will it leave my hair feeling dry?

Clarifying can leave hair feeling drier, which is normal for this kind of shampoo. Follow it with No.5 conditioner or a No.8 mask in the same wash and that is generally the end of it.

• Product Type: Clarifying shampoo
• Technology: Bond Maintenance System
• Hair Type: All hair types, including coloured hair and extensions
• Free From: Sulphates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, MIC/MIT and protein
• Size: 250 ml / 8.5 fl oz