Skip to main content

Side by side

Hairstory Pre-Wash vs Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment

85% function match · 8 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Hairstory Pre-Wash and Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment share no ingredient among each other's most prominent — which does not stop them doing the same job.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Pre-Wash — fragrance-free
  • No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment — fragrance-free

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
Hairstory Pre-Wash — brand photograph Hairstory

Pre-Wash

  • Mask / treatment
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment — 5.2 oz container Olaplex

No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment

  • Mask / treatment
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$28 4 oz · $5.88/oz
$50–60 5.2 oz · $9.61/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 76% of the 347 masks and treatments we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 91% of the 347 masks and treatments we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
None found No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair. Your hair
Time on the hair
Short A short wait — it fits inside an ordinary shower. Your hair
—
Slip / detangling Same
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Fragrance
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
Protein Same
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low Your hair
Oils and butters Same
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Covers the core
out of 10
A simple formula
Who should choose this
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
  • Unscentedfree of strong smells
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Why you might skip it
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
  • Hair that tangles wetnothing here reduces combing force
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
  • Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list
  • Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Mask / treatment
Mask / treatment
Line
New Wash
—
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website · Salons · Grocery / mass …
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
—
Vegan · label states
Cruelty-free
—
Cruelty-free · label states
Scent
Unscented
—
Use stage
Before shampoo
Before shampoo (directions incomplete)
Start on
dry hair
dry hair
Label wait
3 minutes
10 minutes
Needs
not stated on the label
Olaplex N°3 Hair Perfector and a shampoo and a conditioner
Time on hair
3–3 min
—
How often
every wash
weekly
Treatment focus
multi
—

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientPre-WashNo.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading

What only one of them carries

Pre-Wash

No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment

Full ingredient list — Pre-Wash (15)
Full ingredient list — No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment (4)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsPre-WashNo.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment
Supported
0
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
2
3
Potential conflict
0
0

Pre-Wash

  • Purifies the scalp and balances its microbiome, letting you go longer between washes.Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Detergent-free micellar technology gently and effectively cleanses while soothing the scalp with prebiotics.Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment

  • 68% more repair when used as a three-part system of N°0, N°3, and N°4 in just one useStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • 68% better detangling, improved conditioning, and smootherStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • 65% reduction in breakage when used with N°4Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Color safe, vegan, suitable for chemically treated hairSupportedMatches our researched record.
  • Free from sulfates, silicones, phthalates, phosphates, paraben, MIC/MIT, proteinSupportedGentler on colour and coils.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Hairstory Pre-Wash draws complaints about residue or cast; Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment draws complaints about volume and breakage.

Pre-Wash

Reduces scalp tightness/itchiness between washes, letting reviewers stretch more days between full washes

reviewers with irritated or itchy scalp, one referenced psoriasis plaque improvement

Many reviewers report a noticeably cleaner, less oily scalp and visible buildup removal after use

oily-scalp / buildup-prone reviewers

A vocal minority say they cannot perceive any difference versus skipping the step, calling it unnecessary or ineffective at removing heavier styling-product buildup

includes a reviewer noting it did not move drugstore hairspray residue from roots

Thin, watery consistency makes it easy to over-apply if not careful

general

One reviewer with fine, oily, curly hair reported the opposite of the "no residue" claim -- hair felt heavy and greasy after following New Wash

fine/2b-2c curly, oily scalp, daily-washer

No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment

Reviewers who use No.0 as the first step before No.3 Hair Perfector report visibly shinier, softer and more elastic hair, especially on color-treated or bleached hair.

reviewers pairing No.0 with No.3 on colored or damaged hair

Many reviewers say the spray nozzle dispenses a hard, narrow stream rather than a fine mist, making it difficult to distribute evenly and wasteful of product.

long-time and first-time users across hair types

Some reviewers on thin or fine hair say the product weighs hair down or gives no volume, especially when paired with the No.8 mask.

reviewers with fine or thin hair

A recurring minority of reviewers report the product made their hair drier, more breakage-prone or straw-like, sometimes describing it as an allergic reaction on the scalp or face.

reviewers with curly, fine or previously chemically-treated hair

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$5.88/oz vs $9.61/oz — Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment costs about 1.6× more per ounce than Hairstory Pre-Wash.

$0.19/oz median $3.49/oz $24.50/oz $5.88/oz Pre-Wash $9.61/oz No.0 Intensive Bond Buildi

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 347 masks and treatments with a computable unit price.

Value readPre-WashNo.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Pre-Wash vs H2-Whoa! Hydra-Jelly Hair MaskEva NYC · 85% function matchNo.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment vs Avocado Cream Moisture Repairing Hair MaskAlikay Naturals · 90% function matchPre-Wash vs Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Detangle & Condition Pre-ShampooAfrican Pride · 85% function matchNo.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment vs The Restless CircleDavines · 85% function matchPre-Wash vs Hair Rituel Pre-Shampoo Purifying Mask with White ClaySisley Paris · 85% function matchNo.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment vs Perfectly PolishedKinky-Curly · 85% function matchPre-Wash vs 8 Second Wonder Water Lamellar Hair TreatmentL'Oreal Paris Elvive · 83% function matchNo.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment vs Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Detangle & Condition Pre-ShampooAfrican Pride · 80% function match

Pre-Wash · No.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment · All masks and treatments in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 12 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

Still unsure? Take your consultation or browse more products.

Your personalized hair plan

Tell us what’s going on with your hair, see what we understand, and get a plan built around it — with the reason behind every recommendation.

Free to start · $49.00 for your consultation and hair profile · No subscription · Nothing you must buy

Start your consultation