Ultra reparative
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Palmer's
Bond Repair Complex Pre-Shampoo
Mask / Bond treatment, oil-rich
- Mask / treatment
- bond repair
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.
Manufacturer page: palmers.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 22 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Oils and butters
Moderate
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Little
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Medium
Not in your profile
Fragrance
None listed
Not in your profile
Protein
Prominent
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Scent
Unscented
Not in your profile
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
No adjuster listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
4 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand websiteOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Lower cost than most masks and treatments
$1.76/oz at 5.1 oz, less than 75% of the 576 masks and treatments , which mostly run $1.80–5.62/oz. The cost less.
Great for
no fragrance (parfum) on the label
free of strong smells
Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Maybe skip if
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Hair that tangles wetnothing here makes combing easier
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
If scent matters to younothing is added here
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel
Wash day
How it fits into wash day
Read from the product’s own directions on the date shown. A step the label leaves out is shown as not stated, never filled in.
- When
- Before shampoo: Bond-care treatment (manufacturer claim), Conditioning the lengths, Detangling before the wash
- Start on
- damp hair
- Where
- lengths, roots
- Label wait
- at least 10 minutes (longer allowed)
- Then
- rinse, then shampoo
- Needs
- a shampoo
- Conditioner after
- the label recommends conditioning after
- How often
- not stated on the label
- Worth knowing
- The label states it is not a conditioner.
- Apply a generous amount to damp, towel-dried hair from root to tip until hair is completely saturated.
- Leave on for 10 minutes, longer if desired.
- Rinse off thoroughly.
- Shampoo; the label recommends Palmer's Bond Repair Complex Bonding Shampoo and Bonding Conditioning Masque.
Browse technique guides (general advice, not matched to this product’s directions)
Source: brand page · checked 2026-09-16
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Oils and butters
Present, high in the list
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
Weight on the hair
Medium
Middle of the range: noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.
Protein
Prominent
Protein high in the list: a strengthening formula, not a moisture one.
Water-binding (humectants)
High
Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.
Slip and detangling
Little
Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Fragrance
None listed
No fragrance is listed.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oilcoconut oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| Arginine | amino acid | Small protein fragments that bind water | Protein |
| Biotin | vitamin | A marketed vitamin addition | Neutral |
| Collagen | protein | The strengthening step this treatment is built on | Protein |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-forward: a strengthening formula, not a moisture one.
Full ingredient list (4)
In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.
-
1
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
· coconut oil
General function
One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive hair.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairBecause it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.
- oil
- emollient
-
2
Arginine
General function
An amino acid that holds water and carries a positive charge, so it is drawn to damaged spots on the strand.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAmino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.
DependsProtein-sensitive hairThe lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
- amino acid
- humectant
-
3
Biotin
General function
Vitamin B7, included for label appeal in thickening and growth-positioned products. Applied to hair it does not reach the follicle.
Leading ingredientPubChemListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- vitamin
-
4
Collagen
General function
An animal-derived protein used for body and a smoother surface feel.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- protein
What the whole list adds up to
- 1 oil
- 1 emollient
- 1 amino acid
- 1 humectant
- 1 vitamin
- 1 protein
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-24. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 5.1 oz
Seen at
$8.99
Good value under
$6
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $6 line; products that do this job typically go for about $9 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store
-
Brand website
$8.995.1 ozAug 24
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 5.1 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Seen at $8.99 is the price we have observed for the 5.1 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $6 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.13/oz; at 5.1 oz that is $6. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $9 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5.1 oz.
Formula
7
Formula score
7 of 10
The formula covers the core of what a treatment does, and it costs less per ounce than most masks and treatments in our library.
How the score is counted
- 1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 75% of the 576 masks and treatments we’ve priced
- No conditioning agents up front in the formula
- Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website
- Rich emollientsThe depth a treatment step is built around.3 pts
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
- Protein or amino acidsThe strengthening side of a treatment.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A stated dwell timeThe brand says how long to leave it on.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.
Palmer'sLowest cost per oz
Tahitian Vanilla Hydra Gloss Pack
$1.13/oz $0.63/oz less
- Fragrance-free
- Unscented
- Protein-free
- Function
- Also
- Wash day
- this one is not a before-shampoo product
See more alternatives in the product library
These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsBest user
People sensitive to fragrance, looking for a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for hair that stiffens on protein, hair that tangles the moment it is wet, or very dry or very humid climates
Best alternative if not
Consider Palmer's Tahitian Vanilla Hydra Gloss Pack, for similar results at a lower price
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Claims check
What the brand says, and what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.
3
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Bond-building formula
Protein sits in the first eight ingredients.
- Arginine
- Collagen
Supported
Reinforces a damaged strand.
Sulfate-free
No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Gentler on colour and coils.
Minimizes tangling and breakage
Protein sits in the first eight ingredients.
- Arginine
- Collagen
Supported
Reinforces a damaged strand.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
More from Palmer's
How this page was made
- Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
- 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.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- 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.
- 3 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-08.
- Ingredient references are linked for 2 of 2 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
- We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-09-09.
