7 K18 Dupes That Will Repair Your Hair

K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask is an innovative hair care repair product that helps mend split ends, reduce breakage, and restore hair back to its natural shine. It’s an effective product, but the price is another story. It is not cheap.

That’s where these K18 dupes come in! While they may not contain the proprietary science behind the original K18 hair mask, they will help restore, repair, and protect your hair at an affordable price.

First, let’s take a look at what makes K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask so special:

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What makes K18 so special is its ability to work at a molecular level to rebuild broken bonds, strengthen hair fibers, and reduce breakage.

The star ingredient in K18 is K18Peptide (sh-Oligopeptide-78), a patented peptide that mimics the natural structure of your hair to reverse hair damage.

Think of your inner hair structure as a ladder. There are rungs (disulfide bonds) and poles (keratin chains). Most hair repair treatments repair only the rungs, but K18 repairs both the rungs and the poles.

The peptide works by reconnecting polypeptide chains and disulfide bonds broken during bleaching, color, chemical treatments, and heat treatments.

The end result is stronger, healthy hair that looks shinier and more vibrant.

For a more in-depth discussion of this hair mask, I recommend reading this explanation of the science behind K18 from co-founder Suveen Sahib.

K18 is so popular because it is formulated to provide immediate results and works on all hair types. Plus, you only need to leave it on damp hair after shampooing for four minutes for it to work its magic.

I purchased it during a Sephora sale to see what the fuss was about, and it did not disappoint. It left my hair feeling softer and smoother, and with continued use, it has strengthened my hair and helped repair my split ends.

The downside? The price tag! If you are looking for alternatives, here are some great K18 dupes that will deliver similar results.

K18 Dupes

These dupes for K18 are the perfect way to treat your hair without breaking the bank. Just remember that K18 uses patented technology that cannot be replicated in other products, so these are not exactly the same as K18.

But if you are looking for more affordable options to help repair your hair, these K18 dupes are the perfect option:

Copper tripeptide-34 strengthens the hair follicle and provides your hair with nourishment while helping to protect it from future damage.

Maelic acid is an ingredient that potentially helps repair disulfide bonds in the hair shaft, improving hair damage.

The hair mask also contains arginine, a building block of keratin, for improved strength and a reduction in the signs of hair breakage. Multiple other amino acids work together to nourish your hair.

Although the bottle looks just like K18 (including the bond-line notation), this hair mask contains a different peptide that isn’t patented to repair hair. Still, this mask is an affordable alternative that leaves your hair feeling soft, smooth, and more manageable.

This bond repair treatment deeply nourishes your hair while repairing damage. It’s an effective, moderately-priced alternative if you don’t want to splurge on K18.

Olaplex Bond Building technology is powered by the proprietary ingredient Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, which helps repair hair bonds and rebuild strength and structure.

Olaplex is a pre-shampoo treatment that you apply to towel-dried / damp hair. You leave it on for a minimum of 10 minutes, then rinse, shampoo, and condition.

Unfortunately, Olaplex No.3 is the most expensive of the dupes 😒, but no worries, you have plenty of other affordable alternatives to choose from in this post!

Note: There are other Olaplex products that you can use in place of K18, including Olaplex No 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, but No 3 Hair Perfector is a more intensive treatment.

For affordable alternatives to Olaplex, see my post on the best Olaplex dupes.

*Keep in mind that K18 takes it a step further than Olaplex (hence the high price) in that their technology rebuilds polypeptide chains (ladder poles) in addition to broken bonds (ladder rungs) caused by bleaching, color, and chemical treatments.

It is a powerful combination of proteins, including pig-derived collagen, hydrolyzed soy protein, and a ceramide that penetrates deep into the hair shaft to fill in the gaps left by hair damage.

CER-100 also contains herbal extracts and silk amino acids to help strengthen your strands, enhance shine, and improve hair elasticity.

The K-Beauty hair treatment is suitable for all types of damaged hair, from split ends to over-processed tresses.

The bondbar hair repair system contains technology that penetrates the hair cortex and creates new hydrogen and ionic bonds. These bonds support and restore the internal keratin structure to improve the strength and manageability of damaged hair.

Formulated for every hair type and texture, this bondbar hair mask repairs, protects, hydrates, and improves wet hair detangling by 90% in just one use.

For such a low price, this K18 hair dupe has an impressive hydrating formula that doesn’t weigh hair down.

Active ingredients include fatty acid-rich oils like avocado oil and safflower seed oil.

Squalane and ceramide NP work together to nourish, moisturize, strengthen, and protect your hair. Multiple amino acids help to improve hair elasticity and give your hair a glossy shine.

Panthenol and hydrolyzed jojoba esters work together to keep your hair hydrated throughout the day.

Bonding Hydration Mask also includes sodium PCA – a natural ingredient that binds moisture in the hair shafts and prevents frizz.

The result? Thicker, softer locks with lots of shine!

This hair mask hydrates while repairing hair damage, like K18. The mask travels into the hair fiber to strengthen damaged hair bonds and protect hair from future damage.

It also smoothes the hair cuticle, which helps to reduce frizz and color fade and boost shine.

The mask is formulated with nourishing oils like rice bran and rosemary oils. Hydrolyzed quinoa and vitamin C work together to condition your hair and improve moisture, shine, and hair elasticity.

This bond restore treatment leaves my hair silky and very manageable.

This hair mask repairs damaged hair and split ends while adding moisture and shine to your curly hair.

The mask contains TeraBond technology that bonds to amino acids and keratin fragments in your hair. This includes broken disulfide bonds. The result is improved hair strength, less breakage, and increased moisture and sheen.

Per the manufacturer, TeraBond is five times more concentrated than Olaplex Step #1.

This strengthening hair mask is enriched with mango seed butter and black castor oil to hydrate, nourish, and restore your hair.

This curly hair treatment is suitable for all curl types and is safe for chemically treated and colored hair.

If you have damaged curly hair, this hair product is worth a try, considering it is a fraction of the price of K18.

The hair mask is formulated with castor seed oil, rich in omega-9 fatty acids, which improves hair moisture and strengthens your hair, plus antioxidant vitamin E, which protects from environmental stress.

Avocado oil strengthens, smooths, and protects your hair from dehydration.

Founded by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Anomaly products are clean formulas that use earth-conscious packaging at an affordable price.

This hair mask is an ideal alternative to K18 for those who want to repair and protect their hair using a sustainable product at a very low price.

K18 Dupes: The Bottom Line

K18 is a stand-out product backed by science and formulated with high-quality ingredients to repair damaged hair. However, it is quite pricey.

That’s why these K18 dupes are excellent alternatives that you can use to get similar results at a fraction of the price.

Remember that none of these products contain K18’s proprietary molecular repair technology, but they will still be effective at restoring and strengthening your hair.

Thanks for reading!