Redken: the honest verdict.
The L'Oréal-owned salon hair brand that built the bond-care category before Olaplex made it cult. Tested across Acidic Bonding Concentrate, All Soft, and the Extreme Bleach Recovery range.
- Position
- Mid-market · Hair
- Founded
- United States · 1960
- Available at
- Salons + Adore Beauty
The Glow read.
Redken's Acidic Bonding Concentrate is the brand's strongest current product — a low-pH bond-care system that delivers measurable repair on chemically processed hair without the marketing tax of Olaplex. The shampoo + conditioner set at $65 is fair for the performance.
Outside of bond care, Redken is a competent salon mid-market brand. The All Soft range is reliable for dry hair. The Extreme Bleach Recovery range is targeted but unremarkable. The pricing and distribution sit between Olaplex's consumer position and Kérastase's premium.
Buy Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate if you've been disappointed by Olaplex and want the same outcome with less marketing. Skip the rest of the range unless your stylist recommends a specific SKU.
What works
- Acidic Bonding Concentrate — credible low-pH bond-care without Olaplex's marketing premium
- All Soft range is reliable for dry hair at fair pricing
- Salon distribution gives stylist consultation access
- Wide colour-care range supports the in-salon colour business
What doesn't
- Outside ABC and All Soft, the range is competent but unremarkable
- Brand identity has aged — looks like 2010 on the salon shelf
- L'Oréal-owned — no longer the indie salon brand the heritage suggests
The buy.
Affiliate disclosure: Glow earns commission from qualifying purchases. Read more.