Olaplex was founded in 2014 in Montecito by Dean and Darcy Christal. Its bond-building technology came out of UC Santa Barbara, where chemistry professor Craig Hawker and his former student Eric Pressly developed it, according to UCSB.
In July 2026, German consumer goods company Henkel completed its acquisition of Olaplex, which left Nasdaq and joined Henkel’s Consumer Brands unit. The deal, announced in March, valued the company at about $1.4 billion, the Pacific Coast Business Times reported.
The products
The brand’s numbered system includes No.1 Bond Multiplier and No.2 Bond Perfector, used in salons, and No.3 Hair Perfector for use at home. The company’s annual report for 2025 says its finished goods are manufactured primarily in Southern California.
Where to find it
Olaplex sells to salons through more than 110 professional distributors and through specialty retailers including Sephora. It also sells at olaplex.com and on Amazon.
Sources
- Henkel: Acquisition of Olaplex completed
- Pacific Coast Business Times: Henkel to buy Olaplex
- UC Santa Barbara: Entrepreneurial excellence (2020)
- Olaplex: 2025 annual report (SEC)
Featured photo: Hair Spies (hairspies.com) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. The photo shows bottles of Olaplex hair care products.
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