Skin science article
BrioGeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo for Thicker, Fuller Hair Versus Augustinus Bader The Shampoo
BrioGeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo for Thicker, Fuller Hair Versus Augustinus Bader The Shampoo What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Lauramidopropyl Betaine Glycerin Sodium C14-16 Ol
BrioGeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo for Thicker, Fuller Hair Versus Augustinus Bader The Shampoo
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
Glycerin
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Coffea Arabica Seed Oil
Copper Tripeptide-34
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Biotin
Coconut Acid
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Sodium Isethionate
Citric Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Caffeine
Propanediol
Lindera Strychnifolia Root Extract
Tocopheryl Acetate
Ubiquinone
Glycine
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
Sodium Metabisulfite
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Zinc Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
Parfum
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Benzyl Alcohol
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Coffea Arabica Seed Oil, Copper Tripeptide-34, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Biotin, Coconut Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Isethionate, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caffeine, Propanediol, Lindera Strychnifolia Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ubiquinone, Glycine, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zinc Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Decyl Glucoside
Coco-Betaine
Coco-Glucoside
Erythritol
Panthenol
Sodium Chloride
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Saccharide Isomerate
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract
Maltodextrin
Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Nasturtium Officinale Extract
Tropaeolum Majus Extract
Sodium Citrate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Xanthan Gum
Amber Extract
Sorbic Acid
Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
Alanyl Glutamine
Arginine
Oligopeptide-177
Phenylalanine
Sisymbrium Irio Seed Oil
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Erythritol, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Saccharide Isomerate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Tropaeolum Majus Extract, Sodium Citrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Amber Extract, Sorbic Acid, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Alanyl Glutamine, Arginine, Oligopeptide-177, Phenylalanine, Sisymbrium Irio Seed Oil
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate is a gentle, coconut-derived cleansing surfactant. It's most commonly found in "sulfate-free" cleansers.
As a taurate, it belongs to a class of anionic surfactants prized for being efficient at cleansing without harshness, good performance in hard water, stability across a wide pH range, and easily biodegradable.
It is able to lift away oil and grime and make a nice lather without stripping your skin, so it's a good pick for sensitive skin.
Safety-wise, it has a good record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and concentrations go up to 11% in leave-on products or 13% in rinse-off products.
Despite being derived from coconut oil, this ingredient is fungal acne safe. It's a water-soluble surfactant with no fatty oils or esters left intact on skin for the Malassezia yeast to feed.
Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!