Skin science article
BrioGeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo for Thicker, Fuller Hair Versus BrioGeo Color Me Brilliant Mushroom + Bamboo Color Protect Conditioner
BrioGeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo for Thicker, Fuller Hair Versus BrioGeo Color Me Brilliant Mushroom + Bamboo Color Protect Conditioner What's inside Key Ingredients No key ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Sodium Cocoyl
BrioGeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo for Thicker, Fuller Hair Versus BrioGeo Color Me Brilliant Mushroom + Bamboo Color Protect Conditioner
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No 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
Cetearyl Alcohol
Isopropyl Palmitate
Behentrimonium Chloride
Brassica Alcohol
Cetyl Esters
Trametes Versicolor Extract
Bambusa Arundinacea Leaf Extract
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Cetrimonium Chloride
Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Persea Gratissima Oil
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Punica Granatum Fruit Juice
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Panthenol
Arginine
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Pisum Sativum Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Brassica Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Trametes Versicolor Extract, Bambusa Arundinacea Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Cetrimonium Chloride, Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Juice, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Arginine, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Pisum Sativum Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Parfum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.
Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.
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.
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.
Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.
This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.
Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
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!