BrioGeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo Versus BrioGeo Destined for Density™ Peptide Hair Serum for Thicker, Fuller Hair

BrioGeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo Versus BrioGeo Destined for Density™ Peptide Hair Serum for Thicker, Fuller Hair

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Glyceryl Stearate

Glycerin

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate

Panthenol

Xylitylglucoside

Charcoal Powder

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

Mentha Piperita Oil

Zingiber Officinale Root Oil

Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil

Anhydroxylitol

Bisabolol

Menthyl Lactate

Xylitol

Polyquaternium-7

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Dehydroacetic Acid

Benzyl Alcohol

Parfum

Citric Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Panthenol, Xylitylglucoside, Charcoal Powder, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Anhydroxylitol, Bisabolol, Menthyl Lactate, Xylitol, Polyquaternium-7, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide

Propanediol

Pentylene Glycol

Betaine

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Caffeine

Copper Tripeptide-34

Niacinamide

Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Coffea Arabica Seed Oil

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Biotin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Carbomer

Lindera Strychnifolia Root Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Acacia Senegal Gum

Xanthan Gum

Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil

Lamium Album Extract

Plantago Psyllium Seed Extract

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Sodium Metabisulfite

Larix Europaea Wood Extract

Glycine

Tocopherol

Ubiquinone

Zinc Chloride

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Caramel

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caffeine, Copper Tripeptide-34, Niacinamide, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Coffea Arabica Seed Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Biotin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Carbomer, Lindera Strychnifolia Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Lamium Album Extract, Plantago Psyllium Seed Extract, Panthenol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Glycine, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Zinc Chloride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Caramel

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.

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.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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!

Similar Comparisons