Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Davines Volu Shampoo Versus K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ pH Maintenance Shampoo

Davines Volu Shampoo Versus K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ pH Maintenance Shampoo What's inside Key Ingredients No key ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Davines Volu Shampoo Versus K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ pH Maintenance Shampoo

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Sodium PCA

Decyl Glucoside

Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate

Glyceryl Oleate

Coco-Glucoside

Lauramidopropylamine Oxide

Benzyl Alcohol

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Chloride

Panthenol

Parfum

Sodium Benzoate

Myristamidopropylamine Oxide

Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate

Citric Acid

Polyquaternium-7

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Glycerin

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Brassica Rapa Root Extract

Linalool

CI 60730

CI 60725

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium PCA, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Glyceryl Oleate, Coco-Glucoside, Lauramidopropylamine Oxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Myristamidopropylamine Oxide, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Brassica Rapa Root Extract, Linalool, CI 60730, CI 60725

Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate

Sh-Oligopeptide-78

Sodium Phytate

Caprylyl Glycol

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Benzoic Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Limonene

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sh-Oligopeptide-78, Panthenol, Glycerin, Sodium Phytate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Limonene

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.

This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

We don't have a description for Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate yet.

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.

This ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.

This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.

Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.

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.

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.

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.

What it does:

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.

Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.

CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.

We don't have a description for Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate yet.

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

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Side-by-side

  1. 01Water
  2. 02Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
  3. 03Cocamidopropyl Betaine
  4. 04Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
  5. 05Cocamide Mipa
  6. 06Glycol Distearate
  7. 07Parfum
  8. 08Amodimethicone
  9. 09Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
  10. 10Glycerin
  11. 11Citrus Japonica Fruit Extract
  12. 12Panthenol
  13. 13Hydrolyzed Keratin
  14. 14Polyquaternium-7
  15. 15Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
  16. 16Cocos Nucifera Oil
  17. 17PEG-150 Distearate
  18. 18Sodium Lauroyl Glycinate
  19. 19Cetrimonium Chloride
  20. 20C11-15 Pareth-7
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side