K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ pH Maintenance Shampoo Versus Cosmica Volumising Shampoo

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ pH Maintenance Shampoo Versus Cosmica Volumising Shampoo

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

Decyl Glucoside

Sodium Chloride

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Oryza Sativa Seed Protein

Oryza Sativa Extract

Allantoin

Niacinamide

Pyridoxine Hcl

Calcium Pantothenate

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Potassium Laureth-4 Carboxylate

Polyquaternium-22

C12-13 Pareth-9

PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate

PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate

Arginine

Coconut Acid

PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

Dicaprylyl Ether

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Glyceryl Oleate

Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate

Propanediol

Maltodextrin

Phytic Acid

Sodium Citrate

Gluconolactone

Silica

Calcium Gluconate

Sodium Gluconate

Sodium Benzoate

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Oryza Sativa Seed Protein, Oryza Sativa Extract, Allantoin, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hcl, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Laureth-4 Carboxylate, Polyquaternium-22, C12-13 Pareth-9, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Arginine, Coconut Acid, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Dicaprylyl Ether, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Propanediol, Maltodextrin, Phytic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Gluconolactone, Silica, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid, Parfum

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Benzoic Acid is an organic acid that shows up in cosmetics as a preservative. It helps keep a product from spoiling by holding back the growth of yeast, mold, and some bacteria.

This ingredient also functions as a fragrance ingredient that helps mask the unpleasant scent of other ingredients.

The way it works is worth understanding; benzoic acid works when the formula is acidic. It is able to sneak into a microbe's cell and mess up how it functions to stop it from growing in an acidic product.

However, the acid switches to an inactive form and stops working if a product isn't acidic enough (above ~5 pH). This is why you'll often see it in low pH products or teamed up with other preservatives to cover the gap.

Safety wise, it's one of the better studied preservatives out there.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%.

A large international review found this ingredient had no effects on the human body and had low irritation potential.

Just so you know, real world use is usually much lower than the 5% ceiling (usually 1% of less).

The EU caps it at 2.5% in rinse-off products, 1.7% in oral care, and 0.5% in leave-on products.

One thing worth mentioning (it's nothing to worry about): some people get a little stinging or flushing where they apply it. This isn't a true allergy; it's a temporary and harmless reaction. This is the same kind of mild tingle you might notice from sorbic acid.

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.

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.

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!

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