Kristin Ess Hair Strand Strengthening Reconstructive Moisture Mask Versus Kristin Ess Hair Peptide Restore Overnight Bond Revitalizing Dry Mask

Kristin Ess Hair Strand Strengthening Reconstructive Moisture Mask Versus Kristin Ess Hair Peptide Restore Overnight Bond Revitalizing Dry Mask

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Dimethicone

Behentrimonium Chloride

Parfum

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Dicetyldimonium Chloride

Lauryl Laurate

Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil

Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

Hypnea Musciformis Extract

Algin

Carrageenan

Coco-Glucoside

Hydrolyzed Keratin

Sargassum Filipendula Extract

Chitosan

Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract

Panthenol

Hydrolyzed Silk

Gelidiella Acerosa Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Isopropyl Alcohol

Cetrimonium Chloride

Amodimethicone

Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Polyquaternium-37

Potassium Sorbate

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Citric Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Propoxytetramethyl Piperidinyl Dimethicone

Cetrimonium Bromide

Trideceth-6

PPG-1 Trideceth-6

Xanthan Gum

C11-15 Pareth-7

Sorbitol

Acetic Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Acetate

Benzyl Alcohol

Trisodium EDTA

Methylchloroisothiazolinone

Ethylhexylglycerin

Methylisothiazolinone

Disodium EDTA

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Lauryl Laurate, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Algin, Carrageenan, Coco-Glucoside, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Chitosan, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Silk, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-37, Potassium Sorbate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Citric Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propoxytetramethyl Piperidinyl Dimethicone, Cetrimonium Bromide, Trideceth-6, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Xanthan Gum, C11-15 Pareth-7, Sorbitol, Acetic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Trisodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylisothiazolinone, Disodium EDTA

Dimethyl Ether

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract

Avena Sativa Peptide

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter

Salvia Hispanica Seed

Tetrasodium EDTA

Caprylic Acid

Xylitol

1,2-Hexanediol

Benzyl Laurate

Pentylene Glycol

Propanediol

Itaconic Acid

Arginine

Caprylyl Glycol

Polyglyceryl-10 Palmate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Citronellol

Geraniol

Water, Dimethyl Ether, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Avena Sativa Peptide, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Salvia Hispanica Seed, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylic Acid, Xylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Laurate, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Itaconic Acid, Arginine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Palmate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Citronellol, Geraniol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.

It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.

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.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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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