John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Curl Defining Conditioner Versus It’s a 10 Silk Express Miracle Silk Daily Conditioner
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeBis-Hydroxy/Methoxy Amodimethicone
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientParfum
MaskingTrimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-37
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientTetrasodium EDTA
Tocopherol
AntioxidantMethylchloroisothiazolinone
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativeBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Bis-Hydroxy/Methoxy Amodimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-37, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeParfum
MaskingMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantMorus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningElaeis Guineensis Oil
EmollientDimethiconol
EmollientHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingRubus Idaeus Seed Oil
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingButyl Phenylacetate
PerfumingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingMethylchloroisothiazolinone
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Methyl Gluceth-20, Hydrolyzed Silk, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Dimethiconol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Citral, Butyl Phenylacetate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
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 Salicylate is a solvent and fragrance additive. It is an ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. This ingredient can be naturally found in some plants and plant extracts.
In fragrances, Benzyl Salicylate may be a solvent or a fragrance component. In synthetic musk scents, it is used as a solvent. For floral fragrances such as lilac and jasmine, it is used as a fragrance component. The natural scent of Benzyl Salicylate is described as "lightly-sweet, slightly balsamic".
While Benzyl Salicylate has been associated with contact dermatitis and allergies, emerging studies show it may not be caused by this ingredient alone.
However, this ingredient is often used with fragrances and other components that may cause allergies. It is still listed as a known allergen in the EU. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Another study from 2021 shows Benzyl Salicylate may have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Benzyl SalicylateCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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.
Learn more about GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolMethylchloroisothiazolinone, or MCI, is a synthetic preservative used to protect against the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in water-based products.
MCI is commonly combined with methylisothiazolinone (MI) in a 3:1 ratio.
This ingredient is safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-sensitizing and concentrations must not exceed 7.5 ppm in leave-on products / 15 ppm in rinse-off products.
Unfortunately, this ingredient has a well-documented sensitization story. Studies spanning several decades have shown this ingredient + MI to cause skin irritation and allergies.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
This just means this ingredient is most likely non-sensitizing in rinse-off products unless you've been diagnosed with a contact allergy to isothiazolinones.
Learn more about MethylchloroisothiazolinoneMI is a preservative and known skin irritant. In the past, MI was used for its ability to prevent bacteria, yeast, and fungi growth in low doses.
Nowadays, you'll most likely see MI combined with Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI).
Since then, numerous studies have shown this ingredient to cause contact dermatitis, or skin irritation.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
Learn more about MethylisothiazolinoneParfum 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.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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!
Learn more about Water