Larry King Haircare A Social Life for Your Hair Finishing Cream Versus Dyson Chitosan Pre-Style Cream
What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientLanolin
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Myristyl Myristate
EmollientSqualane
EmollientDistearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Tapioca Starch
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientCreatine
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingHydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonene
PerfumingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativePolymethylsilsesquioxane
Linalool
PerfumingBenzoic Acid
MaskingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingWater, Cetyl Alcohol, Lanolin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Myristyl Myristate, Squalane, Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Tapioca Starch, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Creatine, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Linalool, Benzoic Acid, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantChitosan
Jojoba Esters
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Castor Oil
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientC12-14 Sec-Pareth-5
EmulsifyingC12-14 Sec-Pareth-9
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-37
Lactic Acid
BufferingBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeAcrylates Copolymer
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventDisodium EDTA
Benzoic Acid
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, C13-15 Alkane, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Chitosan, Jojoba Esters, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone, C12-14 Sec-Pareth-5, C12-14 Sec-Pareth-9, Polyquaternium-37, Lactic Acid, Behentrimonium Chloride, Acrylates Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Parfum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Decylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Isopropyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.
The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.
Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).
Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Argania Spinosa Kernel OilBenzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl 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 AlcoholCitral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
The term '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.
Learn more about CitralDehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Dehydroacetic Acid is not soluble in water.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneParfum 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 âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ 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 ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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