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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo versus K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo .

Published on September 15, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe shampoos. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens and fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Shampoo American Brand United States
Shampoo American Brand United States

Shampoo

Detergent or soap for cleansing the hair.

Shampoo

Detergent or soap for cleansing the hair.

Price

Shop

Buy Medium Hair Shampoo

Starts at $36.50
Shop

Buy PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Reduces Irritation
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Exfoliators
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 1.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Cleansing, Foaming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a cleansing agent made from a mixture of long chain sulfonate salts. It can also help produce foam.

This ingredient may be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 2.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, 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.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. 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. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

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 Parfum

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 7.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 16.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 10.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 8.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 12.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 7.

6
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 29.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 13.

7
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 31.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 15.

8
What it does: Perfuming, UV Absorber
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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 Salicylate

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 37.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 17.

9
What it does: Perfuming, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Limonene 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 Limonene

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 38.

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo contains this as ingredient number 18.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

15% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
53% are disliked or very disliked
28% have no rating yet
39% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
39% are disliked or very disliked
11% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Ouai Medium Hair Shampoo 40 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 review

K18 Hair PEPTIDE PREP™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo 18 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 2 reviews
starstellastar_407's Avatar'
Apr 15, 2024

There are some clear pros and cons here.

Pros
•good for oily scalp.
•gets rid off excess sebum
•doesn't clog pores

Cons
•bottle is made out of very hard plastic that makes squeezing out product super hard.
•dries the...

There are some clear pros and cons here.

Pros
•good for oily scalp.
•gets rid off excess sebum
•doesn't clog pores

Cons
•bottle is made out of very hard plastic that makes squeezing out product super hard.
•dries the ends
•mega expensive, especially for 250ml
•getting the product spread through the scalp is very tough without using a lot of it. Using a different shampoo first is necessary for me

Cleansing
Straight Hair

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