Versus

Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two Versus Paul Mitchell Original Awapuhi Shampoo

Shampoo
Shampoo
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe shampoos. They have a total of 15 ingredients in common

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens, fragrances, silicones and sulfates

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Shampoo Two

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Cleansing, Emulsifying, Foaming

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.

SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.

Learn more about Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

We don't have a description for Cocamide Mipa yet.

Masking

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride
Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract is from the Roman Chamomile flower. It helps soothe the skin and contains antioxidants.

Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl Pg-Propyl Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

Buffering, Masking

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

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 even out skin tone.

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.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid
Skin Conditioning

PEG-12 Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.

Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.

We don't have a description for Magnesium Chloride yet.

We don't have a description for Magnesium Nitrate yet.

MCI is a preservative and known skin-irritant. It has anti-bacteria anti-fungal properties.

Studies spanning several decades have shown this ingredient to cause skin irritation and allergies.

MCI is commonly combined with methylisothiazolinone (MI). Other names for this mixture include Kathon CG and Euxyl K 100.

The use of this ingredient varies around the world:

Learn more about Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative

MI 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). Trade names for this combination include Kathon CG or Euxyl K 100.

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 Methylisothiazolinone
Masking, Perfuming

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.

Learn more about Parfum
Antimicrobial, Perfuming, Solvent

Benzyl Benzoate is usually created from the condensation of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol. It is used as a preservative, solvent, and has a floral/balsamic scent in large amounts.

As a preservative, Benzyl Benzoate works against bacteria and fungus. It is often used to treat scabies and lice in medicine.

Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.

Due to its fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate can be sensitizing and may cause contact dermatitis. It is a known EU allergen. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

Benzyl Benzoate can be naturally found in cranberries and peaches.

Learn more about Benzyl Benzoate

When to use

3 Routines
33% use in am
67% use in pm
67% use every day
2 Routines
50% use in am
50% use in pm
50% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two 29 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating

Paul Mitchell Original Awapuhi Shampoo 25 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating