Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner versus Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner .
Published on February 28, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe conditioners. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain AHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances, oils, silicones and sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Conditioner
Moisturizing agents for hair.
Conditioner
Moisturizing agents for hair.
Price
Ingredient Info
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner 36 ingredients
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner 27 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner 36 ingredients
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner 27 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner 36 ingredients
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner 27 ingredients
Water • Cetearyl Alcohol • Dimethicone • Panthenol • Panthenyl Ethyl Ether • Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine • Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Tocopherol • Alcohol • Behentrimonium Methosulfate • BHA • Citric Acid • Disodium EDTA • Disodium Phosphate • Glyceryl Stearate • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Olealkonium Chloride • Oleyl Alcohol • Peg-2m • Sodium Phosphate • Polyquaternium-47 • Polysorbate 60 • Silica • Tridecane • Undecane • Sodium Benzoate • Magnesium Chloride • Magnesium Nitrate • Methylchloroisothiazolinone • Methylisothiazolinone • Parfum • Benzyl Benzoate • Citral • Limonene • Linalool
Water • Cetearyl Alcohol • Isohexadecane • Isododecane • Behentrimonium Methosulfate • Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil • Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract • Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract • Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract • Ppg-5-Ceteth-20 • Citric Acid • Tetrasodium EDTA • Magnesium Nitrate • Bisamino Peg/Ppg-41/3 Aminoethyl Pg-Propyl Dimethicone • Peg-12 Dimethicone • Sodium Glycolate • Methylisothiazolinone • Methylchloroisothiazolinone • Magnesium Chloride • Sodium Hydroxide • Parfum • Limonene • Blue 1 Lake • Yellow 11
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterPaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 1.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholPaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 2.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 2.
This tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Tea Tree plant. Tea tree oil has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
According to the book Journal of Profiles of Drug Substances, tea tree helps in reducing acne-causing bacteria such as Propionibacterium acnes. This is due to the Terpinen components of tea tree oil.
Tea tree may cause sensitivity and irritation for some people. This oil naturally contains fragrance such as linalool and limonene.
However, research shows irritation usually occurs when using pure tea tree oil and not in cosmetic products.
Tea tree oil was found to help relieve the symptoms of psoriasis in one study.
Tea tree oil is toxic when ingested. Another study showed it to caused damage to the nervous system of dogs and cats when applied to their skin or given orally.
Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf OilPaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 7.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 6.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfatePaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 11.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 AcidPaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 13.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 14.
We don't have a description for Magnesium Chloride.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 28.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 22.
We don't have a description for Magnesium Nitrate.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 29.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 16.
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 MethylchloroisothiazolinonePaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 30.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 21.
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 MethylisothiazolinonePaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 31.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 20.
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 ParfumPaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 32.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 24.
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 LimonenePaul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 35.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner contains this as ingredient number 25.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner 36 ingredients
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner 27 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner 36 ingredients
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner 27 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 30 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Conditioner.
See 30 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner.
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