Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo: A Deep Dive into Ingredients and Benefits

Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo is a protein-enriched gentle shampoo suitable for frequent washes, designed for all curls and texture types, and also suitable for straight hair. It is vegan, cruelty-free, boasts clean ingredients and is curly girl friendly (no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols). This article provides an in-depth look into the shampoo's ingredients and benefits, offering clarity and understanding for a wide range of consumers, from those just starting their hair care journey to seasoned professionals.

Key Benefits

This shampoo offers several key benefits:

• Gentle Cleansing: It effectively removes dirt and product buildup without stripping the hair of its natural moisture.
• Protein-Enriched Formula: With proteins at a low dosage, it can be used frequently without the risk of protein overload.
• Strengthening and Protective: Balancing protein-rich and moisturizing products in your routine is key to strengthening and protecting the hair against damage. The more damaged and porous your hair is, the more protein-rich products you should use.
• Safe for Color-Treated Hair: The formula is gentle enough for use on color-treated hair.
• Suitable for Frequent Washes: Designed for regular use without causing damage or dryness.

Key Ingredients

The shampoo features a blend of carefully selected ingredients, each contributing to its overall effectiveness.

Cleansers

• Water (Aqua): The most common cosmetic ingredient, serving as the primary solvent. The water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized, meaning that almost all of the mineral ions inside it are removed. Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all.
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine: A fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups. This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy. Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin. A mild and non-drying cleanser that gives skin a nice and soft after-feel. It also has great foaming properties, comes from coconuts and it's biodegradable. Super common ingredient in all kinds of cleansing products: face and body washes, shampoos and foam baths. Number one reason for its popularity has to do with bubbles. Everyone loves bubbles. And cocamidopropyl betaine is great at stabilizing them. The other reason is that it’s mild and works very well combined with other cleansing agents and surfactants.
• Decyl Glucoside: A glucose-based surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants. Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away. As an emulsion stabilizer, it stabilizes the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating. This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos. A vegetable origin (coconut or palm kernel oil and glucose) cleansing agent with great foaming abilities.

Moisturizers and Hydrators

• Glycerin: 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.
• Propanediol: A natural alternative for the often used and often bad-mouthed propylene glycol. Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent. It is a conditioning ingredient, meaning it helps soften skin and hair.

Extracts and Proteins

• Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract: Comes from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.
• Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Extract: Comes from pumpkin seeds. It is rich in vitamin E and plenty of fatty acids such as linoleic acids. Pumpkin seeds also contain fruit enzymes that act as an AHA. AHAs help exfoliate your skin, clean out pores, and increase cell turnover. Fun fact: This ingredient comes from the field pumpkin, including winter squash and the traditional orange pumpkin we see in Autumn.
• Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit Extract: Is from the black currant fruit. Black currant berries contain Vitamin E and fatty acids. It can help soften the skin.
• Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract: You might know this ingredient as Kale. Besides being a superfood, kale has many benefits in skincare. Kale is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. These unstable molecules may damage your skin cells. By helping to stabilize them, antioxidants may help with anti-aging. Beta-carotene and vitamin C are two types of antioxidants found in kale. Kale leaf extract also helps hydrate the skin as a humectant. Kale is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that help soothe and hydrate skin. Studies show Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract is effective at calming inflammation and treating inflammatory skin diseases. Besides Vitamin C, Kale is also rich in vitamin A and vitamin K.
• Hydrolyzed Rice Protein: Protein extracted from rice. Hemp Seed & Rice Protein complex, completely plant-based alternative to animal keratin that helps the hair look stronger and more elastic.

Other Functional Ingredients

• PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate: PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate isn't fungal acne safe.
• Polyquaternium-10: A cellulose derived polymer (a big molecule that consists of many parts) that can help to thicken up products, form a nice film on the skin or hair and is considered to be an excellent hair conditioner. Polyquaternium-10 is an ammonium salt of hydroxyethylcellulose. It is a white and granular powder used as a film-former and anti-static agent. This ingredient is commonly found in hair conditioning products. According to a manufacturer, its positive charge makes it great for absorbing hair proteins.
• Citric Acid: An AHA that comes from citrus fruits. 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. But according to a comparative study done in 1995, citric acid has less skin improving magic properties than glycolic or lactic acid.
• Tartaric Acid: Tartaric acid is an AHA with exfoliating and antioxidant properties. It is found in many fruits, such as tamarind, grapes, bananas, and avocados.
• Potassium Sorbate: It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. It’s not a strong one and doesn’t really work against bacteria, but more against mold and yeast. To do that it has to break down to its active form, sorbic acid. For that to happen, there has to be water in the product and the right pH value (pH 3-4). But even if everything is right, it’s not enough on its own. If you see potassium sorbate you should see some other preservative next to it too. BTW, it’s also a food preservative and even has an E number, E202. Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products. This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus. Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more. You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
• Sodium Benzoate: A helper ingredient that helps to make the products stay nice longer, aka preservative. It’s pH dependent and works best at acidic pH levels (3-5). Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically. Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase. It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
• Phenoxyethanol: Pretty much the current IT-preservative. It’s not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic. Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10). It’s often used together with ethylhexylglycerin as it nicely improves the preservative activity of phenoxyethanol. 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.
• Benzyl Alcohol: It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. No matter the origin, in small amounts (up to 1%) it’s a nice, gentle preservative. Has to be combined with some other nice preservatives, like potassium sorbate to be broad spectrum enough. In high amounts, it can be a skin irritant, but don’t worry, it’s never used in high amounts. Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots. Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
• Limonene: A super common fragrance ingredient. It's in many plants, e.g. rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and it's the main component (about 50-90%) of the peel oil of citrus fruits. It does smell nice but the problem is that it oxidizes on air exposure and the resulting stuff is not good for the skin. Oxidized limonene can cause allergic contact dermatitis and counts as a frequent skin sensitizer. Limonene's nr1 function is definitely being a fragrance component, but there are several studies showing that it's also a penetration enhancer, mainly for oil-loving components. All in all, limonene has some pros and cons, but - especially if your skin is sensitive - the cons probably outweigh the pros. 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. 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.
• Linalool: A super common fragrance ingredient that can be found among others in lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot or jasmine. The downside of it is that it oxidises on air exposure and might become allergenic. Linalool 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. That’s why a product containing linalool that has been opened for several months is more likely to be allergenic than a fresh one.
• Parfum (Fragrance): The generic term for nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know what’s really in it. Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend. It’s the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. 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. Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin.

Ingredients to note

• "Fragrance" or "Parfum": 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 by INCI standards. One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'. 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.
• Astringent Alcohols: Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol. Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin. According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients. Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.

Additional Information on Key Ingredients

• Cocamidopropyl Betaine: While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
• Decyl Glucoside: Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.
• Sodium Benzoate: Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps. We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
• Limonene: When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
• Linalool: The problem with linalool is, that just like limonene it oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic.

How to Use

Apply generously to wet hair. Massage vigorously into your scalp to break down dirt and product buildup.

Read also: Benefits of Innersense Shampoo

Read also: Natural Haircare with Mermaid Dry Shampoo

Read also: Is Bio-Groom Shampoo Safe?

tags: #Curlsmith #Core #Strength #Shampoo #ingredients #and

---

---