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Silicones in Haircare

There are so many types of silicones in hair products. Some are water soluble and some are not, but I recommend staying away from all of them.

Common names for silicones (or for want of a better word ‘silly-cones’) are Cyclomethicone, Cyclomethicone/Cyclopentasilicone, Dimethicone, Dimethicone copolyol, Dimethiconol, Methicone, Amodimethicone, Polydimethylsiloxane, Phenyl trimethicone, Propylene Glycol, …… and the list goes on. So if you see anything that sounds like silly-cone or Poly or Propylene, then you’re looking at these ingredients. Avoid them if you can. If you are not sure, you can always do a little research to see what that ingredient is.

Silicone is almost like rubber and/or plastic. It is used as a sealant against water and even air. It is not a natural ingredient and its side effects are bad for our hair. It gives the hair the illusion of shine, but it is not the shine we want – it is a fake shine from the plastic. The shine we want is when the cuticle layer is sealed and light reflects off the hair. This only happens when the hair is properly hydrated and kept as healthy as possible.

The downside to silicone puts us in somewhat of a pickle. Silicone will weigh the hair down, making it limp, lifeless and with time, very dull. Because you have added another layer (barrier) to your hair strands, it prevents moisture, natural oils/nutrients that your body creates from penetrating the hair shaft and becomes like a magnet for dirt and other ingredients. So in essence, we get a good shine for a day or 2, but over time it will attract more build-up on the hair. In time it will dry the hair out because it won’t allow in the conditioner and it ends up sitting on the surface. Due to the lack of moisture, over time this can cause the hair to weaken, become very brittle, lead to frizz and breakage.

Hair care companies and chemists like to look for materials that can help improve not only the immediate look and feel of hair, but also help improve it in time. Silicones have been one of those ingredients. By nature, many silicones are very hydrophobic, meaning they do not wash out easily, leaving hair feeling heavy and greasy at the end of the day. I find that when hair feels greasy, consumers will wash and style their hair more than is necessary and rarely will they look to the product for the cause. I continually have clients tell me their hair (scalp) is greasy and they say this in a way that they feel powerless to do anything about it; like it’s just them and they are grease producing beings. Often I see a lot of flaky scalps too and this is often the effects of over use of certain ingredients and a reaction to them, rather than an internal reaction manifesting outwardly. When silicones are no longer present, it allows our scalp and glands to operate more effectively.

Because silicone adds another layer to one’s hair, it can feel abnormal, dry or even limp when we start using products that properly wash/strip/clarify the hair free of silicones. So the problem is, you over condition or use another product with silicone, to bring back lustre and shine you’ve grown to love and need. We then mistake what it is to have truly clean hair. Clean hair should feel somewhat dry when first washed, but with the right drying methods and care and regular massage of the scalp during the shampooing stage, your hair should in time adjust to its new state and you will use less products overall. Your own sebaceous oil that acts as a natural barrier to skin and hair will help to lessen the effects of environmental harm.

Hair that is free of silicone will style better, hold better and look better for longer; especially if you are wanting curls, formed waves or loose beach waves. The best choice is to find a product free of these silicones and something that doesn’t build up on the hair and scalp. There are now more and more products that have no silicone at all and many now advertise the fact.

This information does not take into consideration the health state of individuals, age or medication that one may take. It is important to be aware that hormones and the whole endocrine system, skin health and various diseases play a vital role in what the skin secretes both actively and passively.

This information is for general use only.