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Even so, use a clarifying shampoo about once a week to keep away product buildup. Silicones don’t directly cause damage to your hair or scalp. But while they give your hair a waterproof coating that adds shine, reduces frizz, and protects it from heat damage, product build-up on your hair eventually causes more dryness and can lead to breakage. Aside from parabens and sulfates, silicones are perhaps the next most controversial ingredients in haircare products.
Is Dimethicone Bad for Your Hair?
Shampoo with sulfate works well with non-soluble silicone products. Keep in mind that sulfate is a surfactant that effectively removes the lingering residue and prevents buildup. Kinky-Curl's curling custard is a great product if you're looking for shiny, defined curls without the use of silicones. Made with all-natural ingredients such as agave nectar, chamomile, and organic aloe vera juice, this formula promises to nourish and moisturize while smoothing your ringlets. Silicones are substances that are synthetically created and are largely used to retain moisture, explains hair expert and colorist Lauren Paglionico, founder of LRN Beauty in New York City. They’re used in many beauty products, most often in hair care as well as makeup, she says.
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While silicones are often used to promote shiny hair, Rëzo warns that they can cause more harm than good if they build up on the hair follicle and damage natural curl patterns. When formulated well, however, they deliver shine, lubrication, glide, slip, conditioning, and detangling benefits, notes Trey Gillen, hairstylist and creative director of haircare at SACHAJUAN. While silicones get put on blast for locking out moisture and nutrients from the hair cuticle, that's only a bad thing if you're using products meant to penetrate the hair cuticle after applying a product with silicone in it.
How do I avoid silicone damage to my hair?
However, Nubia Rëzo, a master hairstylist and the founder of Rëzo Hair Care, cautions that while sulfates effectively remove oil and dirt, they can also dry out the hair. There's a lot of fuss surrounding the sulfates and silicones in our hair care products. Many well-known formulas on the market have contained both of these common chemicals for decades. The million-dollar question, however, is whether sulfates and silicones are truly the villains they are portrayed to be. No matter which silicone product you use, make sure you do a thorough job of removing its residue afterward. For the co-washing crowd, that means you’ll have to use a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo every now and then to effectively remove all traces of silicones from your mane.
A common problem with silicone usage is that it may cause hair to weaken over time, making it more susceptible to breakage and dryness. Remember that silicones act as a water-resistant barrier around your fibers. As much as the polymer keeps moisture in, it can also act as a stop sign for hydrating products. This prevents your hair shafts from absorbing what they need to look healthy. All in all, we get why you’re tempted to reach for the silicone hair products on your vanity — they bestow an instant “glow-up” on your locks.
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They’re a very powerful ingredient in many hair care products. You may also want to try a shampoo or conditioner that contains dimethicone, a type of silicone. Dimethicone coats your hair like silicone but doesn’t add as much shine. It’s a great option if you’re worried about your hair looking too shiny or greasy. While they don't leave a long-lasting residue as non-soluble ones, evaporating silicones only provide temporary effects of smoothing and shine which go away quickly as well.
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Heavy silicones may also weigh down your curls, elongating them. Your hair sits along a spectrum of textures from pin straight to coils. Hair types in the middle tend to tolerate regular use of silicones, even heavy ones.
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"Dove Nutritive Solutions Clarify and Hydrate Shampoo helps to deeply cleanse to help eliminate product build-up without leaving the hair feeling dry or stripped," she tells Allure. "It is charcoal-infused, which helps to gently but effectively remove build-up." There are three types of silicones used in hair products — water-soluble, non-soluble, and evaporating (sometimes referred to as volatile) — and they're all added for a similar purpose. Taking care of your mane with or without silicone since different hair types have their own specific needs. If you feel that the hair products that you have been using make your mane feel weighed down, then use a clarifying shampoo since it is possible that the silicones present are leaving their residue.
Why are they in hair products?
But don’t mistake silicone for an occlusive (a substance that forms a waterproof barrier). Water-soluble silicone dissolves in water and washes off easily, so product buildup in hair is much less compared to non-soluble silicones. While it's perfectly fine for you to choose to not use silicones in your hair care products, there's no need to unequivocally fear them. Here are some of Brad's favorite products that contain water-soluble, healthy silicones to give your hair a beautiful shine. While silicones are safe for human use, they don't necessarily add benefit to your overall health. They exist to provide aesthetic improvements in the short run but cause buildup and overwashing in the long term due to their occlusive nature.
They also don't have good moisturizing properties, meaning you may have to use other products to ensure optimal hydration to the hair. People with hair on either end of the texture spectrum — super thin and fine or super coarse and kinky — may want to proceed with more caution. Garshick also adds that, regardless of the type of silicone or hair texture, it can be helpful to use silicone-free products a few times per week if you are noticing build-up or feel like it's weighing your hair down. Thomas concurs, adding that when overused, silicones do more than weigh down your hair. Spinnato adds that since silicones are designed to keep environmental aggressors out of the hair shaft, it means they also lock in some not-so-great substances, like oil, dirt, and dead skin cells.
With long-term usage, non-soluble silicone-based products can build on your hair. This guide will explore the benefits and downsides of silicone-based hair products and how to incorporate them into your hair care routine. “Although not all silicones are biodegradable, they do not break down into microplastics,” Mondo says.
Despite the negative press, they have some positive effects if you know how to use them for maximum benefit. "Silicones are hydrophobic, which means they repel water," Spinnato says (via Allure). If you’re on the lookout for products that can level up the shine, smoothness, and softness of your tresses, silicones could be a go-to option. If you use silicone-based (specifically non-soluble) products, you might need to use sulfates, which can strip the color faster. The bottom line is that while silicone can provide an initial glossy effect, it can end up doing more harm than good if overused.
Brad Mondo explains you don't need to reflexively fear the ingredient. There are valid reasons to choose to stop using silicones, many outlined here, but much of the confusion around silicones arises when they are conflated with "dangerous toxins and chemicals"—silicones just don't reach that bar. The answer is, like many areas of beauty, it's complicated. But there are some key points we can boil down to make it a little more digestible. Lauren Sharkey is a journalist and author specializing in women’s issues. When she isn’t trying to discover a way to banish migraine attacks, she can be found uncovering the answers to your lurking health questions.
She has also written a book profiling young female activists across the globe and is currently building a community of such resisters. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The good ones are those that are water-soluble meaning that they can be washed off. Now, remember that I have mentioned that silicone can weigh your hair down? Well, these are the bad ones, or the non-water-soluble ones like dimethicone, cetearyl methicone, and amodimethicone just to name a few. They cannot be easily rinsed off no matter how hard you try.
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