There is a lot of talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of including silicones in your hair care routine.
So what gives? Are they really THAT bad for you?
The truth is: not all silicones are created equal.
Let’s weigh in with the science and dispel some silicone myths while we’re at it.
Fresh hair on silicones
Well, you know how sand and quartz are all hard and gritty, right? Well, it turns out that a very clever scientist decided to extract a polymer called silicon from them.
And lo and behold… silicones were born!
Silicones are commonly added to hair care products (such as shampoos, conditioners, conditioners, hair serums, and masks) to improve the feel and softness of hair while reducing frizz and flyaways.
Does it sound too good to be true? It kind of is.
But before we get into that, let’s discuss the three MAIN types of silicone in hair care (side note – this is a very high level overview as there are hundreds of different ingredients that fall under the silicone name, and all have different functions and execution):
Non-Water Soluble Silicones: As the name suggests, these silicones don’t dissolve in water—which means that no matter how much you rinse, they can stubbornly coat your locks and leave your roots feeling greasy over time. These include dimethicone, cetyldimethicone, cetarylmethicone, dimethiconol, stearyldimethicone, cyclomethicone, amodimethicone, trimethylsilylaminomethicone and cyclopentasiloxane.
Water Soluble Silicones: This class of silicones breaks down on contact with water without the need for strong surfactants and will generally not cause build-up. These include dimethicone copolyol, stearoxy dimethicone and benoxy dimethicone.
Evaporating Silicones: Also called volatile silicones, these synthetics evaporate anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after application and are less likely to leave product residue behind. These include: cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane. Basically, anything that starts with “cyclo-” and ends with “-xane”.
The upside to silicones
Before we talk about whether silicone is bad for hair, let’s look at its benefits.
According to an article published in International Journal of Trichology, Silicones can:
- Acts as a conditioning agent to minimize friction, tangling and frizz while improving the shine, softness and manageability of your locks
- Protect your hair from harmful external elements such as pollution, humidity, friction and heat styling
- Help minimize moisture loss from the fibers
- Enhance the body of your tresses for a volume effect
So, if silicones give your mane an instant ‘shine’, what’s the catch?
The downside to silicones
Some silicones are notorious for creating product build-up on your scalp and hair (especially the non-water soluble ones). Polymers can be difficult to rinse out, leaving hair greasy at the roots and dry at the ends. Cheeky!
Although these polymers leave your mane looking shiny and sleek, this is an artificial shine caused by a layer of plastic that builds up on the strands.
Over time, silicones will also start to weigh your hair down, making it dull and limp and impossible to style – no thanks!
Likewise, because silicones can form a “membrane” around the hair follicle (where the hair emerges from the scalp), they can suffocate the hair and prevent any nutrients from penetrating the hair shaft.
Over time, our much loved tresses will become dry and lifeless due to lack of moisture which can lead to breakage, frizz and brittleness.
Plus, if you like to use hair care products to give your hair a little extra TLC, chances are they won’t work if your hair is coated in silicone.
The difference between salon-grade silicones and supermarket shampoos and conditioners
As we mentioned earlier, not all silicones are created equal. Even in the category of “non-water soluble” silicones we must consider the molecular weight of the silicone.
A higher molecular weight (ie a larger particle) is more likely to add weight to your hair. It offers great barrier protection to your skin (including your scalp) but also adds a thick/heavy protective layer over the hair shaft. It is also an inexpensive ingredient for manufacturers to purchase.
A lower molecular weight (smaller particle size) silicone is more likely to be lightweight and protect your hair shaft without adding much (if any) weight. These are the most expensive option.
So to recap:
- Higher molecular weight = cheaper
- Lower molecular weight = more expensive
As a very general rule, supermarket shampoos use the cheapest, heavier silicones that can build up over time.
Salon shampoos often use lighter, more expensive silicones. These can offer better performance and fewer of the side effects of cheaper, heavier silicones.
The thing is, you don’t know by looking at a label what weight of silicone has been used, which can make it difficult to decide if it will be completely beneficial for your strands.
Get soft, shiny hair without the ‘s’ word
While the jury is still out on silicones, we personally prefer to avoid them all together.
The bottom line is that cheap silicones create product build-up on your head. It is the proverbial breeding ground for hair growth issues such as excessive oiliness, dullness and scalp irritation.
Our Respect My Roots Natural Shampoo & Conditioner is proudly salon grade and silicone free. They’re just full of good stuff and glorious salon-worthy results!
Gentle cleansing formulas hydrate and smooth hair without stripping natural oils or making it too sticky (see, build-up!).
Imagine, gorgeously shiny and seriously silky tresses without the fear of future breakage and bad hair days. Dreamer.
How to successfully wean yourself off silicones
Switching to a gentle natural silicone and sulfate free shampoo and conditioner makes it *much* easier to avoid questionable ingredients and negative side effects.
Keep in mind that as you move away from silicone products (especially heavy weight, non-water soluble silicones), it may take a few washes to see amazing results. You’ve heard how silicone likes to roll around!
You need to wait until the silicone coating is washed off and give your hair time to receive nutrients and moisture and become naturally healthy again.
You may also notice a change in your hair’s natural oils. This is because traditional sulfate-based shampoo can be too stripping. However, it won’t take long for your hair to balance out and become shiny and healthy once you make the switch.
You’ll also likely find that you don’t need to wash your hair as often or use as many styling products.
To ease the transition to silicone-free shampoo and conditioner, remember less is more. Don’t try to overcompensate by using piles of products. This is especially true for our Woohoo Natural Shampoo and Conditioner, as their formulas are concentrated.
And even though natural shampoo doesn’t give you as much lather as regular shampoo, it’s still insanely effective at cleaning your hair.
So, if you want to avoid potential mane mishaps, choose silicone and sulfate-free hair products—your hair will thank you for it!
“Respect My Roots” natural shampoo and conditioner pack.
$55.90
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