Are Silicones Bad For Your Hair?

January

Are Silicones Bad For Your Hair?

Diane’s Undaunted By Silicones For Silkier Hair:
The question of silicone’s usefulness has long being a subject of intense debate, speculation and confusion in Long Hair Community. As a consequence, a lot of members in Long Hair Community are wary of using silicone-heavy products, such as Pantene conditioner. Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone and whatnot are allegedly harder to rinse out, therefore build-up occurs faster than a silicone-free hair regimen.

As for me, I love how cones smooth and soften my hair big time – while in shower. Sadly, the miraculous silkiness vanishes as soon as my hair dries. So I use unrefined coconut oil to successfully add shine, softness and protection for my hair.

My questions are these: Are cones really harder to rinse out? How do they work on hair? Do they dry hair out? And why does that wonderful silkiness disappear when my hair dries? How do carrier oils like coconut oil, sweet almond oil compare to silicones?

The Right Brain Comments on ‘Cones for Conditioning:
silcone hair Diane, you raise some very good questions. In general, silicones work by covering hair with a thin hydrophobic (water-proof) coating. This coating serves several purposes: it helps reduce the porosity of the hair which makes it less likely to absorb humidity; it helps reduce moisture loss from the inside of the hair; and it lubricates the surface of the hair so it feel smoother and combs easier.

The properties vary depending on which particular silicone is in the formula. Some silicones do leave a heavy coating on the hair that can be hard to wash off. Others are very water soluble and don’t buildup at all. Dimethicone, (sometimes called simethicone) for example, is the heaviest of all silicones used for hair care. It provides the most smoothing effect but it is also the hardest to wash out. Cyclomethicone on the other hand, gives great slippery feeling while you’re rinsing your hair, but it quickly evaporates leaving nothing behind. This is probably what you`re experiencing.

What about carrier oils, as you describe them? Some oils are effective conditioners. Take coconut oil, for example. While it doesn`t provide the same surface smoothing as silicones, it has been shown to penetrate hair and plasticize the cortex, making hair stronger. (This isn’t true of all natural oils however.) So oils are useful ingredients but they’re not direct replacements for silicones.

The Brains Bottom Line:
It`s tough to tell simply from reading the label because there are so many types of silicones and they can be used in combination with each other. You can’t simply say: all silicones are bad. Some women will find silicones too heavy for their hair, others will love the soft, conditioned feel they provide. You’ll have to experiment to find what’s right for you. Good luck!

17 Responses to “Are Silicones Bad For Your Hair?”

Jan Says:

There is a Long Hair Community?
Heart Says:

http://www.longhaircommunity.com/
thebeautybrains.com » Does Silicone Suffocate Hair Says:

[...] Right Brain’s Response: Questions about silicones being bad for your hair come up a lot. But you can just call us the cosmetic mythbusters, Carly, because silicones do not [...]
Karen Says:

Just wanted to let you know that this site is rad. Anyway, I have long, wavy hair that only started looking good after I abandoned silicone shampoos, conditioners and styling products. There’s an entire method for curly/wavy haired girls that’s talked about extensively on sites like naturallycurly.com.
thebeautybrains Says:

Thanks for the tip Karen.
s Says:

Karen- I visited this site and can not find what exactly is the method for curly haired girls. Where am I suppossed to be looking?
Karen Says:

Go to the CurlMunity tab and then go to CurlTalk. There’s a plethora of jargon (”plopping?” hello) but it’s not hard to weed through. I gotta warn you though – the first few weeks sans silicone my hair looked like an exploded bird’s nest. It wasn’t pretty. After that initial period of adjustment it got all better.
Stephanie Says:

The nut oils, like the candlenut oil used in Ojon products, are great for curly hair. Ojon has a big jar of this candlenut goo that you leave in for a while before washing.
Also: Aveda’s Be Curly used first while drying w/diffuser, then mixture of Aveda’s dehumectant pomade plus either Aveda control paste (?) or Molding Mud (forget who makes that) applied very lightly to almost-dried curls–they will stay soft (not crunchy) but retain their curl and shine.
thebeautybrains.com » Blog Archive » Silicones Can Strengthen Damaged Hair Says:

[...] people think that silicones are the worst thing you can put on your hair. But cosmetic chemists know that they can give shine and slickness leading [...]
MeeC Says:

I recently tried out a new brand called Bencoolen. I’ve been using their hair care products for over 2 months now and i feel very satisfied with how my hair feels and looks now. The shampoo is SLES and Silicone Free, and i would say i just love the scent of the conditioner. Lastly, these products contain virgin coconut oil too. I purchased them at http://www.bencoolen.com.my . I’ll try out their body wash next time. Let me know if anyone has tried any of their products.
Ali Says:

I was wondering why my hair was left feeling so good in the shower but oily, chunky and lifeless outside of it. I had adopted a ‘moisturizing’ shampoo & condition regimen because I thought my hair was dry (I confused dryness with damage). It just made everything worse – it looked like I was getting dreadlocks.

I FINALLY clarified my hair of all the crap using Neutrogena’s shampo that states it removes “90% residue”. It was super hair to brush through my hair so I used some conditioner with cone to help that out but only a tiny bit.

It’s like I have a new head of hair. It’s full of life again. It’s smooth without being oily. It’s what I remembered my hair used to be…

I’m now going to use cone free shampoos & conditioners. I learned my lesson. They may be ok but only in SMALL AMOUNTS. It’s not necessary to put cones in your hair every day! The build up is indeed nasty.
Crème Says:

@ Brains: What do you mean by the word plasticize?

“While it doesn`t provide the same surface smoothing as silicones, it has been shown to penetrate hair and plasticize the cortex, making hair stronger.”
aerinn Says:

@ creme: sometimes a word is best described by its opposite. plasticity is a term used to describe a material which is not brittle. plastic bending (in engineering terms) is when a material can bend and flex, but will not break, as opposed to a material which may splinter or crack when it undergoes bending. plasticity is thus a good thing for your hair – you’d be surprised how much even combing your hair can tug and break strands, and if they are brittle they will break. plasticity will allow you to use your hair bands, bobby pins, curlers, etc without breaking your hair.
hair product question - kittyradio.com Says:

[...] authoritiative voice, but mostly seems to do so through having the word ‘brains’ in its address: are silicones bad for your hair? soon followed by this: silicones can strengthen damaged hair So I’d say that site is hedging its [...]
How Do I Get Silicone Off My Hair? | The Beauty Brains Says:

[...] I’ve blogged about using silicones on hair before but I hope I haven’t give you the impression that everything you’ve heard about [...]
How Do I Get Silicone Off My Hair? | The Beauty Brains Says:

[...] I’ve blogged about using silicones on hair before but I hope I haven’t give you the impression that everything you’ve heard about [...]
How Do I Get Silicone Off My Hair? | Beauty Secrets Blog Says:

[...] I’ve blogged about using silicones on hair before but I hope I haven’t give you the impression that everything you’ve heard about them [...]