What you should know about silicones in hair care products

Silicones are a very commonly used hair care ingredient. Silicones in hair care products have received both negative and positive propaganda. The truth is that there are many different silicones and not all of them are alike. Whether you decide to use hair products with silicones or decide to avoid silicones you should gain some basic knowledge about them. If you want to know if the hair care products you are using contain silicone read the label. Products that have "cone" as an extension are silicones (for example cyclomethicone).

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How do silicones work? 

In general silicones work by covering hair with a thin hydrophobic coating (waterproof coating). It reduces the porosity of the hair making it less likely to absorb humidity. This coating also reduces the loss of moisture from the inside of the hair. Additionally it lubricates the hair so that it tangles less and feels smooth and slippery. Therefore it is great as a conditioning and straightening agent and reduces hair tangling. Silicones do not actually benefit the hair in any way, they only temporary coat the hair giving it a nicer and healthier appearance. 

Types of silicones

There are two types of silicones: water soluble and non-soluble silicones. Water soluble silicones are ones that can be rinsed or washed away with water. Non-soluble silicones require sulfates (such as SLS - sodium lauryl sulfate) in order to remove the silicone coating from the hair. Dimethicone copolyol and lauryl methicone copolyol are examples of water soluble silicones. Dimethicone, cetearyl methicone, and amodimethicon are examples of non water soluble silicones. 

Issues with silicones

Both type of silicones (water-soluble and non-soluble) coat the hair preventing not only moisture, but also proteins and other products from penetrating hair. Silicones also buildup in your hair and need to be washed out or will eventually cause hair breakage. If you are a heavy user of products containing silicone you might often need to lather and rinse more than once when washing your hair to remove the silicone buildup. 

If you do decide that the benefits of using hair care products with silicone outweigh any negatives then you should keep in mind that lightweight silicones are better then heavyweight ones. Therefore when buying new hair care products search for ones with cyclomethicone or dimethicone copolyol instead of a heavyweight silicone such as dimethicone.