What is Silicone? Is it Good for Your Hair?

Have you ever checked the ingredients in your hair products? Do certain ingredients build up over time? There are a lot of great hair products available to help us achieve the perfect hair do but does the question of what’s gone inside the products, ever bothered you?. Have you ever kept a check on the ingredients that make up your products? To start with, Silicone is a very commonly used hair care ingredient.  Let’s take a closer look at how it works.

How do silicone work?

Silicone are actually one of the most effective ingredients in both hair and skin care products. Silicone work by covering hair with a thin hydrophobic (waterproof) coating. This coating serves several purposes:

·         It reduces the porosity of the hair, which makes it less likely to absorb humidity and that is why it's great for smoothing and straightening.

·         It reduces moisture loss from the inside of the hair which is great for the conditioning.

·         It lubricates the surface of the hair so it feels smoother and combs easier and that makes your hair feel slippery and less tangled.

Will silicon build up on your hair?
It really depends on the type of silicone. There are several different silicone used in hair care that exhibit different properties.

•    Dimethicone is sometimes referred to as a silicone oil. Dimethicone coats hair, providing great shine and conditioning to the hair. But, because it's so water insoluble, it can be difficult to remove.  Additionally, this heavy coating is more likely to attract dirt and pollutants from the air, making the hair feel weighed down.  Dimethicone is often found in serums and other leave-on products.

•   Dimethicone Copolyol is a water-soluble, lightweight silicone that provides very little buildup. It is often used in conditioning shampoos.

• Amodimethicone (or silicones that have "amo", "amine" or "amino" in their name) is a different kind of silicone that is chemically modified to stick to your hair better. That means it conditions well but it can also be more challenging to remove. Amodimethicone is commonly used in leave-in conditioners.

·            Cyclomethicone is one of the most commonly used silicone in hair care. It's a volatile silicone,  which means it evaporates and won't build up on your hair. It gives a silky, smooth feel and leaves the hair with incredible slip when wet and is found in both leave-on and rinse-off products.

How can I deal with build-ups?
Well, wash your hair! Any decent shampoo will wash away silicone. However, if you are a heavy user of products containing silicone (particularly those with dimethicone), you may have to lather, rinse and repeat the exercise. If you want the benefits of silicone without the weight, look for lightweight silicone  as mentioned above, like cyclomethicone and dimethicone copolyol. These ingredients won't build up but still give you some conditioning and shine benefits.

Bottom Line
Silicone are very effective conditioners, provide great shine and can help smooth and straighten hair. If you are concerned about build-ups and weigh down, be sure to look at the label to make sure you are using lightweight silicone.