"The Secret Behind Silicones"

"The Secret Behind Silicones"

The truth is, silicones are not completely bad. There are many products out there which advertise silicone free and many places you may read on the internet which highly discourage silicones in natural hair but are all silicones bad? No, they aren’t. The important thing is to understand what the ingredients in the product does or does not do. There are two types of silicones which are found in natural hair products: water-soluble and non-water-soluble.

Water-Soluble:

These are silicones which are able to interact and mix with water. These silicones are easily rinsed out of your hair just by adding water and maybe a little shampoo, a non-sulfate one of course. These silicones do not coat your hair and do not cause buildup but rather, penetrate through your hair shaft.   

Non-water soluble:

These silicones are not able to interact with water, hence the name non-water soluble (cannot be dissolved in water). These silicones coat your hair, causing buildup and even though you may wash your hair, the non-water soluble silicone does not like water and acts as a barrier on your hair. Think of oil and water, they don’t mix; it is the same with non-water soluble silicones and water, even with a shampoo, unless it is containing sulfate.

This is where we run into a problem with silicones. If my hair products contain non-water soluble silicones and I do not use sulfate shampoos, how am I getting this product out my hair, I’m not. The silicone continuously coats my hair and although adding shine, adding smoothness and decreasing frizz, the product is just layering up on my hair shaft, therefore not allowing any other products to penetrate. When you continuously use a product with non-water soluble silicones, you will generate a lot of build-up of the silicone which is acting as a not so friendly barrier. So that conditioner your using with a non-water soluble silicone is creating a shield on your hair shaft which blocks that damaged repair curling cream and great Shea butter leave-in to truly penetrate through the hair shaft and provide nutrients to your hair.

So why does my hair look and feel better then?

Because silicones add a temporary fix. They provide short term results but do not really contribute to the long term health of your hair. So your hair may feel soft and look smooth but what does it look like inside the hair shaft? Some silicones cause buildup quickly and some cause buildup when used for extended periods of time; both creating a barrier on your hair. So essentially, over time, all you are doing is adding all those products to the top layer of your hair but starving the inside of your hair shaft.

Before doing my research, I fell victim to using a product with non-water soluble silicones. After almost two months, I didn’t see genuine change in my curly hair. Your hair should be healthy from the inside out and that was not the case with me. I used a product with a common non-water soluble silicone name Dimethicone. I essentially wasting two months of my hair journey slapping product on top of my hair and not allowing the good damage repair and moisture adding products to get in and stay in.

I had to use a very harsh sulfate containing shampoo to start over. These shampoos strip your hair of everything and I mean everything! By starting out on a new slate, I was able to use products which only truly benefited my hair health and did not just add a temporary fix or look. I encourage you all to research the products you use and understand what the ingredients do. I have been natural for 11 months but for 9 months I have been using completely sulfate, silicones, paraben and mineral oil free products (mineral oil does the same thing non-water soluble silicone does—coats your hair). I have seen the difference it makes to feed your hair from the inside. I can go longer through my wash-n-go’s (6-7days), I can wear my hair with minimal product some days and I can forget to wear a satin bonnet at night (not recommended) and not have to seriously pay for it the next morning; this is all because the health of my hair naturally. I am not saying this will happen to everyone exactly the same or in the same amount of time but I know that if you put good in, good will come out!!

I highly suggest you to stay away from non-water soluble silicone containing products because all you are doing is making your hair look and feel good and while you may see some change, imagine the amount of progress and change you will see if you allow the great product to fully penetrate your hair. If you really like the product and what it does for your hair but it contains silicone, here are a few tips:

• Try to use water soluble silicones because they also add slip, create shine and smoothness and decrease frizz and can be washed out easily
• If your using a product with a non-water soluble silicone, clarify your hair once a week to get that buildup off
• You can use a high end clarifying shampoo, baking soda and ACV or a cheap sulfate containing shampoo such as Suave Daily Clarifying
• If you must clarify, remember to put ALOT of moisture back into your hair 

Water Soluble silicones commonly found in hair products include:

• Stearoxy Dimethicone
• Behenoxy Dimethicone

Non-Water soluble silicones which cause buildup over an extended period of time include: 

• Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
• Amodimethicone
• Cyclopentasiloxane
• Cyclomethicone

Non-Water soluble silicones which cause buildup quickly include:

• Dimethicone
• Cetyl Dimethicone
• Cetearyl Methicone
• Dimethiconol
• Stearyl Dimethicone 

As always, comment, subscribe, and share! 

~xoxo Ash

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