What you may or may not know about Silicones...

What you may or may not know about Silicones...

Within the Natural hair community there is a saying "Watch out for Cones". "You don't want to get products with Cones in them". Well heres why.... 

Silicone does make your hair look smooth and frizz free.. But is less frizz really worth it in the end. Silicone actually smothers the hair. It seals off the hair and coats it so nothing gets in. Meaning none of the products you use will actually penetrate the hair.

I know now your asking well how do I get this mess out of my hair.. Well you would have to use a clarifying agent to cleanse your hair to get it out.. Like a sulfate Shampoo, baking soda mixed with water or even the ever trusting  Apple Cider Vinegar.. 

If you are a natural curly girl products containing Silicones are not for you or your hair.  Unlike straight hair, our hair cannot handle silicone at all. It'll look good the first two days, maybe, if you're lucky. By the fourth or fifth day though, it'll be flat and dull and weighed down and frizzy. Silicone weighs down hair and the effect is a lot more noticeable on curly hair.

How can you tell if the product has Silicones or not.. Just look at the ingredients sometimes it is spelled out for you and other times it is hidden.. Any ingredient that ends in CONE, CONOL, COL, XANE is Silicone. 

Types of Silicones:

Silicones that are not soluble in water, will consistently build up on the hair and will require a surfactant-based shampoo or a clarifying agent to remove include:

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

 Silicones that are not soluble in water, but whose chemical properties allow it to repel further deposit, helping to prevent buildup (although they will still lock moisture out of the hair and require a surfactant to remove):

• Amodimethicone
• Cyclomethicone/Cyclopentasiloxane
• Trimethylsilylamodimethicone

 Silicones that are slightly soluble in water, but can possibly build up on some types of curly hair over time, include:

• Behenoxy Dimethicone
• Stearoxy Dimethicone

 Silicones that are soluble in water and can generally be considered safe to use (in addition to those listed with "PEG"  or "PPG" in front of them) include:

• Dimethicone Copolyol
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane
• Lauryl Methicone Copolyol

  

UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!!