They have quite a bad name in the hair world: silicones. Especially within the Curly Girl method, silicones are a controversial ingredient that is often avoided because of the talk of build up. But is that right? And what is true and what is not when it comes to silicones? We will give you an answer to the question once and for all: are silicones bad for your hair or not?
What exactly does silicone do?
Let’s keep it simple: silicone forms a layer around the hair, just like other conditioning ingredients do, but better . And that’s definitely not a bad thing! It’s not a suffocating layer, but a layer that protects the hair from damage. It also ensures that damaged hair is temporarily repaired. With damaged hair, the hair cuticles are raised (making the hair feel stiff and dry) and silicone pushes the hair cuticles back down. This makes the hair feel wonderfully smooth again and easy to comb.
Build up
When talking about silicones in hair care, you often hear the term build up. Build up is a build-up of hair product residues , which forms a layer around your hair and is difficult to wash out, causing the layer to become thicker and thicker. The hair then becomes limp, lifeless and can feel sticky. In addition, hair products will also work less well and if you have curls, build up ensures that they have less definition. In short; you don't want that.
Different types of silicone
Silicones are often seen as the main cause of build up. That is not true. Whether silicones cause build up depends on the type of silicone. First of all, there are volatile silicones; these evaporate quite quickly after application. However, non-volatile silicones remain on the hair for a long time and can therefore cause build up.
Silicones: bad for your hair or not?
Whether silicones cause build up and are bad for your hair depends on the type of silicone. This is also the case with other conditioning ingredients: some cause build up, but others do not. Our products with silicones contain only volatile silicones: these disappear quickly from the hair and do not cause build up.
Silicones vs. Other Conditioning Ingredients
But why did we choose to use volatile (and therefore not harmful) silicones in some products instead of another conditioning ingredient? The answer is simple: the volatile silicones are better at what they do. Not only do your hair feel more pleasant (they spread more easily and do not leave a greasy feeling, but do leave a beautiful shine), they are also much better at protecting your hair. Healthy, shiny and strong hair guaranteed!
