Let’s Start With The Basics
What is silicone and what does it do you might ask? Without getting too sciency, Silicone is almost like a rubber or plastic, it is essentially acting as a sealant against both water and air and prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft. In general, silicones are incredibly hydrophobic, meaning they essentially “waterproof” the hair and do not wash out easily. Ever had a blow-dry at a salon or blow dried it yourself and noticed your hair become noticeably smokey, this is effectively the silicones heating up, and burning off the hair – EEK! Basically, silicones act as FaceTune for damaged, dry, or blah hair.
But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Though silicones are harmless, they do tend to build up on your hair, which can eventually leave your hair weighed down, limp, greasy looking and undefined, and impossible to style – something none of us want!
Silicone is used widely in high street haircare products to give a slippery, silky, frizz-free finish to hair, which is ideal for certain hair types. But if you’re curly and happy about it, silicone won’t suit you, as it weighs down waves, curls and coils to make them look neither one thing nor another. If your hair is fine, or straight and you want your bouncy blow dry to last… then silicone should be avoided.
Silicones are mainly added to hair products because they are cheap for companies to use, so your Shampoo and Conditioner are cheaper to buy. Silicones also make the hair feel TEMPORARILY (can’t stress this enough) great as well. Though these plasticy-polymers leave your mane looking shiny and sleek – this is an artificial shine caused by a layer of plastic that builds up on the hair. Silicone suffocates the hair and prevents any nutrients from penetrating the hair shaft. With time, our much-loved tresses will become dry and brittle, due to the lack of moisture which can lead to breakage, frizz and brittleness. If you are using leave-in oils, hair masks or other treatment-based products, chances are they aren’t really going to be working if you are using them alongside a silicone-based shampoo or conditioner. Hair that is dry and damaged can be left feeling and looking healthy and gives the hair a slippery-when-wet-feel which is perfect for detangling those unmanageable tresses we can all get from time to time. Another downside of silicone is that they can’t be washed out of the hair easily as they are not water soluble. Over time, the plasticy, rubbery molecules build up on the hair which is what we call “silicone build up.
Still think your supermarket shampoo will cut it?
Chances are if you have been using supermarket products over a long period time, your hairdresser will be unable to achieve that Instagram-worthy hair. - has no body or the blow dry won't last. Clarifying shampoo is great to get rid of any possible buildup (which also causes hair to fall flat), and follow with a light conditioner just on the ends if needed.
If your products say “silicone-free”
Top tip: Don’t believe everything you read on the label.
A lot of hair care products market themselves as “silicone-free” when they really mean they don’t contain any of the “bad” silicones.
To ensure your shampoo or conditioner is truly free from silicone, it’s best to look over the ingredients list.
Symptoms of silicone product build-up in hair
So what does silicone build-up look like and how do you know if you’re actually suffering from it? Below are tell tale signs:
Oily roots but dry hair lengths. Build-up will feel slippery and weigh down your hair. This means that the sebum produced by your scalp has an easier way to travel down the lengths of your hair – which will lead to greasier hair. However, because silicones wrap around your hair shaft, this will prevent moisture to actually penetrate your tresses, which leads to dryness of the lengths from within. (You might also find yourself washing your hair more frequently to get rid of the excess oiliness, but excessive shampooing will also lead to extra dry hair!)
Long-term hair dulling over time. As more build-up is created, less sebum has access to coat the hair from within. Without necessary amount of sebum on and in your strands, your natural hair shine will reduce and hair will look dull.
Inability to hold its natural shape. As product accumulation increases, hair will be weighted down and look limp. This extra weight on your strands can make you lose the natural curl pattern of your hair.
Breakage. As the hair dries out due to loss of moisture the hair shaft is weakened, it becomes more susceptible to snapping and breaking. Think about it as bending a dry tree branch vs fresh branch – the fresh will bend more, but dry branch will snap and break easier.
Scalp irritation. The accumulation and clogged pores on your scalp can lead to redness and / or itchiness.
Flakiness. Excess sebum on the scalp can lead to fungi growth as the sebum and dead skin cells have nowhere to go with the layer of product build-up, causing your scalp to dry and flake.
Hair loss and thinning. As accumulation continues to get worse on scalp, the hair follicles almost become strangled to the point that the hair shaft is separated from the follicle and falls out. If leaving the pores unclogged, this can also prevent new hair growth.
Silicone Free Products that I have personally used on myself and on clients.
FORMULATED WITHOUT SULPHATES & SILICONES
This shampoo gently cleanses hair with a luxurious foaming experience, without stripping out hair moisture. It revives hair smoothness and shine for a healthy look and feel.
The Pro Pure range is free of sulfates, parabens, and mineral oils to provide a worry-free wash experience that helps repair visible signs of hair damage. and it's been approved by the PETA
(People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
A high quality cleansing and conditioning routine means zero buildup + no sulphates that strip colour so you're left only with shine, softness and moisture.
Eliminates frizz, blocks humidity, and adds shine for smoother, healthier-looking hair. Lightweight yet infused with enriching ingredients
Hydrating shampoo cleanses, fights frizz, hydrates and revives shine for medium hair by using a fusion of keratin and kumquat extract, plus babassu and coconut oils. Follow with Medium Conditioner for best results.
Infused with clever complexes it gently cleans hair without stripping it while proteins deliver a really nourishing treatment. Perfect for conditioning normal to slightly dry hair and protecting it from oxidation.
Cleansing and moisture boosting conditioning for shine, softness, smoothness & strength with no frizz or split ends. Free from drying sulphates, de-volumizing silicones & packed full of Balinese botanicals and powerful active ingredients plus infused with our iconic coconut & fig fragrance.
