Silicons: bad for you hair or not?

They’ve got a bad reputation in the hair industry: silicones. Especially in the Curly Girl method, silicones are often seen as something you should avoid because of build up. But is this claim legit? We will answer the question once and for all: are silicones bad for your hair or not?

Silicones: what do they do?

We’ll keep it simple: silicones form a layer around each individual hair, just like other conditioning ingredients do. Silicones are even better at doing so. And that’s not a bad thing: the non-suffocating layer protects the hair, prevents damage and temporarily repairs damaged hair. When hair is damaged, the cuticles curl up, making the hair feel dry and stiff. Silicones press the cuticles down, making the hair feel smooth and easy to comb through again.

  Build up 

Silicones and build up are often mentioned together. But what’s build up? Build up is when leftover hair products pile up, forming a layer around the hair that’s hard to wash out, thus becoming thicker over time. This makes the hair limp, lifeless and sticky. If you’re a curly girl, build up will make your curls less defined. In conclusion: build up is something we don’t want!

  Different types of silicones 

Silicones are often seen as the main cause of build up, but this is not correct. Whether silicones cause build up or not, depends on the type of silicones. There are two types of silicones: volatile ones and non-volatile ones. Volatile silicones evaporate after applying, while non-volatile silicones stay on the hair, causing build up.

  Silicones: bad for your hair or not? 

The answer to this is question depends on the type of silicones that are used in a product. Volatile silicones are perfectly fine and even provide benefits for the hair, while non-volatile silicones cause build up and are bad for the hair. The same goes for other conditioning ingredients: some of them cause build up, other ones don’t. Our product with silicones all contains volatile silicones; the type that evaporates and doesn’t cause build up.

  Silicones versus other conditioning ingredients

Wondering why we chose volatile silicones over other conditioning ingredients? The answer is simple. Volatile silicones are better at what they do. They are way better at protecting the hair, they spread out easier and make your hair look shiny without making it feel greasy. Healthy, shiny and strong hair guaranteed!