By/ Estival Life (11 August 2018)

Hair problems, like hair loss, drought and split ends, are concerns of many people.  Recent year, Silicone-Free / Non-Silicone hair products are becoming very popular among consumers.  Do you know what Silicone-Free means?  Do you think that Silicone-Free is equivalent to being natural and good quality?  If you think so, sorry, you’re wrong!

The silicone in cosmetics, including skincare and hair care products, is a kind of plastic polymer.  This is synthesized in factories by manufacturers by adding various elements into the mineral Silicon.  Silicone is used in different formats in skincare, cosmetics, hair care products as well as household and mechanical usage.  It is hydrophobic, i.e. water resistant.  So what Silicone is offering to our skin and hair?  Why do the manufacturers add it into the products?

Why do the manufacturers add it into the products?

Most manufacturers fully understand the intention and preference of consumers that people want to see the effects of the products nearly right away.  The sooner the impacts arise, the better the products are.  Word-of-mouth will then be generated and in turn more products will be sold.  Taking shampoo and hair conditioner as an example, almost all consumers will tell you they want to see their hair become smooth, slippery, shiny and easily manageable after using the products.  The feeling of “being silky, shiny and easily manageable” is exactly what Silicone can offer.

Damages of Silicone

Silicone will seal the cuticle layer of hair and make you feel silky.  However it’s just an illusion of shine, that is fake shine.  What’s worse!  Silicone will stay on the hair and skin and cause buildup to weigh the hair down, make it limp, lifeless, and, with time, very dull. It prevents moisture and natural ingredients from penetrating the hair shaft.

On skin, Silicone in skincare and cosmetics products will give you apparently smooth and silky skin.  In fact it clogs the pores that will prevent skin from in-taking nutrients and moisture.  It’ll inhibit the skin renewal process by slowing down the production of new cells and keeping dead cells stuck longer. Impaired cell renewal could decelerate the improvement of conditions such as pigmentation, fine lines and scarring.  Silicone will also cause acne and congestion.

To ascertain whether a product contains Silicone, the best way is to check the ingredient list.  Silicone is a general name, which is actually presented in different ways in the ingredient list.  Check the list if it has any of the below names ending with these words:

-Cone

Dimethicone

Methicone

Trimethicone

Cyclomethicone

Amodimethicone

Trimethylsilylamodimethicone

-Siloxane

Cyclopentasiloxane

Polydimethylsiloxane

-Conol

Dimethiconol

Polymers

C10-30 Alkyl acrylate crosspolymer

VP / VA Copolymer

Polybutene

Polyisobutene

Don’t let the manufacturers cheat you!

After knowing the damages of Silicone, choosing of Silicone-Free products is only the first step.  Please understand that Silicone-Free only gets Silicone removed from the products.  However other hazardous synthetic chemicals, like petroleum products, preservatives, synthetic colours, synthetic fragrance etc. are still there.  They will harm not only the users but also our planet Earth.  In short, Silicone-Free products are not equivalent to natural nor better quality ones.  Don’t let the manufacturers cheat you any more!

We believe that most consumers want to pick safe and effective products.  Unfortunately there’s no regulation on cosmetics products’ labeling.  Manufacturers can nearly freely say whatever they want and cover up those they don’t.  It’s very usual that they only highlight 1-2 good ingredients and hide the hazardous ones.

Why Using Organic And Natural Skincare Products?

If you want to select truly natural and organic products, the best way is to learn how to read the ingredient list and check it every time before making purchase.  However, in reality, most ingredients will be shown with their chemical names.  Taking Silicone as an example, as mentioned above, it has over 10 different ways of naming.  This makes challenging to consumers to fully understand what the products are made of.  International certification would be a reliable helping hand. If you want to learn more about certified organic and certified natural, please take a look at our another article “Why Using Organic And Natural Skincare Products?”.

Longing for healthier hair and prettier skin, the best way is always returning to nature by offering them the best natural nutrients.  Hair and skin will not experience the dramatic and magical effects like those after using synthetic chemical products but will gradually improve fundamentally.

Our  “Hair Care Line” could be a good demonstration.  All products are certified organic.  Starting from today, come experience the safe and effective improvements organic and natural products could bring you!