Looking for tips from those who do use silicones

[Applegirl84]

I know that a large number of folks on her avoid cones and I have been too. But recently I used a conditioner with a water soluble cone and was reminded of how shiny it makes my hair. I'm tempted to experiment with cones, but am aware that it's sealing properties could lock moisture out.

So how do you use cones? Conditioner? Serum? I was thinking that it would make sense to moisturizer with a cone free conditioner and then use cones as a last step to seal in the goodness of my conditioner (my current fave is Giovanni Smooth as Silk). What kinds of cones work best with fine hair? I would love to stick to water soluble cones, but it's incredibly hard to find products that only have water soluble cones.

A big concern I have is washing out the cones. I use a SLS free shampoo (Body Shop Rainforest Moisture) and I would rather not go back to sulfates, because I get less frizz using this shampoo. Also, I only shampoo my scalp, but would be applying cones only to my length and ends. So then would I have to shampoo my length?

And then what about oils? Is there any point to them if using silicones? I usually put coconut oil in my hair overnight before washing, but will it even absorb?

[Kaelee]

I CO wash with coney conditioner (usually one by Aussie) and then in the morning I apply the most cone filled leave in (G2B Smooth Operator). If I notice my ends getting tangly I either wash with a sulfate free shampoo, or a clarifying shampoo. I haven't had any problems with this routine. :)

I find if I DON'T use cones, my hair feels perpetually overmoisturized or over proteined or something...not good.

[spidermom]

You can get benefit from both cones and oil. Remember, you are only distributing the product through your hair, you aren't coating every single hair.

I use cone-free conditioner, but I follow with an argan oil formula leave-in that has cones; I forget which ones. My hair responds beautifully to that stuff, also to pre-wash coconut oiling. I only use a clarifying shampoo to remove buildup about once every 2 months.

[ErinLeigh]

I know that a large number of folks on her avoid cones and I have been too. But recently I used a conditioner with a water soluble cone and was reminded of how shiny it makes my hair. I'm tempted to experiment with cones, but am aware that it's sealing properties could lock moisture out.

So how do you use cones? Conditioner? Serum? I was thinking that it would make sense to moisturizer with a cone free conditioner and then use cones as a last step to seal in the goodness of my conditioner (my current fave is Giovanni Smooth as Silk). What kinds of cones work best with fine hair? I would love to stick to water soluble cones, but it's incredibly hard to find products that only have water soluble cones.

A big concern I have is washing out the cones. I use a SLS free shampoo (Body Shop Rainforest Moisture) and I would rather not go back to sulfates, because I get less frizz using this shampoo. Also, I only shampoo my scalp, but would be applying cones only to my length and ends. So then would I have to shampoo my length?

And then what about oils? Is there any point to them if using silicones? I usually put coconut oil in my hair overnight before washing, but will it even absorb?

You sound exactly like me. I have these exact same questions and I too thought about cone free conditioner and coney serum since my rational as the same..let moisture in then lock it. Im standing by to read replies.
If it helps though I read SLS free shampoo or "low poos" remove the water soluble cones fine. I think those cones start with "ami"
I also think using cones helps prevent splits so I am really thinking of going back also, but I cant risk moisture loss and cannot figure out how oils will work with cones.

I've been thinking of starting each week conefree and using oils and then mid week add in the cones for some great hair days and protection of the tips. I feel by breaking it up I can see the differences in moisture and also give myself the best of both worlds while I figure it all out.

[ErinLeigh]

oh and yes, I would shampoo the length occasionally for sure to remove I would think. I am about to google if co washing can remove water soluble ones and will see what I find. At the very least CWC length perhaps.

[lapushka]

We have a particular washing method, which consists of conditioning twice after washing. We wash with SL(E)S shampoo here, so the double conditioning really is awesome afterwards. Cones are no problem for me. It's in my conditioners, in the leave-in conditioner afterwards, in my serum and sometimes in my gel, depending on which one is used. As long as you clarify often enough, it should all be fine. I have F hair as well, and the amount of cones in my products do not weigh my hair down - at all. My hair's between waist & hip.

[chen bao jun]

I tried going no-cone for a month and I had seriously awful hair. It was rough, dry and tangly. Of course this was 18 months ago when it had a lot of mechanical damage.
I do SMTS with a condition with cones in it, then wash with a no-cone shampoo on the scalp and no cone conditioners on the length and just use a coney leave in along with some oils afterwards. I clarify about every two months, also.

[Beborani]

I didnt use shampoo for nearly six months--used CO only. For leave ins I often use heavy silicone serum with all possible 'cones and I add generous amounts of mineral oil for good measure occasionally. Everything washes off with CO (and preoiling with sesame oil) without a problem. Recently, I 'clarified' my hair with shampoo and almost hated the matted feel and have decided not tp bother with shampoo at all.

[Applegirl84]

Thanks for sharing all of your experiences :)

[CurlMonster]

I've recently started using cones on my ends again. When I first joined LHC I started CO washing and just used to one cone-free conditioner and oil. My very damaged ends were /okay/, but not at all soft and were tricky to detangle. Now that I am using cones on them again, they're softer and easier to deal with in general. I'm not putting the cones onto all of my hair, just from about my shoulders down as the hair above that is healthy and has plenty of slip anyway.

So my routine is to CO wash with my cone-free conditioner (I wet my hair in the shower, coat in conditioner, and then leave it on under a shower cap for about an hour while I do other things), rinse out and apply the coney conditioner, comb through, rinse, and apply oils to wet hair. I have only been doing this for about 2 months and haven't noticed any kind of build-up. I think it will take a long time because I'm only using one product with cones and only once a week when I wash my hair. But when/if I do get build-up, it should be easy to just shampoo from the shoulders down and then carry on as usual.

[KittyBird]

I went cone-free when I started using shampoo bars, but after around 6 months I had to re-introduce them because my hair was insanely tangly and unmanageable. I wash with 'poo bars, then use a coney rinse-out conditioner, and a coney argan oil leave-in. My hair just can't get enough cones, and I love how slippery and easy to detangle it is. I have no problems with build-up. :)

[lapushka]

I went cone-free when I started using shampoo bars, but after around 6 months I had to re-introduce them because my hair was insanely tangly and unmanageable. I wash with 'poo bars, then use a coney rinse-out conditioner, and a coney argan oil leave-in. My hair just can't get enough cones, and I love how slippery and easy to detangle it is. I have no problems with build-up. :)

As a wavy, do you think your texture has anything to do with the tangles and needing cones? I happen to think the waves and the length actually are begging for me to have cones in my routine. :lol:

[BlazingHeart]

I went cone-free for a while when I was using 'poo bars. It was fine; my hair might have been just a hint less shiny, but otherwise it behaved very much the same way it behaved when I was using the two-in-one I like, which as both sulfates and silicones. But as my hair got longer, it was just too much work for me to get the shampoo all over my hair. I switched back to my two-in-one, which I am still using I guess it's nearly 2 years later. I never have any trouble with build-up or tangles; my hair is as silky as it gets (somewhat coarse hair, so silky often isn't the best descriptor), shiny and very low tangle. The two-in-one I use is Garnier Fructis. Totally love it.

These sort of things just require experimentation, I guess. I know that for a lot of people, my product choice wouldn't work well, but for me it's easy, effective, and fairly cheap. What more can a girl ask for?

[HintOfMint]

I've gone back to regular old shampoo and coney conditioner after years of experimenting with cone-free stuff, but I've found that the other LHC tricks are quite compatible with my routine. Pre-wash oilings with either coconut or olive oil work pretty well, as does honey and ACV mixed in my silicone conditioner. Olive oil makes a great leave-in for me.

Conditioner is the only product I use with cones in it, but it ends up working in tandem with other parts of my routine. I've tried my routine with other aspects removed (no pre-wash oiling, or no honey, or a cone-free conditioner), and I've found that no one part of my routine does the heavy lifting.

[KittyBird]

lapushka: Definitely! I need as much slip and silkiness as I can get with these unruly waves. I only got breakage when I was cone-free.
A lot of my length also has quite a bit of damage from using chemical dyes (dyeing the entire length every 2-3 months), and ripping a brush through my hair at least once a day for many years. The cones make that a lot easier to deal with.

[panffle]

Cones do not create an impenetrable barrier on your hair. You can still oil and it will still absorb just fine (of course, if you over oil your hair most of it will not be absorbed simply because there is a limit to how much is absorbed). Anyway, I use cones in my shampoo/conditioner and sometimes a coney serum.

[sourgrl]

While cones kill my waves I'm finding them to be a necessity this winter. I'm using a coney condish and a coney serum to help prevent losing moisture from my hair this winter. Finally tweeked my routine enough that yesterday was the first day my hair has felt right since cold weather has set in. If my hair starts to feel wrong I'll clarify, do a SMT, than go back to cones. Once warmer weather returns I'll go back to cone free so I can enjoy my waves again.

[thirstylocks]

I'm a cone head! I'm using a loreal cleansing conditioner, plus a coney nexxus conditioner, plus a coney serum or leave-in. I can't get enough of the slip :joy: Hasn't really built up yet.

[Paulini]

TYPES OF SILICONES:

WATER SOLUBLE
- dimethicone copolyol
- lauryl methicone copolyol
- hydrolyzed wheat protein hydroxypropyl polysiloxane
- silicones with PEG in the beginning - the higher the number next to the PEG, the more the silicone is soluble. Less than 4 isn't soluble at all, more than 10 dissolves very well.
NON-WATER SOLUBLE, GENTLE SHAMPOO WILL BE ENOUGH
- amodimethicone
- dimethicone
- dimethiconol
- beheonoxy dimethicone
- phenyl trimethicone
THOSE REQUIRE SULFATES TO BE REMOVED
- simethicone
- trimethicone
- trimethylsilylamodimethic one
- trimethylsiloxysilicates
FOR THOSE A CONDITIONER WILL BE ENOUGH
- cyclomethicone (link 2 o cyclomethicone)
- cyclopentasiloxane
- cyclotetrasiloxane
- cyclohexasiloxane
- octamethyl cyclotetrasiloxane

Don't use silicones on your scalp. I like to use some gentle ones on my length in a conditioner. Heavier ones will be best for your ends in a serum. As others have said, the silicone barrier isn't impenetrable, oils and other goodness will get through :) You should clarify once in a while though.