Pros and Cons of Silicones

[moniquerenaud]

Hi! So I'm wondering about silicones since I get a lot of mixed answers from people. I understand there isn't a "good" or "bad" answer, so I'd like to know the pros and cons of conditioner or whatever with silicones in them, and what hair types should or should't use them. :confused:

[lapushka]

There's no fixed rules on who should or shouldn't use silicones. Every hair texture can use or not use them.

As far as a big pro goes: no tangles, therefore easy to comb out hair and no breakage, and that to me is key, not what's in my conditioner. Besides you cannot find a good, thick, no-cone conditioner that gives the same amount of slip as a nice and cheap coney conditioner for relatively cheap (unless you want to spend about $10). So the choice is easy for me.

[misspurdy06]

I can tell by looking at someones hair if they use products with silicone.

[lapushka]

I can tell by looking at someones hair if they use products with silicone.

Sorry, but that seems a little... *much*. I mean, how can you possibly tell? Because it's shiny? Slippery, soft? Or do you connect silicones with all the negatives in hair, and is that how you think you can tell?

[maborosi]

Pros- they allow me to wear my hair down outside, and give really great shine. They can also give great slip and softness.

Cons- Some types build up, I can't use certain ones (dimethicone is too heavy) because they make my hair look limp

I don't use them unless I'm going to be wearing my hair down, but that's because I'm just too in love with my regular conditioner which just happens to have no cones. My hair is already so soft and slippery that it falls out of updos, so I don't really need any help in that department. It's all what your hair likes, though. Some people have great experience with cones, some people do not. They're like oils- there are many different kinds, and not all of them will work for everyone.

~maborosi~

[askan]

Con: Must be washed out with sulphate shampoo or you'll risk getting buildup. Sulphate shampoos might be to drying (desiccating? new word to me) for some people's hair. CO-washing, which is gentler and less drying, is hard to combine with silicones as they won't be washed out. This is why I avoid cones - my hair got a lot better when I stopped using harsher shampoos.

Please feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken. I've heard about silicones that supposedly cause no buildup, and I know some people combine CO and silicones, but what I've always been taught is that CO and silicones dont work together..

[biogirl87]

Con: Must be washed out with sulphate shampoo or you'll risk getting buildup. Sulphate shampoos might be to drying (desiccating? new word to me) for some people's hair. CO-washing, which is gentler and less drying, is hard to combine with silicones as they won't be washed out. This is why I avoid cones - my hair got a lot better when I stopped using harsher shampoos.

Please feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken. I've heard about silicones that supposedly cause no buildup, and I know some people combine CO and silicones, but what I've always been taught is that CO and silicones dont work together..askan, you do not need sulfates to wash out silicones. Cocoadmidopropyl betaine gets rid of silicones just fine.

moniquerenaud, it is often said that those with fine-textured hair should not use silicones since silicones tend to weigh hair down and decrease volume, which people with fine-textured hair do not want most of the time. For me, most of the pros and cons of silicones are the same as pros and cons of conditioner (yes, with the hair that I have there are cons to using conditioner). One of the big cons of silicones that I can think of is that they would loosen the wave in my hair when it was longer. Now that my hair is above shoulder length (where it is hard to get it to wave), it might be time for me to experiment with silicones.

[bananahanna]

http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/all-about-cones_topic109930.html

This might be helpful to you.

[patienceneeded]

Several people on here (LuxePiggy comes to mind) CO wash successfully with cones. Everyone has a different opinion about them. Use what your hair reacts well to and quit worrying about doing it the "right" way. What works for you and your hair IS what is "right" for you.

With that said, I adore cones. I have done the cone-free thing and it was...ok. With cones is much better. For me. I have through trial and error and LOTS of label-reading determined that Dimethicone is not my friend, nor are cones use IN the shampoo. Amodimethicone and Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone are wonderful in conditioner and I love them. Love. Them.

Experiment. Find what works for you and your hair. Cones or no-cones. CO washing, CWC, diluted shampoo, NWSO, WO, or plain ol' ordinary shampoo and conditioner. Whatever works is what you should do.

[bunnylake]

The whole ~cones are evil~ thing actually kinda bugs me. They just AREN'T bad, period. Some people prefer them, some don't.

I go through short periods where I don't use cones, but I always go back to them because I feel they add a protective layer to my hair. The slip they provide help prevent damage by reducing tangles and breakage. I have never had build up problems from cones... I've only ever had BAD build up from natural oils. That's easily fixed with a clarifying shampoo, though, so I wouldn't even consider that a con. Clarifying your hair once in a blue moon isn't going to cause any damage. Everyone's hair is different, so do what works for you. The only con I can think of regarding cones is that they can somewhat mask damage, so if you may not be able to tell how damaged your hair truly is if you've been using cones for a while. Is that really even a con? Depends on what the individual's hair goals are.

Oh, and I honestly don't think anyone can tell by looking whether or not someone uses cones in their hair. :/

[AmyBeth]

I spent about a year without cones while I was trying CO. It just didn't work for me, especially once I started using hendigo for coloring. Cones are something that my hair needs. I use a mild sulfate free shampoo (diluted) to wash and find no build up. My hair is very fine and prone to tangles and cones give me the slip that I need.

[Kaelee]

I CO wash daily with 'cones. I also use a super coney leave in daily. My hair feels brittle for some reason and tangles easily if I don't use them. If I do use them, it's soft, slippery, strong and springy. I don't usually get buildup.

I can't think of any cons, really, though I think they get a bad rap in part because they're often marketed to "repair" damage, and nothing can do that. They MASK damage pretty well, and sometimes when people stop using them, then they see all the damage that the 'cones were hiding and mistakenly think that they caused the damage.

[askan]

This is very interesting. On Swedish forums people tend to be really strict about CO and cones. The rules are: If you're going to start what in Sweden is called "the conditioner method" (similar to Curly Girl from what I've read) first you need to wash with a sulphate shampoo without cones ("last shampoo") so you wash out all cones of your hair. Then find a conditioner without cones and some other stuff to use for washing, and maybe also a heavier conditioner for the lengths. And if you happen to get cones in your hair you need to wash with the "last shampoo" again to get rid of them.
Conditioner method followers generally tend to be very negative toward silicones, arguing that they only conceal damage but don't do anything good for your hair, and the hair gets further dried out and damaged by the regular shampoo (downward spiral). And also that this is a good way for companies to make money, since people spend lots of money on new products that will supposedly get rid of frizz etc.

I've been interested in finding something that gives slip to my ends, since a visit to a hairdresser who put some miracle-super-coney serum on my ends. The feeling was fabulous but since I avoid sls in shampoos I didn't think I could use silicones. I may have to rethink this idea then?

I also agree with Kaelee - the way silicone products are marketed may have something to do with the fact that some people consider them bad. Sorry if I hijacked the thread a little bit here.

[animetor7]

I don't like cones because for me they make my hair nice for a day or so and then progressively drier and more tangly, I don't know exactly why this is, cones locking out moisture or protein perhaps? In any case they don't work for me. For some people cones add slip and shine that is necessary to preserve long hair. For others they can be problematic. As far as hair types that cones can cause problems for, I'd say that for curlies there is the potential to lock out moisture which is bad as curlies tend to be drier naturally. For straighties cones can weigh down fine hair or add even more slip to already slippery hair. This is another problem I have with cones, everything falls out if I use them!! I'd say ultimately the best thing you can do is experiment and see what works for you, but if you do decide to use cones watch out for buildup and clarify when necessary. :)

[walterSCAN]

For me, most of the pros and cons of silicones are the same as pros and cons of conditioner (yes, with the hair that I have there are cons to using conditioner).

I've been having some serious 'cons' with using conditioner of any kind, too, lately. :/

OP: Just to further illustrate the disparity in reactions to cones that people's hair can have, I'll throw my experience with them in. (Grain of salt: due to these effects, I haven't used cones in a few years.) Basically, I get little (or no) slip from cones and have an incredibly hard time rinsing cone-y conditioner out of my hair at all. As in, I can rinse for a half hour and still have conditioner in my hair. I have to shampoo it back out, which defeats the purpose of using it in the first place. As a result of not being able to rinse it out, cone-y conditioner also makes my hair very lank and oily-looking. No slip translates into sticky-feeling/ tangly hair. In short, cones are bad news for me.

That said, some people LOVE their cones. It's really up to you and how your hair reacts to them.

[biogirl87]

This is very interesting. On Swedish forums people tend to be really strict about CO and cones. The rules are: If you're going to start what in Sweden is called "the conditioner method" (similar to Curly Girl from what I've read) first you need to wash with a sulphate shampoo without cones ("last shampoo") so you wash out all cones of your hair. Then find a conditioner without cones and some other stuff to use for washing, and maybe also a heavier conditioner for the lengths. And if you happen to get cones in your hair you need to wash with the "last shampoo" again to get rid of them.
Conditioner method followers generally tend to be very negative toward silicones, arguing that they only conceal damage but don't do anything good for your hair, and the hair gets further dried out and damaged by the regular shampoo (downward spiral). And also that this is a good way for companies to make money, since people spend lots of money on new products that will supposedly get rid of frizz etc.

I've been interested in finding something that gives slip to my ends, since a visit to a hairdresser who put some miracle-super-coney serum on my ends. The feeling was fabulous but since I avoid sls in shampoos I didn't think I could use silicones. I may have to rethink this idea then?

I also agree with Kaelee - the way silicone products are marketed may have something to do with the fact that some people consider them bad. Sorry if I hijacked the thread a little bit here.askan, you can still use silicones if you use certain sulfate-free shampoos. I have heard how cocoamidopropyl betaine can get rid of silicones. In fact, many curlies use shampoos with cocoamidopropyl betaine when they need to clarify.

[endlessly]

Honestly, it's entirely dependent on what you prefer to use and what agrees best with your hair. Personally, if I were to use a silicone-free conditioner, my hair would be an absolute wreck, so as much as I would like to be able to use more "natural" products, I need silicone in order for my hair to be more manageable. Every once in awhile, it is important to do a clarifying treatment if you do use silicone-heavy products on a regular basis, but I certainly don't believe they're bad or "evil" for your hair. Again, entirely your preference.

[moniquerenaud]

Thank you everyone who responded! I should probably use cones since I use a sulfate free shampoo, and also I have fine hair and maybe the reason my ends are so dry is cones? I don't know but I guess I'll try no cones and see which I like best! I heard v05 makes really good cone free conditioners

[biogirl87]

Monique, definitely try cone-free conditioners. Maybe before you start using cone-free conditioners, once you finish up your coney conditioners, shampoo your hair twice with the sulfate-free shampoo to make sure you have got all the cones out of your hair.

[tigereye]

Pros and cons - well, pros are definitely more slip and less tangles. Cons being that it can lock out moisture instead of in with some hair.
My biggest, overriding con is due to my SLS/SLES allergy. I use a shampoo with one of the sarcinates and cocoaminopropyl betaine. Cocoamidopropyl betaine can get rid of some, but not all cones, in my experience. Dimethicone and ammodimethicone are the two biggies that jump to my mind, but they were a pain with regular SLS, too. My conditioner has one cone in it, but it's one of the few water-soluble ones, and for all intents and purposes, it acts like the cone-free stuff with my hair and is cheaper.
I find my hair is shiny, and also less tangly without cones because they locked moisture out of my ends, leaving dry hair desperate to tangle. I eventually had to cut that damage off. But I also know that many people would get much more damage without cones, so it's really up to you to experiment.

[jacqueline101]

I use a few cones my Aussie 3 minute miracle and tressemee shine spray. I love the shine and softness when I use them. I also use my cones maximum once a week. That's the shine spray the other one once a month. I think moderation is the key with cones. Cons of cones I'd say the build up issue maybe for some. I haven't noticed that as an issue but as I've stated I use mine lightly.

[cranberrymoonz]

Well, I can sometimes see it in people too. Cones give hair an almost plastic-like shine. Also, they make hair to fall in a distinctive way. It makes my 1b hair look like a slightly thicker 1a. But you can't always tell.

Pro: texture (shine, tangle free)

Con: texture (fake looking), causes build-up if not washed out with sulfates, environment (hard to remove from sewage)

People with build-up prone hair are better of without cones. People with hair that is severely damaged, and can't detangle without causing more damage, should use cones. For anybody else it is an issue of personal preferance (how much you value green issues/authenticy/easy&quick haircare).

[ladyfey]

Cones don't work for me, they give me massive tangles! But many people swear by them.

[schnibbles]

For me (I speak for no one else) cones were great when I was blowdrying all the time. I used to use and love this certain glossing serum (dimethicone-heavy, plus some other cones were in there too. Basically, a cone-party) I used some of this the other day and let my hair air dry naturally. What a disgusting mess! I had to clarify. I much prefer oils now, I get the same results and my hair is healthier. I will use a coney condish but over time I do get build up. I think cones are ok as long as you are paying attention to your hair's needs otherwise.

[sourgrl]

My personal experience with cones:

Pros: they seal the hair helping prevent moisture loss (a must for me in winter) and best protection when using heat.

Cons: weighs down my waves.

Cones are like anything else, they work well for some and not for others

[starlamelissa]

Pros- products that contain them are inexpensive and smell good.

They help me detangle in the shower

They cover up old damage and prevent new damage

Cons-

Finicky to use, I like leave in silicone creams but not silicone serum. I like coney conditioner, but not coney shampoo.

[snakes&stuff]

My hair is incredibly build-up prone, so cones are a big no-no. Also, my hair seems to get much greasier, much faster when I use cones. My hair didn't look so great for a few weeks when I quit using them, but I have the best hair of my life now.

[LauraLongLocks]

I CO wash with cone-free on my canopy, and coney on my length. So far, I don't see any problems with build-up. I do a CWC with diluted SLS shampoo about every two weeks, when my scalp starts getting too itchy for me to tolerate.

I like the slippery-ness of the cones on my length. I also like the super clean rinse I can get on my canopy without the cones. :)

[jeanniet]

Cones are always a disaster for me, and my hair isn't prone to build up at all, given the right products. Sometimes using a coney product once will be OK, but generally my hair will feel gunky and built up right away. Too bad--it would be nice to have the option, but on the other hand I hardly ever need to use shampoo or clarify, so that's a benefit.

[MandyBeth]

For me -

Pros - much, much easier to handle, drastic reduction in tangles. Minor build up helps flip my ends under. Hair color is so much richer. Seems that my best heat protection always are cone heavy.

Cons - may need clarifying, easy to overdo, weird feeling with some or with mixes.

I'm a finey with waves. My hair is dense and healthy. No cones, I get vicious tangles. I clarify and chelate once a month, more for better dyeing, but it strips the build up. Oils I actually have worse luck with excess.

To me, I see no problem with daily cone use.