silicone confusion

[Chocowalnut]

I have heard mixed opinions over silicones and I'm trying to find out exactly what they are, what they do, and if I should use them?? I have heard people say they cause build up and to eliminate them but also have heard they make hair nice.

[teela1978]

They're synthetic oils. For some they work amazingly well, for some they really leave their hair not well. Some of this probably comes down to personal preference, and some of it is likely from differences in hair. Unfortunately it's really something each person has to experiment with. Personally, I love them :)

ETA: for me, silicones mean easy detangling. My hair tangles a lot without them which leads to breakage and split ends. With I can detangle easier and avoid those problems. Also, it's shiny and sleek without being greasy.

[muddblood21]

Unfortunately it's really something each person has to experiment with.

Couldn't agree more! I was so freaked out by proteins and silicones at first I read every label and googled and worried. Then I realized my hair is just like me; and individual. I had to experiment to figure out my hair likes silicones a lot as long as I clarify about every two weeks. I also discovered the bottom half of my hair, being bleach fried, likes protein and the virgin top half absolutely does not. Go with what seems to work with your hair and what seems to help you avoid damage. For me, that is silicones, for others it is avoiding them. When I was asking a similar question, someone replied that experimenting to find what you hair wants/needs is all part of the fun here. It also opened up a huge range of possibilities for good smelling shampoos and conditioners! No more freaking out for me! Have fun on your hair journey and on the shampoo aisle! :flower:

[Panth]

The others have explained quite nicely, but I shall add a little anyway. ^_^

'Cones (or silicones) are ingredients found in most conditioners, some shampoos and a lot of leave-ins. You can generally tell them because they are called 'somethingblahdeeblahlongnamecone'. Or something like that. ;)

Some people get freaked out by them, generally particularly when starting out with long hair-friendly haircare, because they are said to "coat" the hair strand. In some circumstances (depending on all sorts of things, including hair type, water type, washing routine and products, amount of hair damage, etc.), 'cones can "build up", which basically means coat to an excessive extent such that they start causing negative properties (e.g. tanglyness, dryness) rather than good ones. On most people this takes at least a month, if not months, for this to happen. In some people, it happens quickly and thus they try to avoid or cut down on 'cones. Build-up depends on the amount of 'cones you use, but also what sort of shampoo (or other cleansing method) you use. Sulphates (common, yet harsh ingredient in many shampoos) easily remove 'cones. However, most non-sulphate cleansers will not and thus a sulphate-free routine is much more at risk of build-up. (Note: 'cones are not the only ingredient that can build-up. Lots of things can, including super-"natural" things like butters, oils and herbal rinses.)

Other reasons that people avoid 'cones...

Some people find that 'cones don't play nicely with other parts of their hair routine (e.g. oils - although many people use oils and 'cones together just fine). Yet others prefer not to use them because they want to use only "natural" products. A few people find their hair just isn't as nice with 'cones as without (most people in this group appear to be curlies). A few others find their hair with 'cones is too slippery, or too "plasticy" and "doll-hair-like" for their preferences. Some other people prefer to use sulphate-free shampoos (which are less harsh for hair and scalp) and thus reduce/avoid 'cones to prevent build-up. However, an awful lot of people just fall for the scare-mongering about 'cones and think they will cause their hair to fall out, or their hair to be "sealed" and thus unable to let water or oil in, or think that they must be evil because they've got a long, scientific name. Which is rubbish.

What do 'cones do? Well, they sit on the surface of the hair. They can patch-repair damage (note: this is temporary, but still useful). They also provide shine, slip and anti-static properties. Both the slip and the anti-static properties can actively reduce damage by minimising tangles and making detangling easier. See here for a list of what ingredients do (http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2013/03/does-conditioner-or-oil-really-need-to.html) (actually, that site is just awesome in general for cool hair science). Basically, they are super-useful for many of us, particularly those with tangle-prone, static-prone or particularly damaged or long hair.

One important thing to note is that not all 'cones are equal. The 'cones with "PEG" in the name are water-soluble and thus won't build-up. The 'cones with "amo" / "amine" in the name also won't build up because they do not bind to themselves. Thus, they don't build-up either, as they only stick to areas of damage and won't cumulatively stick there.

A final thing: I mentioned before that only most sulphate-free cleansers struggle with 'cones. The exception is cocoamidopropyl betaine, which will remove 'cones, including the common non-water-soluble ones like dimethicone.

tl;dr Cones: not the devil. Useful for many people, don't work at all for a few. Just beware of build-up and you'll be fine to experiment. As with everything, YMMV.

[lapushka]

It's all personal preference, as was said above. As long as you clarify-wash once in a while when using them, you're fine. I find that the longer hair gets, the tanglier and dryer it can get (the lengths). In this case silicones are a *major* help. We don't even have to detangle after conditioning with silicones. The hair just detangles itself, the comb glides through without a hiccup. Better that than trying desperately to cling to a more "natural" routine and have difficult to detangle hair and resulting breakage.

[vanillabones]

When I was neck length I tried not using silicones and wow was my hair scary (I was growing out bleach). I ended up S&Ding most of it off before I realized it just wanted cones.
My hair couldn't live without cones. I clarify often and always use cones in my conditioner but not in my shampoo or detangler as I try to manage the amount of cones my hair takes. I can still also use oils (coconut, jojoba, sweet almond) on my ends and my hair looks even better!

[Larki]

I know a lot of curly-haired people don't like what silicones do to their hair; does that mean that silicones should work well on straight hair and benefit it?

[Firefox7275]

There are a number of science based but readable articles on silcones over on Naturally Curly by 'curl chemist' Tonya McKay. Also worth running an advanced search here as this topic comes up frequently.

[DweamGoiL]

I am a nay sayer as far as silicone and sulphates. I respect other people's decision to use them, but for me personally, I like to stay as natural as possible. I also found they made my hair excessively limp and droopy. I have been cone free for about 10 years and love the way my hair is now; wavy, bouncy, soft, and naturally shinny.