How to identify silicones in product ingredient list?

[DanceInSunshine]

Hey! I’ve recently decided to make the switch to natural shampoo and conditioner with no silicones, parabens, or phthalates. The labeling very clearly states that it doesn’t have any of these things, so that makes it easy :p. I want to make sure my styling products/leave-ins don’t have silicones either, but if the labeling doesn’t say either way, how do I know? What names should I look for on the ingredients list that indicate silicones?

[littlestarface]

Here is a thread that's good to read.

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=122421

[MusicalSpoons]

They usually end in -cone, -conol, -xane. This blog post gives lots of examples: http://thebeautybrains.com/2010/06/are-you-silicone-savvy/

A couple of things not mentioned on the thread littlestarface linked above:
Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone might look a bit like cones in an ingredient list but they're not; they're preservatives.
Cyclopentasiloxane is apparently a volatile silicone which evaporates, so doesn't build up.
Amodimethicone is not water-soluble, but does not build up on itself. It creates the first layer, attaching to areas of the hair, but no more than that first layer in any area will attach.

This was mentioned in the linked thread but is worth reiterating, in case it's of use to you or anyone else stopping by to read the thread: silicones with a PEG- prefix are water-soluble by themselves (but as always, the exact formulation of a product will determine the effect it has overall).

Oops, re-reading your post I see you're steering clear of silicones in favour of more natural products rather than because of build-up potential so half of my comment might be irrelevant to you, but I'll leave all the above info here anyway in case it's relevant to others :flower:

[Ylva]

Cyclopentasiloxane is apparently a volatile silicone which evaporates, so doesn't build up.

How does it evaporate? Just over time? Does it affect the feeling of the hair? Does the hair start to feel less slippy over time? Is it still water-insoluble even though it ****s off on its own? So many questions!

[MusicalSpoons]

How does it evaporate? Just over time? Does it affect the feeling of the hair? Does the hair start to feel less slippy over time? Is it still water-insoluble even though it ****s off on its own? So many questions!

Heh, I ran into these kinds of questions myself checking to make sure I was giving correct information, but it's not something I'm currently considering using so didn't delve much deeper. However I did find that, like any other ingredient, it seems different people's hair reacts differently to it! So that's no help, sorry.

(I'm also curious to know what word you wrote to invoke the automatic forum censoring - it makes me laugh when innocent words fall foul of the filter :laugh: )

[Ylva]

Heh, I ran into these kinds of questions myself checking to make sure I was giving correct information, but it's not something I'm currently considering using so didn't delve much deeper. However I did find that, like any other ingredient, it seems different people's hair reacts differently to it! So that's no help, sorry.

(I'm also curious to know what word you wrote to invoke the automatic forum censoring - it makes me laugh when innocent words fall foul of the filter :laugh: )

Ah, I see! No matter then. Thank you. :)

LOL, it was far from innocent, but I trusted that the automatic censoring would cover for me! I was just in a hurry when I wrote that and couldn't come up with any other expression!

[nycelle]

Silicones aren't too hard these days, but how do you identify Phthalates or Parabens?

I can't, so I just use a brand that's free of all of them. That's the easiest way for me.

[illicitlizard]

Silicones aren't too hard these days, but how do you identify Phthalates or Parabens?

I can't, so I just use a brand that's free of all of them. That's the easiest way for me.

I just google all the ingreds I don't know... Or chuck it in the ingredient analyzer on skincarisma.com it's a godsend :)

[nycelle]

I just google all the ingreds I don't know... Or chuck it in the ingredient analyzer on skincarisma.com it's a godsend :)

Yeah, you can absolutely do that. But when I'm looking for a shampoo or conditioner, it's just too much work for me to google all the ingredients. I'm lazy, prefer the company to let me know if it's free of what I don't want to use..lol.

[Arciela]

I just use this site http://isitcg.herokuapp.com/Home/ also tells me if there is protein which I also try to avoid :)

[Joules]

Hey! I’ve recently decided to make the switch to natural shampoo and conditioner with no silicones, parabens, or phthalates. The labeling very clearly states that it doesn’t have any of these things, so that makes it easy. I want to make sure my styling products/leave-ins don’t have silicones either, but if the labeling doesn’t say either way, how do I know? What names should I look for on the ingredients list that indicate silicones?

I never trust labels. Ever. A lot of brands (especially drugstore) are super sneaky about silicones. Most "silicone-free" products contain polyquaterniums and other film-forming ingredients like guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, and people who avoid silicones usually avoid those as well, since they behave in a similar manner and create build-up. It's actually quite hard to find a truly cone-free product, I spent a few years using the same few products from the same two brands. So always read labels carefully, unless you're choosing specific brands that are famous for being very natural.

[MusicalSpoons]

I never trust labels. Ever. A lot of brands (especially drugstore) are super sneaky about silicones. Most "silicone-free" products contain polyquaterniums and other film-forming ingredients like guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, and people who avoid silicones usually avoid those as well, since they behave in a similar manner and create build-up. It's actually quite hard to find a truly cone-free product, I spent a few years using the same few products from the same two brands. So always read labels carefully, unless you're choosing specific brands that are famous for being very natural.

Yup. There's also a certain range from a particular brand that advertises itself as silicone-free, but you have to have eagle eyes to notice the asterisk, hunt down the disclaimer, only to find it says 'shampoo only' - so all the rest of that range contains silicones, even though 'silicone-free' is the main point of their ad campaign!! :brickwall :justy: *Always* read the ingredients if there's something you're trying to avoid!

[nycelle]

The brand I use built their entire company on being "6 free." So I trust them 100%. But yes, I agree that some drugstore brands are too quick to make half arsed claims.

Regarding polyquats, it's a YMMV situation. No different than other type of build-up some get from products heavy in oils, or butters. This a good link (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/polyquat-or-not.html) from the science-y hairblog that talks about them.

Just the other day, I didn't understand why my hair became so frizzy (and dried ridiculously quick) after using a deep conditioning mask that comes so highly recommended here.
Turns out it could of been the wax. It's an ingredient not in any of my usual products so it makes sense. But it wouldn't be considered a bad ingredient in many of the more natural products.

[Alibran]

Cyclopentasiloxane is apparently a volatile silicone which evaporates, so doesn't build up.
Amodimethicone is not water-soluble, but does not build up on itself. It creates the first layer, attaching to areas of the hair, but no more than that first layer in any area will attach.

This was mentioned in the linked thread but is worth reiterating, in case it's of use to you or anyone else stopping by to read the thread: silicones with a PEG- prefix are water-soluble by themselves (but as always, the exact formulation of a product will determine the effect it has overall).

For the person who was asking about this, cyclo...xane is one of the worst possible silicones for my hair. Along with dimethicone, it turns my hair into a frizzy mess. They feel like 'hard' silicones, in the sense that they build up like crazy, and are very difficult to shift. This is in spite of the fact that cyclo...xane is supposed to not build up. Perhaps it's the two in combination - they often seem to appear together - that causes the problem.

Amodimethicone is supposed to only attach to damaged hair, and not attach to anything else (including itself). I don't know how it does this, but it seems to work. I don't get build up from it, as long as it's the only silicone in a product, and my hair seems to like it, even though I've been no-poo for 6 months. I decided to wait until I noticed build up before getting out the sulphates, and I haven't noticed any yet.

The higher the PEG number, the more water soluble a silicone is. I think the number has to be 12 or higher for it to be reliably removed without sulphates.