Silicones or no silicones and why?

[Sparkles122]

Im curious to know if you prefer silicones or no silicones and why? Forgive me if there is already a thread on this, I cant search on the mobile site. I use both silicones and no silicones, depending on how I feel and how my hair feels. I have old bleach damage that I am growing out. When I had my natural hair I did not use silicones. Not sure if I will ever go back to entirely no silicones.

[Siv]

Well, I have the type of hair that does well on cones. I also have really fine hair strands, so the longer my hair gets the crazier the tangles get... Cones are a saviour for my tangly hair. But, for environmental reasons, I try to find cone-free options. I'm going to try Hair Food tonight!

[Arciela]

I try to avoid them because they build up so fast on my natural hair. My old bleached hair loved them though.

I think now my hair is very low porosity so less is more! :flower:

[Ylva]

I love polymer-type silicones that aren't so keen on building up on themselves, for example amodimethicone and bis-aminopropyl dimethicone.

My virgin hair is okay both with and without silicones, as far as I know, but I'm an 'all or nothing' kind of person, so I might as well go for all the slip I can.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I'm a no cones kind of person. I use shampoo bars to clean my hair and I'm really not sure if those are strong enough to wash away cones.

[Nox_Inber]

I used to be cone free but since I moved to somewhere with hard water, my hair has done far better with cones. It's the only thing that keeps my hair from sticking to itself and tangling super bad. I also do ROO with it and I've had awesome results.

[doedeer]

No silicones, they build up on my scalp and make my roots look completely flat (and greasy)

[EdG]

Silicones are inferior to the body's natural conditioner (sebum). Being waxy, sebum facilitates the comb in pulling lint out of hair. I have not found a similar property in hair products with silicone.
Ed

[lapushka]

Im curious to know if you prefer silicones or no silicones and why? Forgive me if there is already a thread on this, I cant search on the mobile site. I use both silicones and no silicones, depending on how I feel and how my hair feels. I have old bleach damage that I am growing out. When I had my natural hair I did not use silicones. Not sure if I will ever go back to entirely no silicones.

Either or, with me. As long as the product detangles and moisturizes well, I am content. For instance the Garnier Fructis Hairfood mask (called treats in the US) is without silicones, but it detangles like a breeze and so I like that... a lot!

Let me tell you a quick story. When I first got here, I was "talked into" an aversion to silicones and even sulfates. You just didn't use them, period. Then I got off the sulfate-free and silicone-free bandwagon years later (partly due to a finicky scalp) and boy... it's really all in your head, you know, the difference. When you *well and truly* look at it.

I just started looking at it product by product. Not so much silicone to silicone-free. And that works *much* much better. One product needs the silicones, others do not. It is all about the "effect" on MY hair and if MY hair likes it or not. That's the *only* thing I go by.

And it really works! Really works really well. :D

[Siv]

I used to be cone free but since I moved to somewhere with hard water, my hair has done far better with cones. It's the only thing that keeps my hair from sticking to itself and tangling super bad. I also do ROO with it and I've had awesome results.

Huh, I never thought about that. That explains a lot!!

[Laurab]

I've tried both, and tbh I don't notice a huge difference. Like lapushka said, it's more about individual products.

The purpose of silicones is they coat your hair to give them slip and protect it some.
The downside to this is they can build up and prevent things from getting into the shaft.
Or rather, people think so anyway. I'm not sure how much research there is on this stuff.
Additionally silicones do need harsher ingredients to break them down, so some people avoid silicones for that reason.

The past couple of weeks I've kinda been alternating to figure out what I like, and I don't see a huge difference. But my hair isn't picky at all, I've never noticed a huge difference with different products.

[hannabiss]

I'll also add to the bandwagon of it depends on the product. I think right now I'm not using any cones. But it's not because I never use them its because my hair is enjoying the cheap-O shampoo I currently have. Also my hair is only shoulder length right now. I know when it gets longer I will need conditioner and possibly cones. Or maybe not. Lol

[lapushka]

I've tried both, and tbh I don't notice a huge difference. Like lapushka said, it's more about individual products.

The purpose of silicones is they coat your hair to give them slip and protect it some.
The downside to this is they can build up and prevent things from getting into the shaft.
Or rather, people think so anyway. I'm not sure how much research there is on this stuff.
Additionally silicones do need harsher ingredients to break them down, so some people avoid silicones for that reason.

The past couple of weeks I've kinda been alternating to figure out what I like, and I don't see a huge difference. But my hair isn't picky at all, I've never noticed a huge difference with different products.

Yep I think we have the same type of hair, bothered/not bothered. LOL! ;) :lol:

I've been on this forum quite some time, and tried just about everything there is to try (some things of course I haven't, I mean let's be honest here). But since I started looking at things product to product, and looking at the effect on my very own hair, it just was 100% better, and it was better for my peace of mind too. Because when you first get here, you tend to do what "most" people do. And the thing is, you really have to find what works for *your* hair, and that is such an individual thing. Nobody can tell you what is "right", you just have to find that out all on your own.

Same is with sulfate vs. sulfate-free, silicones vs. silicone-free.

For me for instance, I tend to avoid (if I can) silicones in my shampoo (because of my SD, seborrheic dermatitis). Now once won't kill me, but I don't have to wash with a silicone-laden shampoo every week for say 3/4 weeks, or I am going to get into trouble. I know that, because I went through the whole thing of experiencing it first hand.

I say just try and see what works, and if you clarify-wash at least once to twice a month, you will be just fine.

[SpottedBackson]

I'm prefer no silicones. For some reason they make my already dry hair drier.

[SpottedBackson]

I've been on this forum quite some time, and tried just about everything there is to try (some things of course I haven't, I mean let's be honest here).


Monistat? :wink:

[Dark40]

It's silicones or no silicones with me. I prefer to have the silicones. Because, it gives my hair more slip and shine. To me, it also protects your hair against damage too. That's my opinion.

[lapushka]

Monistat? :wink:

Hahaha; nope. ;) Never tried that one!

[LoversLullaby]

Personally, I love silicones. They make my wavy hair lie a lot smoother. Overall, my hair is softer and more manageable with them. I use a sulfate shampoo when I wash (my scalp is much happier with sulfates), so I don't really worry about build up that much.

[katr]

I've been avoiding sulfates and silicones because it's supposed to be better for curls (I'm not really sure why, maybe the silicone weighs them down?) I'm not sure if it made much of a difference, but I like the way my hair feels so I will continue for now.

[desisparkles]

love your braid pic Expecto!

katr - me too! - minus the sulphates - I still use them a few times a month.

ordered some leave in with peg-dimethicone to try though - it's water soluble so it might be a winning combo for my fine, easily breakable hair.

[lithostoic]

No silicone because most need to be washed away by sulfates, which irritate my skin.

[katr]

love your braid pic Expecto!

katr - me too! - minus the sulphates - I still use them a few times a month.

ordered some leave in with peg-dimethicone to try though - it's water soluble so it might be a winning combo for my fine, easily breakable hair.

Ohh I didn't know you could get water soluble silicones, will have to look into that. My hair is fine and breakable too, and could do with a bit more slip so that might be the way to go

[MusicalSpoons]

Mostly none, but my cheap HG conditioner has PEG-dimethicone halfway down the ingredients list which is water-soluble; a protein conditioner I found in my price range also contains a couple of water-soluble silicones but that conditioner is harder to rinse out and is not my favourite. Generally I prefer to avoid them but if a conditioner otherwise looks good I don't mind if it contains a water-soluble cone.

Why? 1) Well I wanted to try cone-free and see if it made a difference - it did, my hair suddenly had texture, but it also tangled more easily. That took me a long time to admit to myself, and I was only really able to admit it once I'd tweaked my routine to become more moisturising so my hair was happier and less tangly anyway, which is when I realised it had been a bit easier with cones and a bit harder when I started cone-free.
2) By then, most of my stash of conditioners were cone-free, and
3) although I had sulphate-free shampoo able to remove cones at the time I just didn't want the hassle of having to remember to actually shampoo my lengths regularly anyway.
4) Now, I have a very mild shampoo (dictated by my scalp) which I don't think would remove non-water-soluble cones. I do sometimes chelate to see if it makes any difference with our very hard water, but I like not having to worry about buildup :shrug:
5) I know for certain that the water-soluble cones have not made all that much of a difference in themselves. I feel I'm at about optimum moisturising for my hair as far as I can do, and the tweaks I have made after I started using the PEG-cone conditioner have each had just as much of an effect as finding that conditioner - I also have a couple of other cone-free products so far that surpass it for slip and ease of detangling. The ingredients in my cheap HG are mostly plant oils in the first half of the list so I kind of think the PEG-cone is somewhat incidental, just to give it a slight slip boost perhaps.

tl;dr: My default position is no, though I will compromise with a water-soluble silicone in conditioner if it otherwise sounds like it's worth trying :)
Oh, and never in shampoo :tmi:

[The Lizard Wife]

My hair does much better without silicones. I used sulfates and silicones all the way up until this current phase of growing my hair, about four years ago. Sulfates would dry out my hair, and I couldn't get enough cones dumped on it afterwards to combat that and weigh my hair back down (despite being told "your hair is so healthy!" I'd keep reaching for the most "dry frizzy hair! heat damage! breakage! super intensive healing restoration!!!" conditioners in an attempt to get something heavy enough to make a difference, and I never found anything that worked for more than the first use). If I was lucky, I'd get a good hair day the day after the shower. If I was unlucky, my sebum already built up over the cones and I looked super oily, very stringy, and my hair felt really unpleasant. The worst of all was when my hair was very short, and on shower day it would be fluffy and dry and then the next day it would be slicked to my head.

Without silicones, and stretching washes, I feel like my sebum helps to actually moisturize my hair between washes. And when the sebum isn't building up on top of the cones, my oily hair feels very soft and sleek and nice and looks less stringy. Just perpetually wet.

So I guess for me it's kind of a positive feedback loop that enables me to live the life I wanted to become accustomed to. Ditching cones enables me to stretch washes, and stretching washes means I can ditch cones; my hair and scalp get to be not-washed like they want and I get to not spend time washing them like I want.

[RunOnCaffeine]

My hair prefers them but I can not use them and it will still be okay.

[TatsuOni]

No silicones. My hair and scalp doesn't like silcones or sulfates.

Sulfates and cones would make my hair dry. My scalp dryer with rashes, pimples and itching.

[Joules]

I'm for silicones, but used wisely. I spent 8 years on the strictly cone-free routine and it wrecked my ends (I couldnt' get past waist with healthy ends). Silicones do protect the hair after all, I managed to get almost to tailbone with perfectly healthy ends with cones in my hair care. I do use them cautiously however, like, all my shampoos are cone-free as well as all of my hair masks, but my leave-in stuff must contain cones.

[Tinyponies]

I recently accidentally used a shampoo with amodimethicone in it for a couple of washes, and my hair got very dry and tangly which I’m not used to. My scalp had loads of flakes too. I’ve recently clarified it out (hopefully) but though it’s softer and a bit happier it feels stripped so now hoping to build moisture back into my hair.


No silicones. My hair and scalp doesn't like silcones or sulfates.

Sulfates and cones would make my hair dry. My scalp dryer with rashes, pimples and itching.

OT but do you ever need to use a shampoo to reset/clarify, Tatsu? Do the natural oils you use build up at all?

[SleepyTangles]

No cones, my Virgin hair gets statics and a weird greasy-but-dehydrated-underneath feeling very fast. Plus to me they always make dry detangling worse.
My skin and scalp are also very sensitive to silicones, they gets usually quite bumby and irritated, overproducing sebum.

I recently bleached a huge chunk of hair. I don't mind getting some silicones on it (my favorite deposito dye has some simethicone) , as the hair is already compromised beyond repair.

[MamaLou]

I'm somewhere in between. I mostly use sulphate free shampoo and because of that I mostly use a silicone free conditioner and leave in conditioner. My ends really like this and they are very moisturized when I do this. However if I do want my hair super shiny I get the best result with sulphates and silicones (I just shouldn't do it every wash because my ends will dry out).

[hayheadsbird]

The odd silicone application I can just about cope with, but they build up so fast it's just not worth it

[TatsuOni]

I recently accidentally used a shampoo with amodimethicone in it for a couple of washes, and my hair got very dry and tangly which I’m not used to. My scalp had loads of flakes too. I’ve recently clarified it out (hopefully) but though it’s softer and a bit happier it feels stripped so now hoping to build moisture back into my hair.



OT but do you ever need to use a shampoo to reset/clarify, Tatsu? Do the natural oils you use build up at all?

I haven't used shampoo even once since 2013 and I've never had any problem with build up.

The oils I use are mostly absorbed into my hair. During the winter I add some oil and salve every day to every other day. If I ever get any excess oil in my hair, it gets washed out with conditioner.

[Tinyponies]

I haven't used shampoo even once since 2013 and I've never had any problem with build up.

The oils I use are mostly absorbed into my hair. During the winter I add some oil and salve every day to every other day. If I ever get any excess oil in my hair, it gets washed out with conditioner.

Thanks for your reply. That’s very encouraging!

[shelomit]

I've had okay results both with and without cones, but the conditioners I like best are very cone-y. I suspect that might not be the case if I were trying to enhance my curls, but I prefer to have my hair a little straighter. Never saw the point of cones in shampoo, though : p

[Longlegs]

I like to use sulphate-free shampoo and I don't think it's strong enough to remove cones, and it may build up in my hair.
When I stopped using silicones my hair became more wavy, but after 6 months it went back to having a looser wave like it used to have when I used a silicone conditioner.

[Reyn127]

I do not use silicones. In my experience, they tend to make my hair all straw-like; dry, stiff, sticky. The nice conditioning effects and slip only last for about 2 days for me, and then my hair suddenly gets bad. I’ve found a shampoo, a few conditioners, a few detangling products and a handful of finishing oils, all silicone free, that give me similar slip to silicones, but the effects last 3-5 days and do NOT have a weird turnaround where my hair reacts badly after a few days. So I just use those, there’s no reason for me to venture too far from the products I have now.

[Ligeia Noire]

Love silicones. Could have not grown my specific type of hair if I did not use them. My favourites were Pantene stuff but I have to say Neutrogena Tipple moisture might have dethroned them.
It is awesome.
Nexxus humectress is another gem.

[0xalis]

I only don't use them because the VO5 I use doesn't have them. It's been so long since I've used cones that I don't know how my hair would react.
I'm just going to stick to what my know, because my hair seems to like it, and it's cheap.