The Best Silicone Free Hair Conditioner, Styling Products & Shampoo
Get Healthy Hair with Silicone Free Products
Everyone wants perfect hair. According to recent polls, the average amount a woman spends on hair care in her lifetime is over $45,000. With beauty magazines and billboards promoting perfection, average women struggle to keep up appearances – and mass marketers couldn’t be happier!
The problem is that so many beauty products are geared toward masking problems instead of fixing the root issue. That makes as much sense as putting a Bandaid over an unclean wound & expecting it to heal. Cute as the Bandaid is, it won’t cure the problem! Silicone is the beauty equal to Hello Kitty Bandaids.
So why is silicone bad for your hair and skin?
You would think that silicone is the ultimate ingredient to have in cosmetics and hair products. Afterall, it fills in pores and fine lines on your face for a flawless complexion, and it fills in porous areas of the hair for sleek & glossy locks. So why in the world would silicone be bad?
Silicone is a sticky substance that traps things. This is not good. Let me explain…
Silicone Smothers Skin and Hair!
Why silicone is bad for your complexion: On your face, this Silicone is bad because it locks IN any oils or dirt to the pores pores, leading to breakout city. On your hair, this is a bad thing because it locks OUT all moisture.
If you use a face primer that contains silicone, then apply your foundation, your skin is unable to release any dirt or oil stuck under the primer. Also, pores are smothered and cannot get oxygen, leading to a breeding ground for bacteria.
Why silicone is bad for your hair:
Silicone Damages Healthy Hair
When you cover your hair in silicone-based conditioners & shine boosters, they stay coated on the hair shaft until you use one of those ultra-clarifying shampoos, which strip everything (including moisture) from your hair. This means that silicone just keeps building up, eventually leaving you with limp, lifeless, very dry hair, until you use a super-powered shampoo to get rid of it. While the silicone sits on your strands, they are unable to absorb any moisture from the air, or from any moisturizing hair conditioners you might use.
This moisture blocking technology is why silicone-based products are popular with those who live in high humidity. If moisture cannot get into the hair strand, fly – aways and frizz won’t occur. BUT think of what this moisture depletion can do to your hair over time. It will completely deprive your hair of moisture, and it will eventually become a dry, brittle mess. Luckily, quite a few companies are starting to see that people are wising up on the over-use of silicone. Hair products infused with a blend of naturally hydrating ingredients can benefit your hair while also making it look fabulous.
Find some good quality silicone-free hair products:
If your hair is dry and frizzy, look for hair products that contain botanicals and essential oils as moisturizers. These smooth and align the hair shaft without causing long-term damage. I’ve listed some of my favorites below – but there are many more on the market. Just make sure to do your research on ingredients before buying.
Sidlab Mend Conditioner
Mend is a restorative treatment for soft, shiny, healthy hair. Along with essential oils and wheat and silk proteins, mend uses jojoba seed oil, a non-greasy, yet moisturizing humectant to seal in moisture and restore hair to its natural pH balance. Mega moisture complex leaves hair soft and more manageable without weighing it down. Can be used as rinse-out conditioner, or in small amounts on damp hair as a leave-in conditioner. About $20 per bottle.
Naturelle Biotera Color Care
Product: 3-Minute Treatment & Ultra Color Care Conditioner
Biotera Silicone Free Conditioner
Biotera Ultra Color Care Intense 3-Minute Treatment is an anti-fade silicone-free & paraben-free intense treatment that promotes long-lasting color retention. Fortified with scientifically-advanced Tri-Soy Complex , Silicone & Paraben-free, Intensely hydrates hair. About $10 per bottle.
Redken Diamond Effects
Products: Shampoo, Conditioner & Diamond Oil
Redken Diamond Oil
Redken Diamond Oil Products are silicone-free with natural oils that penetrate each level of the hair fiber to nourish strengthen and reinforce strands from the inside out. Instantly detangles and improves manageability, Protects hair from breakage, Restores sparkling, multi-faceted shine. About $20 per bottle.
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Tips:
Don’t stop using all silicone based products a few weeks before a big event.
Your hair will be dry & frizzy while recovering from the effects of silicone. While I would suggest going cold turkey if you intend to stop using silicone based products, I definitely would NOT advise doing so right before a special event. Give yourself about 3-4 weeks of recovery. During this time you will need to deep-condition at least twice a week & get a trim. Be gentle to your hair & don’t over-use heat styling appliances.
Always check ingredients.
Silicone (or scientific name dimethicone) lurks in thousands of skin care & hair care products.
Labels are sneaky, and Silicone can have many other names such as: Amino bispropyl dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Behenoxy dimethicone, Cyclomethicone-Mimethicone, Cyclopentasilaxane, Dimethicone, Dimethiconal, Phenyl Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Phenylpropyl Dimethicone
Don’t be duped into thinking the “active ingredient” list is a list of ALL ingredients.
Some websites are especially sneaky with hiding silicone on their ingredient list! Last week on the Bumble & Bumble site, I purchased their Quenching Complex because silicone was not listed in the “key ingredients” section. After going to the Sephora website and checking, I discovered there is in fact silicone in the product!
If you insist on using hair products with silicone, limit their use to 2-3 times per week.
Then, once every 2 weeks, use a deep-cleansing shampoo (such as Ion’s Clarifying Shampoo) to remove the build-up they leave behind. The ultimate disaster occurs when you use shampoo + conditioner + styling products that ALL have silicone. The products just keep building up, and your hair never gets the chance to absorb moisture. You’re left with brittle, dry strands that will take months of hair cuts and deep conditioning to restore. So if you feel the need to use a product with silicone, select either a conditioner or styling product and don’t use it every day. You can’t rely on constant use of deep-cleaning shampoo to remove the build up of silicones, because the sulfates in them are very drying.
If you insist on using silicone based face primers, limit their use to special occasions.
This is especially important if you have large pores or acne prone skin. The build-up of silicone can stretch pores over time, leaving you with even larger ones than you had to begin with! Silicone also plugs pores, and is difficult to remove. To thoroughly remove silicones from your face, be sure to exfoliate then use a salicylic acid based face wash to dissolve the silicone and oil trapped in your pores. Using a peel-off mask the day after you used silicone primer can also help. To see my review of a face powder to use as alternative to silicone based gel primers, click here.
Thanks for reading! If anyone has suggestions for any other good silicone free products, please list in the comments below!
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