Why Silicone Oil in Shampoo?

Silicone in Shampoo and Conditioner

Rumor has it that 90% of shampoos contain an ingredient called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or commonly referred as silicone oil. According to the myth, this silicon or dimethylsiloxane chemical fills in the spaces among the hair cuticles, making hair smooth after washing. But due to its impenetrability and inertia, silicon can clog pores, causing itchy scalp and even hair loss.

?

But is it really the case? Let's take a look at some common knowledge about silicone shampoo.

Why Silicone oil in Shampoo?

Silicone oil is viscous and has malleability, which moisturizes and softens hair.

The purpose of hair washing is to remove dust from the hair and scalp, and to wash off excess oil. But when you wash your hair, your hair will absorb water, become soft and wet, and the protective oil outside the hair skin will be washed away, which will easily lead to hair cuticle damage.

People used to use oils or oil products like bay oil and hair conditioner to solve this problem by lubricating the hair and reducing damage during grooming.

Due to its inertia and absorbability, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) can adhere to the hair and fill into the hair cuticles, making the surface of the hair smoother and hence “repair” the hair. Silicone-containing hair washes make hair shinier, easier to comb, stronger and smoother. PDMS also keeps the moisture content of hair stable by forming a protective layer.

Is Dimethicone Bad for Hair?

Dimethicone (referred as silicone oil hereafter) is the main ingredient of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS or silicone oil).

People blamed the hair loss to dimethicone, calling it as dimethicone hair loss, and looked for shampoo without parabens sulfates and silicones and other silicone free hair products.

But there is something you need to know about silicone oil.

1. Silicone oil is a macromolecular substance that is not absorbed by hair follicles.?Actually, there has not much silicone oil in shampoo. And under the cleaning effect of surfactant, coupled with water rinsing, there is almost no silicone oil residue on the head.

2. Silicone oil is safe for use in cosmetics because it is not irritating to the skin. Although it can form hydrophobic film on the skin, it is breathable, it will not cause acne, hair loss, allergy, etc., it is often used in the label a not-acne or oil free products, and this is its advantage over traditional oil.

Most shampoos contain a small amount of silicone oil so as to provide protective effect during hair wash.

3. In fact, the likelihood of silicone oil remaining on the cuticles and clogging pores is low. Because the amount of silicone oil in shampoos is very low, below 1%. It can be almost removed by washing with a lot of water and using anionic surfactants that act as cleaners.

Innovative Silicone Oil from SiLIM

The silicone oil used for shampoo is called Polydimethylsiloxane in chemistry and formula is (CH3)3SiO[(CH3)2SiO]n-Si(CH3)3, is transparent, colourless polydimethylsilixane liquid with available viscosities ranging from 10 cps to 8,000,000 cps.

SiLIM continuously brings innovative solutions for silicone oil in shampoo and other beauty products. There are now new components that improve the structure of silicone oil, such as synthetic ether or amino groups. These new elements are more capable of binding hair than general silicone oil and are more water-soluble. Products containing these new ingredients adhere more efficiently with fewer residues.

Follow us for more:

SiLIM | LinkedIn | Youtube