Why do you want silicone free shampoo? (2023)

Why would you want silicone-free shampoo?

Using multiple products that contain silicones – shampoos, conditioners, and styling products – can result in serious buildup. Used in excess, silicones may cause your hair to become heavy and greasy, rather than bouncy and smooth. Silicone buildup can also clog your follicles, which can lead to hair thinning and loss.

To wash away the buildup for silicones, the shampoo may contain harsh sulfates. Over time, washing and conditioning hair with sulfates and silicones can lead to dry, brittle hair that's prone to breakage. For healthier hair, opt for sulfate and silicone-free shampoo and conditioner.

Silicone-free formulas will often feel lightweight on your strands. They'll leave your hair with more of a clean feeling, rather than a slick, slippery feel. This can make the product easier to rinse out because you won't have that nagging slip lingering on your hair.

Manufacturers promote their silicone-free environment because silicone is widely recognized as a possible contaminant. Silicone contamination disrupts the adhesive bonding process and it can compromise the quality of the end product. Contamination is not always visible to the naked eye.

Meanwhile, Thomas explains that people with thin, fine, and straight hair should not use silicones, or if they do, products with a water-soluble silicone such as cyclomethicone are the best options. "Thinner hair types generally have more oil that moves from the scalp to the hair shaft," she says.

You might want to avoid sulfate shampoos if you have sensitive skin or a skin condition such as rosacea. Sulfates can be harsh on the scalp and may cause irritation and itchiness. Sulfate-free shampoos are usually much milder.

Over time, your hair will become softer on its own, feel lighter, and appear more voluminous. Your scalp will also begin feeling more balanced and free of any irritation. Cleaner ingredients mean less buildup on your scalp, leading to healthier and stronger hair growth.

The change can take up to 4-6 weeks depending on the amount of build-up in the scalp and hair, but in most cases, 2-3 weeks is enough to find a new balanced state in the scalp and hair.

According to a report, dimethicone is not a direct cause of hair fall. But, the build-up of this silicone-based component can lead to hair fall. The basic nature of silicone is to repel water. Moreover, dimethicone is used to coat cuticles and trap moisture to give hair a smooth, silky appearance.

Since silicone is a synthetic agent, Dr Agarwal theorises that those who believe in natural and green beauty are predisposed against them. “However, there is inadequate scientific research to prove that just because silicone is a synthetic material, it is harmful to use,” she says.

What causes silicone build up in hair?

Silicone build-up on hair is one common outcome of using silicone-based hair care products. Moreover, you would also need to use harsh shampoos to get rid of silicones as they are harder to wash off. The solution lies in choosing shampoos and conditioners that are free of this harmful ingredient.

The solution: With a silicone-free shampoo, you don't have to worry about build up that could block moisture and nutrients. Ingredients that bring softness, shine, and manageability can reach your strands to repair damage, deliver hydration, and more.

One of the major disadvantages of silicone rubber is its poor tear strength. This can be improved with the addition of other ingredients, but it doesn't naturally offer strength or abrasion resistance, so the application needs to be carefully assessed for the suitability of silicone as a solution.

The FDA has warned that injected liquid silicone may move throughout the body and can cause serious health consequences, including death. Liquid silicone may block blood vessels in parts of the body like the brain, heart, lymph nodes, or lungs, leading to an extremely dangerous situation.

* Breathing Silicon Tetrahydride can irritate the nose, throat and lungs. * High exposure to Silicon Tetrahydride can cause headache, nausea and dizziness. * Silicon Tetrahydride is a HIGHLY FLAMMABLE and REACTIVE chemical and a DANGEROUS FIRE and EXPLOSION HAZARD.

Sulfates are not necessarily harmful, however, they can be too good at their job, stripping the hair, scalp and skin of natural oils, and leaving it feeling dry and brittle. Because of this, certain people can benefit from avoiding sulfates in their self-care products.

Sulfate–free shampoo can make a difference to hair that is lacking in moisture, or hair that is color-treated. Normal shampoo with sulfates can strip the color out of your color–treated hair more quickly than sulfate-free shampoo and can be a contributing factor to dryness in frizzy or natural hair.

Sulfate free shampoo will get you feeling clean, but not stripped of moisture. The results? A healthier scalp with balanced oil production. Dry scalp types will find that their scalp is more moisturized (not oily), and oilier scalp types will find that their excessive oil production will be reduced over time.

“Silicones are polymers that provide multiple benefits to the hair. They enhance shine, improve hydration, provide frizz control and leave hair feeling soft and smooth,” Mondo tells ELLE.com.

If you use sulfate-free shampoos, you should skip silicones.

This is a good thing, as it doesn't disrupt our microbiome, harm our skin barrier function, or strip away our natural oils. However, it also means it's not necessarily as effective at lifting up the buildup caused by silicones.

How do you know if you have silicone build up?

If you wait longer between washes, or like to use a ton of haircare products, silicones will build up much faster. You'll notice when that happens. You hair starts feeling heavy, loses volume, and looks greasy. It's not damaged.

Usually, ingredients in sulfate-free shampoos are so mild that your hair may feel greasy even after a thorough wash. Many sulfate-free shampoos have ingredients like decyl glucoside or coco glucoside that are very mild cleansing agents [7].

Which Shampoos Should You Avoid? Sulfur. It's important to avoid shampoos that contain sulfur, which could worsen your hair loss. “While sulfur allows shampoos to lather well, it also strips the oils from your scalp, causing your hair to dry out and break," Taub says.

Not so fast—though clarifying shampoos will remove silicone buildup, many of them do so by using sulfates, which strip your strands of all buildup and excess product, but also a lot of their natural oils. 3 They may also strip color if you dye your hair.

The detergents sodium lauryl or sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl or laureth sulfate and cocamidopropyl betaine (possible coco betaine) are most effective in removing silicone residue (1). Also, I'd say most buildup happens with styling products like hair serums, curl creams, and leave-in conditioners.

Common Signs You Might Have Product Buildup on Your Scalp and Hair. “The telltale signs that you need to exfoliate or reduce buildup include: noticing flakes that seem like dandruff, the hair looking oily or dull, and a faint odor of the scalp,” says Dr. Zalka.

Sulphates strip moisture from your hair and silicones don't allow moisture into the hair instead they cause product build up. Both aren't great for your hair and when it comes to That Good Hair Custom Hair Products we make sure that all of our hair products are Sulphate, Silicone, Fragrance, Paraben Free and More.

Over time, your hair will become softer on its own, feel lighter, and appear more voluminous. Your scalp will also begin feeling more balanced and free of any irritation. Cleaner ingredients mean less buildup on your scalp, leading to healthier and stronger hair growth.

Less Irritation

The solution: If you have a sensitive scalp, silicone-free hair products can be helpful. Leave the prospect of irritation from harsh chemicals behind and say hello to a healthy scalp by opting for a silicone-free, sulfate-free shampoo.

What's the difference between silicone and silicone-free shampoo?

As the name implies, a silicone-free shampoo is a shampoo formula that doesn't contain silicones in any way, shape, or form. Silicones are synthetic ingredients made up of silica (a plastic-like element found in sand) and other materials that have been used in haircare products for decades.