By Jenna Brooks
You may have seen a label on some of your products when shopping recently stating “silicone-free” on the bottle. However, you may find yourself asking what silicone-free means and whether or not you should consider silicone-free for your hair products. There are definitely some important benefits and pros when deciding whether or not to choose silicone-free products for your haircare!
Silicones in hair care are very comparable to the Saint Ives scrubs for skin care, while they create a temporary, outward appearance of shiny, healthy hair, they build up layers on your scalp causing it to look greasy and lifeless after a while. The temporary, albeit immediate, results that silicones produce are not actually real. The plastics that make up silicones are what create the shiny effect you experience after washing. Additionally, because the ingredient contains amounts of plastic, it’s bad for the environment and non-biodegradable.
Additionally, silicones in your hair products draw large amounts of build-up and bacteria on your scalp, creating a near-impenetrable layer. This blocks things like nutrients, vitamins, and even hair color from reaching your scalp and roots. Silicones slowly build up, causing longer and longer for products like masks or hair dyes to reach the core of your hair strands. This could mean a long recovery time when trying to restore your hair’s health and shine, especially due to the fact that silicones have high amounts of irritants, leaving your scalp sensitive and stripped.
For healthy and shiny looking hair, it’s definitely best to avoid products that still contain silicones in them, switching to a silicone-free option is practically costless and will save you time, money, and pain in the future. If you have already been using silicone products for quite a while, it’s never too late to switch and begin the repair process for your hair, remember to be patient as the damage may take time to completely fix itself again.