It is because of the overwhelming advertising that many people have already decided that silicone oil in shampoo is the “big villain” – we wash our hair “diligently”, but because of We wash our hair “diligently”, but because of it, our hair has various problems.
In fact, silicone oil has been serving in the field of hair care for nearly 50 years, but in the past few years it has suddenly stood in the limelight, and become a shouting match for everyone, it is really some injustice.
Let’s put the conclusion up front.
There has not been a single study showing that silicone oil causes problems such as clogged hair follicles and hair loss.
Silicone-free shampoo publicity focused on gentle cleaning and scalp care, while the role of silicone oil is to make the hair smooth, the two are not in fact an evaluation system.
the use of other similar products as substitutes in shampoos, even if they do not contain silicone oil
Whether to choose a shampoo without silicone oil needs to be “hair-specific”.
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The main task of silicone oil is to target the hair strands, or to be precise, the hair follicles on the hair strands.
The hair strands are made up of dead keratinocytes, and the outermost layer is the hair follicles, or “scales” as we call them.
The structure of hair filaments
The hair scales have two main functions: one is to wrap the keratin in the hair strands – keratin is the determining factor of the hair strands’ properties, whether our hair is black or yellow, straight or curly, moist or dry, basically depends on it; the other function is to make the hair strands feel smooth and look shiny.
However, the scales are very fragile, so perming, coloring, rubbing during shampooing, and even combing wet hair can make them buckle and open up; and because the hair is made up of dead cells, damaged scales do not have the ability to heal themselves, so the open scales will increase the friction between the hair strands, making it easier for the hair to tangle, which in turn increases the damage to the scales.
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Damaged hair scales under the microscope
Damaged and open hair scales have two direct consequences – poor hair lock + dull looking hair. The solution to both of these problems has been available for a long time, such as the use of “head oils”. Later on, silicone oil came into the picture.
Silicones don’t smooth out the scales, but they adhere to the hair, filling in the gaps between the open scales, thus making the hair smooth, reducing friction between the strands and bringing back the shine; at the same time, they form a protective layer of keratin on the hair, allowing the hair to stay hydrated. This is what we used to see in the advertisements of hair care products as the “repairing effect”.
We have searched a lot of literature and found that there are no studies that show that silicone oil in shampoos causes clogged pores, scalp irritation, hair loss, etc., other than the advertisements.
First of all, the amount of silicone oil in shampoos is much lower than we thought. The results of a previous survey showed that among several common hair care brands on the market, the shampoo with the highest silicone oil content had less than 2% silicone oil. Taiwan’s cosmetic ingredient expert Lin Chi-ching said, “In general, as long as the silicone oil content in shampoos is kept below 10%, it will not cause discomfort after shampooing”.
Second, silicone oil is actually often found in hair care products that are clearly marked as “non-acne” and “oil-free”, and with the advancement of technology, the water solubility of silicone oil added to shampoo products is also stronger, forming a better protective film on the hair at the same time, the original content of silicone oil is not high. Not high silicone oil, but also easier to be removed from the scalp by the surfactants in the shampoo.
Third, for conditioners, hair masks and other follow-up hair care products, once upon a time, even if people did not know what silicone oil was, they had a basic understanding – these products just need to be applied to the tips of the hair, not at the roots of the hair. Because the scalp’s own secretion of oil is the hair’s natural nourishing ingredients, additional hair care products will increase the greasy feeling of the hair root area.
After all of the above, are all the “silicone-free” shampoos on the market a scam? Not exactly.
The “silicone-free” shampoo does improve and upgrade the product in some aspects of the traditional shampoo, but they focus on the publicity simply and brutally on the “silicone-free”, so that the “silicone oil “alone to do the back burner.
In fact, the key to “silicone-free” shampoo products lies in the following three points.
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More gentle cleaning method
The biggest function of shampoo products is to cleanse – to take away the dirt on the hair and scalp, and the “surfactants” play this role. Most silicone oil-free shampoos choose amino acid surfactants, which are “gentler” than traditional surfactants such as sodium sulfate, and do not over-clean, thus preserving the scalp’s own oil secretion.
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Solving hair problems through scalp care
Hair strands are “dead” but the roots are alive, and to have healthier hair, you must take good care of the soil where hair grows. That’s why many shampoos include natural plant-derived ingredients such as fatty acids, proteins, and vitamins to repair the scalp barrier and maintain the scalp.
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Alternative ingredients to silicone oil are used
Although these silicone-free shampoos remove silicone oil from their products, they need to include alternative ingredients to silicone oil, such as vegetable oil and cetearyl alcohol, in their products, considering that consumers still have a need for smooth hair. Interestingly, these two were added to hair care products before silicone oil was widely used in hair care products, and now it’s very much a “retro movement”.
After some research and analysis, we would like to conclude by saying that there are advantages and disadvantages to both silicone and silicone-free shampoos, and you should choose your shampoo products according to your hair type and needs.
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Silicone shampoos tend to flatten hair
Shampoos containing silicone oil can make hair smooth and shiny, but while silicone oil fills the gaps between the hair scales and reduces friction between the hair strands, it also makes the hair strands thicker and heavier, resulting in a loss of overall volume and flattening of the hair. Therefore, you can choose a silicone-free hair care product for fine, limp hair to avoid subsequent styling difficulties.
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Silicone-free shampoo may lead to dry hair
There are many partners who report that their hair is slightly dry after using a silicone-free shampoo. The silicone oil alternatives used in silicone oil-free shampoos can improve the smoothness of wet hair, while making dry hair light and fluffy and not heavy, which is more suitable for people with undamaged hair or oily scalp. However, these alternatives, such as cetearyl alcohol and sunflower seed oil, may be acne-causing and acne-prone, so people with sensitive scalps should check the ingredients list before making a choice. FAQs
