MODERN DAY SILICONES - WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

by Ann-Louise Holland

Before you get worried that your greasy hair is a sign of something more serious, do look at your shampoo and conditioner as this can be the number one factor in causing greasy hair, especially if you have fine hair. I don’t mean whether a shampoo for greasy hair is drying out the scalp and making the scalp produce more grease as a response. Whilst this does happen with many more stringent products or products containing too many harsh chemicals, I am talking about a major antagonist for thinning hair: silicones. Most modern day shampoos and conditioners, plus hair styling products contain silicones, making it hard to find any that don’t. And because they are so cheap, do not cause any skin problems and also feel so good in the hair (or the skin, this is happening in skincare too), their use is industry wide. These inert substances help your hair feel soft and shiny, make it easy to comb through after washing and generally sit in our hair giving it substance and being fabulous for so many people, but crucially, not everyone.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

There are so many ingredients to avoid in general, but here we are talking about ingredients that will directly affect the growth rate and strength of your hair and help get you out of the greasy, thinning hair cycle. Silicones in beauty products show up on the back of pack as Dimethicone (or Cyclomethicone) – you will see this is ubiquitous in most hair care ranges as one of the first five and therefore most abundant ingredients.  They are both synthetic silicone oils that make products more spreadable as well as acting as carrier agents for other ingredients whilst they themselves are fairly innocuous, so incredibly safe to use. They are a cheap way to bulk out any skin or hair product whilst giving it appealing smoothness.

When you first stop washing and conditioning your hair with these silicone heavy products, your hair feels harsh and raw to touch as it misses this synthetic gloss, but after a few washes, it the hair regains its natural feel and it is able to absorb oils to support its health.  Using a silicone free shampoo and conditioner was a game changer for me and so many, and it is definitely worth a try if you have fine hair, thinning or greasy hair.