Silicone is a quick-change artist. It goes by a variety of names, and there’s very little it can’t do. This synthetic fabric is so versatile because it works like Lego. You can build short-chain, long-chain or ring-shaped silicones and branch them with each other as you wish. That’s why there are so many areas of application – whether for sealing joints, as breast implants, cake tins or to fill wrinkles. It’s no wonder that silicone is one of the most frequently used cosmetic ingredients – even if it has recently come under criticism. While some beauty manufacturers swear by it, it is taboo in natural cosmetics and is removed from some products by other conventional suppliers. Why is silicone so polarizing? what is advantage what prejudice? Answers to the most important questions.
Table of Contents
DO SILICONE AFFECT HAIR?
Shiny hair is the epitome of attractiveness. This is why more than half of all shampoos and even 90 percent of all conditioners contain silicone. It wraps around each individual hair like a protective film, nestles protruding horny scales against the shaft and reflects the light. Critics claim that silicone residue builds up on hair, making it greasy and making coloring difficult. “In the past, that was often the case,” says Britta Klebon, deputy director of Garnier’s scientific department. “More water-soluble silicones are used today. For our ‘Fructis’ hair care we use z. B. ‘Amodimethicone’ which works with an attraction trick.
Since the molecules have a positively charged side arm, they specifically dock onto the damaged, negatively charged areas of the hair without weighing down the rest.” In terms of broken hair ends, silicone is actually the only thing that helps. While it cannot repair the hair, it can seal it in such a way that it does not unravel further.
DOES A SILICONE FILM DAMAGE THE SKIN?
What silicone can do to hair, it can do to skin: It forms a kind of water-repellent coat that protects against moisture loss. This makes it an ideal ingredient in hand creams and ointments for wounds, sealing it like a spray plaster. Above all, it is good that allergies to silicone are unknown. Silicone is also often used in body oils because it lasts forever, fixes fragrances on the skin and does not feel greasy. This has the advantage that you can slip into your jeans immediately after rubbing it in. Silicone has also been experiencing a real boom in so-called “wrinkle filler products” for a few years, which work on the principle of a joint filler. Due to the high doses of silicone, the face appears youthfully smooth – right after application. Sounds great, but it’s only one side of the coin. If there is too much silicone in a cream, sweat accumulates, the skin swells under the film and becomes brittle. In addition, unlike vegetable oils, silicone does not provide any care substances of its own, so that active ingredients always have to be added in order to create more than a superficial short-term effect. Creams that you intend to use daily should ideally only contain such amounts of silicone that it appears in the bottom two-thirds of the list of ingredients (see box).
