Why Do Your Hair Products Seem to Suddenly Stop Working?

HairAlone
HairAlone
Aug 23, 2017 · 4 min read

How many times have you bought a new hair product only to find that after several uses it just seems to stop working? Some will tell you that it is just time to rotate to something else; that your hair has become immune to the product benefits. Instead, in all likelihood, the product in question was not so great in the first place. A potential culprit…silicone.

What is Silicone?

Silicone is a synthetic chemical that is formulated to smooth hair and add shine, while protecting it from humidity. It is widely used across many hair product categories and price points, especially within the anti-frizz and smoothing product categories.

How Does Silicone Work?

Silicone covers each hair strand with a protective plastic-like coating. Suddenly, frizzy or damaged hair looks and feels like it is healthy again; hair is left shiny and smooth.

Why is Silicone Controversial?

The truth is that products made with silicone provide a quick appearance fix, but do not improve the condition of your hair at all. Instead, with repeated use, the exact opposite can occur — hair can become dry, brittle and frizzy, causing split ends and breakage.

Why Does Silicone Dry Out Hair?

That plastic-like coating that silicone provides also prevents the hair from absorbing essential moisture or nutrients from conditioners. At the same time, many silicones do not easily wash away. For this reason, over time silicone buildup can occur, causing the hair to be continually robbed of moisture.

To make matters worse, because silicone can be continually layered on the hair in the course of your hair care routine (shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, gel, anti-frizz serum, hair spray, etc.), it is entirely possible that your hair is never free of it!

Why are Silicones Hard to Remove from the Hair?

Many silicones are insoluble in water and will not rinse away easily. A good foaming shampoo is necessary to effectively remove silicone buildup; gentler sulfate-free and low-poo shampoos may not do the job. On top of that (as mentioned above), if you use a conditioner, leave-in, gel or frizz serum with silicone, then the cycle can just continue.

How Can You Attempt to Avoid Silicone Buildup?

The best thing you can do to avoid silicone buildup is to read ingredient labels and adjust your cleansing routine based on what you use and how your hair reacts. If you use products with silicone, you may want to try using a clarifying shampoo every so often since they are formulated to remove buildup. A word of caution — clarifying shampoos can be drying, so don’t use one too frequently; once every few weeks should suffice.

What to Look for on Product Labels

As you attempt to read product labels, refer to the following list of the more common silicone formulations. Of these, you will find that Dimethicone is by far the most widely used silicone.

As you shop and compare different products, also be aware that not all silicones are alike. Some are more water-soluble than others and will wash away more readily with water, preventing the issues of buildup and dryness. These are also noted below.

Common Silicones

Amodimethicone

Cyclomethicone

Dimethicone

Dimethiconol

Behenoxy Dimethicone

Cetearyl Methicone

Cetyl Dimethicone

Phenyl Trimethicone

Stearoxy Dimethicone

Stearyl Dimethicone

Cyclopentasiloxane

Water-Soluble Silicones

Any “PEG-#” prefix added to Dimethicone, i.e., PEG-8

Dimethicone Copolyol

Dimethicone PEG-# Phosphate

Lauryl Methicone Copolyol

Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane

How Do You Learn What Works?

In the end, everyone’s hair responds differently, so it is sometimes a trial and error process to find the ideal products for your hair. Try to regularly read ingredient labels, monitor how your hair responds and adjust accordingly. Once you find the right products, they should not suddenly stop working!

A Simple Solution

To make life easier, also check out our app. In it, we have curated a list of healthy hair products for you to try, including one of the largest selections of silicone-free products found anywhere.

Happy shopping for healthier hair products.

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HairAlone

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HairAlone

Covering everything in the world of hair and celebrity hair. Our app will make you look better, starting with your hair: http://apple.co/2oAs5Dm

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