Is It True Silicones Aren't Bad??

egyptiancurls89 · 03-15-2009, 04:37 PM

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlre...p-on-silicones

umm so this is making me wanna try recoil curl activating shampoo and conditioner....any thoughts? do you think its better to stick with products like kbb or ...? thanks so much

Lil'curls · 03-15-2009, 04:57 PM

To my understanding, Silicones do good things for your hair, but they leave a build up if you don't shampoo them out. In fact, most magazines recommend silicones for curly hair, but we don't on here because most of us are CG.

egyptiancurls89 · 03-15-2009, 04:59 PM

but....if they are good for us as long as we shampoo them out every now and then, why dont we use them?>

Laura Lee · 03-15-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egyptiancurls89

but....if they are good for us as long as we shampoo them out every now and then, why dont we use them?>

They can't be removed without using a harsh sulfate (Sodium Laurel Sulfate of SLS as we abbreviate it here) which are very drying to our hair, which is murder on our curls because we need moisture more than anything. So no, silicones aren't inherently "bad", but the fact is that they build up on the hair shaft, and if you didn't use a SLS shampoo to get rid of them frequently, the silicone layer would be literally suffocating your hair shaft

CurlyCara · 03-15-2009, 05:43 PM

Laura Lee explained it way better then I did.

egyptiancurls89 · 03-15-2009, 05:53 PM

oooo ok.......sooo in no case is using silicones good for us because in order to remove them we have to hurt our hair? im a dummy lol soooo organic is always better?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laura Lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by egyptiancurls89

but....if they are good for us as long as we shampoo them out every now and then, why dont we use them?>

They can't be removed without using a harsh sulfate (Sodium Laurel Sulfate of SLS as we abbreviate it here) which are very drying to our hair, which is murder on our curls because we need moisture more than anything. So no, silicones aren't inherently "bad", but the fact is that they build up on the hair shaft, and if you didn't use a SLS shampoo to get rid of them frequently, the silicone layer would be literally suffocating your hair shaft

Laura Lee · 03-15-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egyptiancurls89

oooo ok.......sooo in no case is using silicones good for us because in order to remove them we have to hurt our hair? im a dummy lol soooo organic is always better?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laura Lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by egyptiancurls89

but....if they are good for us as long as we shampoo them out every now and then, why dont we use them?>

They can't be removed without using a harsh sulfate (Sodium Laurel Sulfate of SLS as we abbreviate it here) which are very drying to our hair, which is murder on our curls because we need moisture more than anything. So no, silicones aren't inherently "bad", but the fact is that they build up on the hair shaft, and if you didn't use a SLS shampoo to get rid of them frequently, the silicone layer would be literally suffocating your hair shaft

I mean, it's hard to be black and white about it and say "this is always bad" and "this is always good" because everyone's hair is different. But there is a sizeable group of people here who feel that more natural products (not all of us use exclusively organic products) such as those without silicones and sulfates are better for our hair

egyptiancurls89 · 03-15-2009, 08:41 PM

but so what happens if you use an SLS to get rid of any build up? basically im just trying to decide if im gonna order recoil shampoo and conditioner or not....i mean does using the SLS stuff to get rid of the silicone buildup negatively affect your hair other than just making it dry? coz dryness can be fixed with leave in

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laura Lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by egyptiancurls89

but....if they are good for us as long as we shampoo them out every now and then, why dont we use them?>

They can't be removed without using a harsh sulfate (Sodium Laurel Sulfate of SLS as we abbreviate it here) which are very drying to our hair, which is murder on our curls because we need moisture more than anything. So no, silicones aren't inherently "bad", but the fact is that they build up on the hair shaft, and if you didn't use a SLS shampoo to get rid of them frequently, the silicone layer would be literally suffocating your hair shaft

CurlyCara · 03-15-2009, 08:55 PM

Most commercial shampoos contain sulfates. Check the ingredient label on your shampoo bottle. Odds are, it contains something like “Sodium Laureth Sulfate” or “Sodium Laurel Sulfate” or “Ammonium Laurel Sulfate.” Perhaps you already knew this.

What you probably don’t realize is that if you check the ingredients list on your favorite dish detergent, odds are it also contains something like “Sodium Laureth Sulfate” or “Sodium Laurel Sulfate” or “Ammonium Laurel Sulfate.”

That’s right. The stuff that you’re putting in your hair is the same stuff you’re using to scrub the meatloaf off of the dinnerware.

Why in the world would they put dish detergent ingredients in shampoo, you ask? It’s simple: sulfates are surfactants. Surfactants are molecules that can reduce tension between oil and water. To put it simply: they are highly effective grease fighters. They can cut through oil and grime and leave the things they touch oil-free.

So maybe now you’re thinking, well if it cuts grease, I guess it’s ok for my hair.

Wrong. And here’s why.

Curly hair is fundamentally different from straight hair. Ever wonder why your friends with straight hair have glossy, shiny hair while yours is dull and frizzy? Biologically speaking, straight hair is naturally better moisturized. Straight-haired people have a head start on us curlies in terms of moisture! This is because the oil secreted by the sebaceous glands in your scalp can’t travel down your hair as well as it can for straight hair. The results? Straight hair looks glossy and healthy while curly hair looks dry and frizzy, often with an oily scalp to boot.

Not fair, right? Well it gets more unfair. Curly hair is also more porous than straight hair. This means that there are more tiny holes in the cuticle layer of your hair strands. Where does that leave you? Those harsh sulfates that are in your shampoos get into these little holes. It’s very difficult to get them out. That means that not only are the sulfates stripping your hair of nearly all of its natural oil that it so desperately needs (since it doesn’t get as much from the scalp as straight hair does), but the sulfate molecules are actually getting into your hair strands and causing even more long term damage.

The overall result of using sulfate-based shampoos to clean your hair is that your hair looks dull and dry because it is completely starved for oil and moisture, while though those lucky straight-haired people can use sulfates and still look well moisturized because they have a head start on moisture and the sulfates don’t get into their hair shafts.

That is from this post on Laura Lee's Blog. Its really good. Youshould read it.

jomar_hair · 03-15-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egyptiancurls89

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlre...p-on-silicones

umm so this is making me wanna try recoil curl activating shampoo and conditioner....any thoughts? do you think its better to stick with products like kbb or ...? thanks so much

I currently use products that don't have silicones and some that have slightly soluble silicones such as

Amodimethicone
Cyclomethicone
Behenoxy dimethicone
Stearoxy dimethicone
Bis-Aminopropryl Dimethicone

I alternate between cowashing and shampooing with a mild cleanser such as Giovanni Tea Tree Invigorating shampoo and have had no problem with buildup.

When I want to use heat styling tools I use the heavy (non soluble) silicones to protect my hair and still use a mild cleanser with no build up issues. If I were to use heavy silicones everyday, I would probably have buildup problems but, using it in moderation works for me.

The way hair reacts to silicones seems like it's different for everyone. Some people use slightly soluble silicones and have no real problem with buildup and some find that it doesn't work with their hair at all.

The only real way to know is to try it out for yourself because they may not be the same for you and another person.

j-jill. · 03-15-2009, 10:35 PM

I think it's only sulfates that you need to watch for.
My mom's boss (My mom's a hairdresser), was telling me that silicones aren't bad for my hair, quite the opposite.

morrighu · 03-16-2009, 08:30 AM

I find that silicones tend to "stick around" in my hair for a long time. I also find that sulfate-based shampoos strip my hair of EVERYTHING, including permanent hair color. If it's stripping stuff that is chemically bonded to my hair shaft, I can only imagine what else its stripping from hair. I'll never go back to sulfate based shampoos again.

I'll also never go back to silicones again. My hair does soooo much better without them. Try something like the Wild Woozle pomade if you've been using silicone based styling products. Drop the silicone and try that for a month intead. Even 405 pomade is better, IMHO.

egyptiancurls89 · 03-16-2009, 09:35 AM

wow....ya ok...that's crazy...if it can strip that color....ya.....that's bad lol...ok well thanks to all of you guys for helping me out!!!!! i dont know what id do without any of you! <3