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Lately I’ve been on this quest to find the perfect hair product. I’ve learned that there is no such thing. And, if there is any one product or products that come close to perfect; it can only be close to perfect for one person. YOU. This is why beauty is big business. We as consumers will keep pushing until we find the one…or, maybe it’s that one…no, it’s definitely this one.

I’ve been relaxer-free for almost four years, but I recently became a naturalista–as I like to call it. I’ve been on a quest to find products that are natural and if they’re not 100% natural, I try to find those that will have the least negative impact on my hair. I have found several products that I absolutely loved, but later learned that my love affair with them had to end because they contained ingredients that were potentially harmful to the long-term health of my naturally curly hair.

Products that contain silicones happen to be the ones that I loved the most; especially the conditioners. Imagine my disappointment, but mostly fear when I realized that I had to find alternatives that could still give me similar, if not, the same results. Rather than go on this blind hunt for silicone-free products, I decided to do a little research. Besides, what good is it to buy silicone-free products if the other ingredients were potentially just as harmful? I’ve learned that there were quite a few ingredients in these products that were potentially harmful, but we can discuss those another time.

I wanted to make sure if whether or not all silicones were created equal. No, they are not, but does that mean that some are better than others? Apparently there are. At the end, you decide if whether or not using silicones are worth the risk. And, really how much of a risk is it?. I’ve found that there are some who feel the risk is worth it. However, those who take the risk and use silicone-based products have made educated decisions to do so. Remember this discussion is geared towards those who are interested in using natural products. If you’re only interested in what works–and, that’s OK too, this is not the article for you.

Silicones: Natural Hair’s Enemy

When I search for a new product I can stand in the store aisles forever trying to make sure that the product I’m looking for doesn’t have at least one of the ingredients we naturalistas have been told is BAD for our hair. Silicones. I’ve read countless articles that tells us that if a product’s ingredient list includes anything with the word cone at the end of it, then we should not use it. So, silicones are the enemies to all naturals, or at least one of the many.

Remember, natural hair has inherent enemies. On any given day its enemy could be any one of the elements; which launches a whole host of attacks, including: Dryness, brittleness, frizziness, and other types of damage. Another natural hair enemy can be ourselves in the way in which we handle our hair.

Silicones have been disguised as natural hair friends. They’re here to help combat the elements’ torture on the hair and to alleviate some of the pressure we place on ourselves. But after-awhile we learn that the use of silicones only prolongs the inevitable and can make things worse. One of silicones’ deceptions is that they can trap moisture and they serve as a humectant. Humectants are great for dry hair. It’s all about moisture, right? Dry hair needs moisture.

The Problem with Silicones

The problem with silicones is that they are not water-soluble, which means that over time they can build up in the hair and they are really hard to get rid of. In order to get rid of this build-up, we have to use really harsh sulfates (shampoo) to rid our hair of this mess. We have learned that shampoos that contain these sulfates are not good for naturals because they strip our hair of all that is essential to maintain its health.

I’m still not really sure of what long-term damage silicones can cause, but an uneducated guess would be that as we continue to use silicones, the use of harsh products to get rid of them is what can cause the long-term damage. Also, another to consider is if silicones are good at trapping things such as moisture, then I’m going to assume that they can even trap impurities and that could also be where the issues occur.

This is really too bad because silicones really make the process of finding ways to tame our natural tresses a lot easier. It’s true, silicones are a quick fix. I search to find more natural solutions for my hair that can give me similar results as silicones but it’s not easy…

But, Wait…There May Be Hope!

I have found that there are some silicones that may be OK for us naturalistas to use. If the silicone has Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) listed in front of that nasty cone containing word then it may be OK to use on natural hair. PEG is a water-soluble silicone and does not cause product build-up. This means that those of us who use less harsh shampoos or co-wash our hair with conditioners are able to continue with these products or methods to keep our hair clean and moisturized.

I understand there are times where life calls for what works right now. I also know that sometimes being at your best requires spending a little more than what you can afford. There are products out there that are silicone-free and are great at moisturizing the hair. You just have to do your research to learn what those products are. At the end of this article there is a list of the silicones that are found in many of the products we use.

This is for information purposes only. As always, make sure to do the research and choose products that are best for your hair. I provide this information to those who are interested in using natural products who may not have the time or simply would rather buy their products than to create them on their own.

Different Kinds of Silicones

Note: Not all silicones are created equal. Some are more water-soluble than others. They will be listed by NOT water-soluble, slightly soluble, and water-soluble.

Not water-soluble: Cetearyl methicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Stearyl Dimethicone, Amodimethicone (and) Trideceth-12 (and) Cetrimonium Chloride, and Trimethylsilylamodimethicone. Note: Trideceth-12 and Cetrimonium Chloride are only considered a silcone when both are combined with Amodimethicone.

Slightly water-soluble: Amodimethicone, Behenoxy Dimethicone, and Stearoxy Dimethicone.

Water-soluble: Dimethicone Copolyol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane, and Lauryl methicone copolyol.

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Source by Kenya L Holmes