Most of us seek out Skin & Haircare products that make our hair look shiny & tangle-free, and the skin feel dewy and soft.. Unfortunately, the most common ingredients providing these seemingly great results are the Silicones (and their many permutations and derivatives).
With the advances of science over the past few years, silicones are now being avoided by well-informed customers, since they are non-biodegradable and cause build-up on skin and hair.
Find out more about Silicones and their natural alternatives in skin and hair care:
How Silicones Affect Skin, Hair & The Environment
Since most users like a ‘dewy, velvety finish’, silicones have become a marketing gimmick, and are widely used almost in all skin and hair care products. However, the (seeming) benefits of Silicones are only superficial. Here’s why:
1. Blocks Absorption of Beneficial Ingredients
Once you coat your skin/hair with a silicone-based product, all other products have a limited ability to penetrate the skin/hair fibers, thus making them less effective. And it should be pointed out, silicones repel many beneficial ingredients from absorbing, even when they are in the same formula!
2. Makes Skin Dehydrated and Dull Looking
Silicones are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. So the instant hydrating effect that you feel is only temporary. They also disrupt pH balance and thus the protective moisture barrier of the skin, hair & scalp. This eventually results in blocking pores and making skin/hair appear dull, dehydrated, and dry. Over time, this can lead to hair thinning, dandruff, and an acceleration in the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, crow’s feet, and the other signs of aging.
3. Silicones Aren’t Eco-friendly
Silicones are bioaccumulative and contribute to sludge pollution. This can block waterways and oceans, and to make matters worse take hundreds of years to break down.
4. Slows Down Natural Skin Regeneration Process
Silicone molecules can keep dead skin cells from shedding properly from the skin. This not only leads to blocked pores, but also slows down the skin renewal process, and slows the rate of improvement in conditions like redness, rosacea, eczema, pigmentation, fine lines, and scarring.
5. Intensify Acne
Silicones are occlusives and can act as an agent to trap oil, dirt, dead skin cells, and other comedogenic substances. This can make blemishes worse, or increase the chances of acne flare-ups.
The Natural Alternatives to Silicones
For advocates of ‘clean beauty’, using filler-free products and looking for the keyword ‘silicone-free’ on labels is of key importance. Other common names of volatile/non-volatile silicones in products include: Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl methicone, Cyclopentasiloxane.
Talking about alternatives, the role of Silicones can easily be replaced with nutrient-rich plant oils, the best ones being ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, and Unrefined Hemp seed Oil’. These oils are lightweight and are proven to add nourishment & improve hydration without compromising the skin barrier.
All Puraveda Organics products are free of silicones and other chemicals. Our products component ingredients are grown according to environment-friendly organic farming standards and wild gathered ingredients. The formulas are not only lightweight and easy to absorb but also make your hair and skin feel healthy and revitalized.
