Silicones are typically added to hair care products as a smoothing agent to seal cuticles and make your strands lie flatter and smoother. Which sounds good, right? The trouble is, using too many silicone-based products can weigh down your hair. So when it comes to silicones, it’s important to know when and how to use them.
As for shampoo specifically? This is one area where you should definitely go silicone-free. As JosephMaine, a stylist at Serge Normant and the artistic director for Color Wow explains, "Shampoo’s only job is to clean your hair," and if you’re "massaging silicones into your scalp, it can build up over your follicles, which will not only weigh your hair down but also make it appear greasy, dull your color, wreak havoc on your curl pattern and impede healthy hair growth over time." That said, he insists that all of his clients (who include Sophia Bush, Katie Holmes and Gemma Chan) only use silicone-free shampoos.
When it comes to styling products like finishing sprays and oils, Maine says they’re fair game: "There is no real issue in styling with products that have silicones in them because they don’t come into direct contact with your head and scalp, and they’re washed away when you shampoo." Yet another reason it’s important that your shampoo itself is free of silicones.
Ready to give silicone-free shampoos a whirl? Shop some of our favorites: Tresemmé Expert Selection Perfectly (Un)done Shampoo ($15); Color Wow Color Security Shampoo ($23); Christophe Robin Regenerating Shampoo with Prickly Pear Oil ($40)
