Ace-Haircare

The Ultimate Guide To Silicone-Free Hair Products

If you’re unsure whether silicone products are right for you then read on to answer all of your burning haircare questions.

Silicone is a synthetic ingredient commonly used in commercial shampoos and conditioners. On the label you can expect to find it listed as either straight up silicone, or dimethicone. It’s a wax-like ingredient which coats the hair strands to ease frizz and to give a soft feel and appearance of shine and gloss to your hair. When you dry your hair using a blowdryer, the heat will also cause the silicone to expand giving the illusion of thickening your hair.

Is it bad for my hair?
Manufacturers add silicone or silicone derivatives to haircare products to counteract the oil stripping effect of SLS on both hair and scalp. But the reality is silicone doesn’t have any nutritional value for your hair, it doesn’t penetrate the shaft, instead it simply sits on the surface of your scalp and hair giving you a false sense of healthy hair. It isn’t a harmful ingredient as such, but underneath this synthetic ingredient your scalp and hair are suffocating, and your hair is becoming drier despite feeling sleek and glossy. Over time this could lead to split ends, hair breakage, hair thinning and even hair loss.

How can I condition my hair using silicone-free hair conditioners?
The Handmade Naturals haircare range is silicone free and they offer a choice of wash-off conditioners or leave-on hair serums blended from high quality nourishing oils – they help to condition your hair, reduce frizz and define your curls. As a pre-wash conditioner we recommend you use either plain oil such as Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Argan Oil, Camellia oil or a blended oil like Handmade Natural’s Hair and Scalp Conditioning Hair oil. Gently rub a small amount of oil into your scalp and spread towards the rest of your hair, using sparingly. Leave on your hair for approximately 30 minutes before washing off. After shampooing your hair, try one of the brand’s wash-off conditioners. To add nourishment and moisture to your hair they’ve blended organic Aloe Vera, Panthenol (Provitamin B5) and small amounts of vegetable palm-oil free Glycerine with hair nourishing oils such as Organic Argan and Coconut, MuruMuru and Macadamia, Olive and Jojoba, to condition and detangle your hair.

Sometimes you may wish for extra conditioning and curl defining, so Handmade Naturals have developed a lighter hair conditioning serum which you can leave on. You can apply that on damp hair prior to drying and styling, or even on dry ends after you’ve styled your hair should there still be some persistent frizz remaining. Experiment with a variety of products to decide what works best for you – and when your hair looks shiny and healthy, you can be assured it actually is healthy.

Shop the Handmade Naturals range!

Want more? Check out our guide to washing your hair the expert way!