Greenika Review 6 Reasons Why People Avoid Silicones in Skin Care
Greenika Review: As the crusade for cleaner beauty products continues, skincare ingredients that were once considered standard are being challenged.
Greenika Review: Take parabens, for example. Now that we know that once-common preservatives are also potentially carcinogenic, beauty brands are removing them from their formulations and putting “paraben-free” labels on everything. Ditto for phthalates, sulfates, formaldehyde and a host of other potentially dangerous ingredients.
Greenika Review: While most experts support eliminating parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and more from skincare products, one group of ingredients that were on “free” lists are still under scrutiny. debate: silicones.
Greenika Review: On one side of the argument, you have those who say that silicone makes the skin healthier without actually contributing to its overall health.
Greenika Review: On the other hand, you have those who say silicones aren’t technically harmful, so there’s no harm in keeping them in your skincare products.
Which side is the flag on? Well, both. Type of. It is complicated.
First of all, what exactly are silicones?
Greenika Review: “Silicones are a group of semi-liquid substances derived from silica,” Dr. Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Zeichner Dermatology in New York, told Healthline.
Silica is the main component of sand, but that doesn’t mean that silicones fall under the “natural” umbrella. Silica must go through an important chemical process to become silicone.
Greenika Review: Silicones are known for their sealing properties, which is a fancy way of saying that they form a barrier-like layer on the skin that is both water and air resistant. Zeichner compared it to “a breathing film”.
“When used medicinally, it has proven to be a trusted source to help heal wounds and improve scarring,” says Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, MD, board-certified dermatologist and advisory board member of Healthline.
Greenika Review: “They have long been used in burn units because they can uniquely heal and protect while allowing the wound to ‘breathe’.
Essentially, their occlusive nature prevents the tears from interacting with the outside environment, ensuring the wound stays in its own little healing “bubble”.
“They also have a unique texture, which gives skincare products a great feel,” says Zeichner. This sums up the key role of silicones in serums and moisturizers: they facilitate application, provide a velvety texture and often leave the skin plump and smooth, thanks to this film-forming coating.
So why don’t people like them?
Honestly, this all sounds pretty cool. So, uh, why don’t people like silicone? there are several reasons.
The argument: the benefits of silicone are only superficial
The verdict: Unless you’re dealing with an open wound on your face, silicone provides no tangible benefit to the skin. “In cosmetics, they mainly offer a base of samples that are pleasant to the touch,” says Mraz-Robinson. Think thick, blendable serums and moisturizers. Greenika Review
Silicone smooths out rough spots and locks in moisture. So while silicone-infused serums and moisturizers can make your face look and feel great in the moment, they don’t help your skin’s long-term health.
Once you wash the product out, you wash away the benefits.
The Argument: These Ingredients Are Hard To Wash Out And Get Stuck In Your Pores
The verdict: “Silicone is hydrophobic,” says Mraz Robinson. Simply put: they repel water.
For this reason, silicone products do not rinse out easily.
So if you slather on silicone once in a while, do an oil or double cleanse before bed to keep your skin clear.
Greenika Review:
Argument: It causes the escape
The Verdict: It turns out there is a downside to silicone’s occlusive abilities. Sure, they keep environmental aggressors at bay, but they also lock in some not-so-good stuff.
“For acne-prone patients, silicones can act as a ‘barrier,’ trapping oil, dirt, and dead skin cells, making acne worse,” says Mraz-Robinson.
Dermatologists confirm that if you are generally not prone to breakouts, you should have no problem. In general, silicone does not clog pores on its own, but can create a barrier that traps other acne-causing substances, increasing the risk of acne breakouts.
The argument: silicon spoils the layers of the product
The verdict: Fans of the ten-step procedure, or even the three-step procedure for that matter: apply silicone serum and back off slowly. Silicones can block subsequent ingredients from reaching the skin, rendering anything applied after a silicone product virtually useless.
“It sits on the skin’s surface and allows the ingredients [below] to penetrate while simultaneously creating a protective barrier on the skin’s surface,” says Mraz-Robinson.
This could, in theory, be great as the last step in your routine, but using silicones at the start of your routine can be problematic.
The argument: they’re basically just fillers
The Verdict: While the majority of silicones have been shown to be safe for topical use, they’ve also been shown to be…a lot of fluff.
“In general, I like to avoid inactive ingredients or ‘filler’ ingredients,” says Mraz-Robinson. “For everyday use, I’d say avoid them when you can, but for condition-specific use, such as topical wound healing, fear not.”
Argument: silicon is not environmentally friendly
Verdict: Even if all the arguments above aren’t enough to make you say goodbye to silicone, it could be:
Silicones are bioaccumulative. Once flushed down the drain, they contribute to the buildup of polluting sludge in the oceans and waterways and may not break down for hundreds of years.
How to Check for Silicones in Skin Care Products
There are more and more brands choosing not to use silicone every day, so the easiest way to ensure your skincare products are free of fillers is to look for a label that says “silicone free” or “silicone free” (or a little more). innovative variant of the term).
You can also scan the ingredient list on the back of the product packaging. Anything ending in -cone or -siloxane is silicone.
Other common names for silicone in cosmetics include:
dimethicone
Cyclic Dimethicone
Cyclohexasiloxane
Cetearyl methicone
Cyclopentasiloxane
Should we really avoid silicone?
There is definitely no need to include silicones in your skincare routine. But according to dermatologists, it’s not absolutely necessary to get rid of it – at least not for the good of your skin.
If you’re interested in green, natural, or eco-friendly skincare, though? Go silicone-free, stat.
