WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF SILICONE-FREE HAIR CARE PRODUCTS

You might have heard talk about the “S word” (sulfates), but silicones are another ingredient people are wondering if they should avoid in their hair products. Similar to sulfates, whether or not you use them is a personal preference. Come along and we’ll navigate the shampoo aisles together – or at least give you the confidence you need to venture out on your own.

What Are Silicones

Widely used in conditioners, silicones are the ultimate conditioning multi-taskers. They are derived from silicon and found in natural materials like sand, rocks, and quartz. They can detangle hair, smooth hair, reduce frizz, protect hair from breakage, add softness and more. Shampoos often use them, too, especially if they are made to target issues like frizz. They may also be found in products like heat protectants and serums for their barrier-like properties. So, while they might get a bad rap as an “S word” ingredient, they can do great things for your hair when you use the right kind for your hair type.

Benefits of Silicones vs. Silicone-Free

At this point, you may be asking yourself, why use silicone-free products? While silicones are safe to use, they are a synthetic ingredient. If you’re someone who does their best to use hair products crafted with more natural combinations, you’re probably going to aim for silicone-free shampoos and conditioners.

Coarse, thick or curly hair can often benefit from silicones, but for the rest of us, they can be a little tricky to navigate. Depending on how heavy the silicones used are, they can easily weigh down hair types that are thinner or more fine. Although a product will tell you whether or not it contains silicones, they likely will not tell you the type or weight of the silicones used, making it a guessing game that could cost you your confidence. In that case, look for trusted brands like Pantene that use carefully crafted formulas.

Since they come in such a wide range of options, if your product uses a silicone that is too heavy for your hair type or one that holds on too well to your strands, you might not like the outcome. It’s the properties of the silicone that are the problem, not necessarily the ingredient itself. That leaves a couple of choices: keep hunting for silicone-containing products that are the right fit for your hair type or go silicone-free altogether. Either way, you can find products to turn your hair (no matter the type) from rough to soft, from weak to strong, from dull to shiny and so on.

At Pantene, we make it our mission to create each of our products with the perfect blend of ingredients, so you can keep having great hair days. Whether you choose to avoid silicones or not, you can always find the right products to match your hair type and goals with us.