Have you ever applied a cream or moisturizer to your skin that left it instantly feeling soft and slippery? In many cases, that sudden smoothness isn’t actually from the product improving your skin but from the silicones in that product that give you that effect. Silicones are great for spreadability and superficial improvement but don’t provide any long-term benefits. 

Silicones are derived from silica, which is the main component of sand, but that silica has to go through chemical processing to become silicone. Beauty companies love silicones because they are cost-effective, water-resistant, and are generally hypoallergenic, filler-type materials that don’t do any immediate harm to the skin.

Let’s start with what silicones can do right 

Yes – silicone does have advantages! The biggest beneficial role silicone has in skincare is in wound healing and scar prevention. Silicone has been used for more than 30 years in the treatment of scars, and medical-grade silicone therapy is usually the first line of treatment at the disposal of plastic surgeons.

Not only that, silicone scar treatment products are available to the general public so you can soften, flatten, and fade your scars from the comfort of your own home.

Silicones heal scars by increasing hydration and reducing collagen production so you get a flatter, softer scar. Silicone gels reduce growth factors that synthesize more collagen – which is good if you don’t want a raised scar.

Silicones are also safe upon immediate application because they are non-active and hypoallergenic, which is great for sensitive skin.

Reasons why you’re better off without them in your daily routine

The same reasons why you want to use silicones in scar prevention are the same reasons why you’d rather not have them in your skincare routine.

Like I mentioned above, silicones reduce collagen production and the expression of growth factors that increase collagen synthesis. You want to reduce collagen levels in wound healing so you don’t get a raised scar, but you definitely want to keep collagen levels high otherwise!

Because silicones slow down the process of the skin from regenerating itself, it also slows down cellular turnover and makes it harder for your skin to shed dead skin cells. When dead skin cells build up, it leads to dull skin and breakouts. A healthy cellular turnover rate is key for clear and youthful skin.

Yes, silicones do keep hydration in the skin due to the sheer size of these molecules; however, they can also trap in dirt, bacteria, and other pore-clogging substances. During the day, you may need to blot extra oils off your skin to make sure no gunk gets trapped. During the evening, doubling cleansing would be a must. While they are not the sole cause of acne, they can exacerbate and worsen existing acne, especially if extra steps are not taken. 

Silicones act like a barrier and they keep some actives in, but they can also block other ingredients from absorbing into your skin and keep them from working their full potential. This could make other ingredients less effective, so it’s crucial to layer on skincare products with silicones last in your routine if you choose to use them.

Plus, silicones are hydrophobic, which means they repel water. For this reason,  silicone-based products don’t rise off easily from the skin (which is a great feature however for water-proof sunscreen). If you do use products with silicone (since they aren’t easy to avoid completely), make sure you double cleanse with an oil-based cleanser first to keep your skin clear and free from buildup.

Do the Pros outweigh the Cons for a specific product you’ve been eying?

Sometimes beauty companies will add other strong and potent actives to the product formula in addition to silicone, which serves as the inactive emollient. This causes us consumers to have to weigh the pros vs. the cons of the product. 

Does the product offer a stronger concentration of ingredients that encourage cell turnover and collagen synthesis, such as vitamin C, chemical exfoliants, and retinol? Then this could counter-act the skin-dulling effects of silicones. 

Is silicone one of the top three ingredients? If so, other potent actives are going to be less concentrated and less effective in giving you that glow you desire. 

I’ve used retinol products with silicone unknowingly in the past and haven’t experienced any breakouts or dullness, but that was because the formula had other potent actives that outweighed the effects of silicone in the same product.

Silicones are not bio-degradable but they are degradable 

While silicones are not toxic to humans, once they’re down the drain, they can contribute to the buildup in oceans and waterways and may not breakdown for several years unless they are proactively broken down. So while silicones are not the most environmentally friendly ingredient, they are treated in waste management like other non-biodegradable materials. 

How to tell if silicones are in your products

The good news is that more beauty brands are looking to exclude silicones from their products (which is what I prefer). The best way to tell is to look at the ingredients list on the back of the product packaging. Anything ingredient that ends in -cone, -conols, -silanes and -siloxane is a silicone.

Common names for silicone in cosmetics include:

• amodimethicone
• cyclomethicone
• cyclohexasiloxane
• cetearyl methicone
• cyclopentasiloxane
• dimethicone
• dimethiconol
• trimethicone
• triethoxycaprylylsilane

However, be aware that beauty companies may use silicone “substitutes” or other chemically-processed ingredients that could leave a film-like substance over the skin. Whenever you’re not certain, you can use the Environmental Working Group as a helpful resource to lookup that ingredient.  

Verdict

Are silicones harmful to the skin? Not immediately of course, but over time it can take a toll by slowing down our skin’s natural rejuvenation processes if other steps to counteract those effects aren’t being taken.

Although silicones don’t clog pores in and of itself, they can create a barrier that traps in other pore-clogging substances, dirt, and dead-skin cells that make acne worse. You’ll need to be more diligent in cleansing, exfoliating, and ensuring silicones are layered on last. 

If you choose to use silicones in skincare, they need to be effectively managed. The cons can be avoided if you apply other ingredients that encourage cell turnover and if you layer on products with silicone last in your routine. 

Sometimes silicones are necessary, like in waterproof sunscreen and in scar prevention treatments. However, I would strongly recommend using products without silicone on a daily basis if possible.

I’ve gone mostly silicone-free for awhile and can definitely see a difference in my overall complexion. If I find a product that I can’t resist trying, but has silicone, I’ll ask myself if the product has other ingredients that are more powerful to counteract the effects of silicone. Even then, I do my best to eliminate other products with silicone in my routine. 

Photo by Birgith Roosipuu on Unsplash