No. Silicones aren’t harmful, and they do a useful job. We’re a silicone-free brand, so we have every commercial reason to tell you otherwise and move on. We won’t, because it isn’t true.
The habit that matters here is checking the list yourself, and our guide to reading a skincare label covers it.
What silicones do in hair
A silicone forms a thin, flexible film over the hair cuticle. It smooths the rough edges and lets strands slide past each other instead of catching. That’s the slip you feel in the shower, the easier comb-through and the shine once it’s dry.
The same smoothing works as real protection. Hair that slides past a hot iron rather than dragging picks up less heat and mechanical damage in the moment. Silicones are popular because they reliably do what they’re formulated to do.
They’re also easy to spot on a label. Look for endings in -cone, -conol or -siloxane. Dimethicone and amodimethicone turn up most in richer conditioners; cyclopentasiloxane is a lighter, more volatile one used for shine without weight.
They don’t all rinse the same way. Water-soluble or volatile silicones wash out cleanly. The heavier, non-water-soluble kind, amodimethicone among them, can build up with repeated use, especially under a gentle, low-foaming shampoo that isn’t doing much stripping.
That’s where “silicone buildup” complaints come from. It isn’t dirt. It’s a film accumulating faster than a gentle wash removes it, so hair starts to feel coated or stops responding to product. A clarifying wash now and then resets it, which is a real extra step.
Who they suit, and who can skip them
| Silicones tend to suit | Silicones are easier to skip for |
|---|---|
| Very damaged or chemically treated hair that needs friction reduced just to detangle safely | Fine hair that goes limp or flat under any coating |
| Coarse or thick hair that’s naturally harder to smooth | Anyone who’d rather not add a clarifying wash to their routine |
| Hair that’s frequently heat-styled and needs mechanical protection while combing and styling | Anyone who simply prefers a shorter ingredient list |
Neither column is the right one. It’s a trade-off.
Most silicone-free marketing skips the next part. Switching away comes with an adjustment period, and the first wash isn’t always the flattering one. Silicone slip is there from the first rinse because it’s a coating.
Take the coating away and smoothness has to come from somewhere else: a gentler wash that roughs up the cuticle less, and ingredients that pull water into the hair shaft rather than sit on top of it. That builds up slowly. Hair coming off a silicone-heavy routine can feel rougher for the first wash or two before it settles, and our piece on the first few weeks of switching to a natural shampoo covers what’s normal.
Why we leave them out, and who that isn’t for
If your conditioner contains dimethicone and you like how your hair feels, you haven’t made a mistake.
Our own Moisturising Shampoo and Moisturising Conditioner are silicone-free, with nothing ending in -cone or -siloxane on either list. Synthetic silicones fall outside what COSMOS Natural certification allows. That’s a formulation choice tied to the standard we build to, not a verdict on anyone else’s shampoo, and our explainer on what COSMOS certification covers goes further.
Some hair is very damaged, chemically processed or heat-styled most days, and relies on a silicone conditioner’s instant coating to detangle without snapping. A silicone-free conditioner won’t do that same job on the first wash. If that’s you, it’s a good reason to choose one with silicone.
Quick questions
- What’s the difference between water-soluble and non-water-soluble silicones? Water-soluble or volatile silicones rinse out with a normal wash. Non-water-soluble ones, heavier film-forming types like amodimethicone, can build up with repeated use. That’s where most buildup complaints come from.
- How do I know if a product contains silicone? Check the ingredient list for anything ending in -cone, -conol or -siloxane. Dimethicone, amodimethicone and cyclopentasiloxane are the three you’ll see most often.