Silicones preventing nutrition of hair? (Chemistry and common sense. Your opinion?)

hemera88

I have a question for all of the experienced and knowledgeable curlies out there:

The dilemma: Consider the idea of using Hello Hydration conditioner, but not wanting to use a sulfate-y cleanser. Hello Hydration contains an amine-functionalized silicone, a silicone that is chemically incapable of building up upon itself (though it does still coat the hair temporarily). No build-up is great, but I wonder if it still might hurt the nutrition of my hair.

Here's why: Silicons, when used, prevent the loss of moisture, i.e. water exiting the hair shaft in a aerosol state.

The Question: Does it stand to reason that silicons also prevent substances from entering the hair shaft? Things like fortifying oils? Or the ingredients of my moisturizing leave-in conditioner? I need those things!

Curlies like myself just want to make sure that our hair will still be able to get what it needs. Will silicons hurt that?

Corrina777

I can't speak to the science, but I have noticed in my personal experience that my hair can tolerate occasional silicone product use in styling products, but not in cleansers or conditioners, and I believe it's because I'm not able to get enough moisture into my hair when I use silicones in conditioners.

ricotdorothy

Scientifically? Silicone is a water permeable barrier. This basically means that water can enter and exit the hair shaft. It is just that water can be slowed down in doing this by the silicone. The heavier the layer of silicone, the worse the issue.

hemera88

ricotdorothy wrote: »

Scientifically? Silicone is a water permeable barrier. This basically means that water can enter and exit the hair shaft. It is just that water can be slowed down in doing this by the silicone. The heavier the layer of silicone, the worse the issue.

In other words, the effects of oils and moisturizers will be impeded but not completely invalidated by the silicons.........?
Lol I think I understand. This new stuff can be hard to grasp.So much new info to remember :sad2:!

ShubhoR

I have seen that oils and deep treatments work best on clarified hair for me. if I use oils on hair having cones from conditioners,stylers etc, its just waste of oil.

Also prolonged use of silicone filled shampoos and conditioners for two, three years made my hair like hay,no matter what I did. The build up was not allowing any moisture to enter . I didn't know what clarifying was back then :P

And I use HE HH. This was my question too when I first started co washing. I never found the answer. However I clarify once every two weeks and I do the occasional vinegar rinse. my hair is amply moisturized this way .

Sent from android curltalk app.

seamelody14

Moisture is best absorbed by clean hair.