Facts and opinions on SILICONES

I am an ingredient reader and have been for the better half of the last decade. When keratin treatments became a big thing, it required us to use sodium, sulfate and parable free products to maintain the treatment. This obviously led to being asked questions like... Why? This unlocked a desire for me to understand WTF is in our beauty products, what is necessary and what is not. Like, am I really allowing people to use something I know for a fact I wouldn't give to someone with a treatment? Tf outta here... I also have the keen ability to not be marketed to thanks to my extended stay in college earning a Bachelor's in marketing so it's easier for me to understand why companies put in what they do and why they advertise like they do. I've become very territorial and protective of the beauty industry because of marketing. We make money off of women's (and men's) insecurities and I've had about enough of it so I'm here to spread the truth. The information I hold is not proprietary and should be in the skulls of every person on the planet without having to dive into a k-hole google search that just leaves you confused.

The number one thing I've noticed is that no matter how long you've been getting your hair done, there is something to be learned. Our planet changes, technology changes, ingredients change... most importantly trends change which makes companies rebrand whatever they're selling by using buzz words like "organic" or "keratin" or "coconut oil" so that with no questions asked, you buy it. We live in basically a free-market economy which means we can put out anything we want and even make the packaging look a particular way so it seems legit. I'm not saying all products are not legit, I'm saying it's really hard for consumers to tell if something is real or not.

I've had a lot of experiences with products throughout the last 20 years and, if you know me, you've experienced me asking you questions about whatever product your using and even sometimes a photo of ingredients on the label. It's impossible for consumers to do all of this work and also it's uncalled for. I got nothin' but time, babe, so here we go!

---

I have opinions on silicones, periodt. There is a time and a place silicones in products. They are typically oil or rubber-like substances used in like... everything. Medicine, lubricants, insulation, adhesives and obviously beauty products. I like silicones because they can coat and protect against all the shit in our environment. They can also add weight to hair which some people need. They can help protect from drastic weather changes even. (If you're from the mf north like me... you know what I'm talking about.) I used a silicone based shampoo for 5 years called Sleek Look by Matrix (remember when that was all the rage?) because I have straight hair and all I can do to it is make it shiny and that's pretty much it.

THE PROBLEM IS - silicones build up. If you choose to live a life where silicones are involved, I support you but there is maintenance. It's super important to clarify your hair more regularly to get off buildup so you can treat it and assess it's porosity and moisture and things. If you're a person using silicones who shouldn't be, your hair may have a waxy film on it that you can't notice because buildup happens slowly just like the plaque in your arteries and the calcium deposits in the pipes of your house.

THE OTHER PROBLEM IS - we use heat tools on hair and if silicones are present they literally get sealed onto the cuticle of the hair. It definitely makes it feel nice and better but over time your hair is suffocating and it's harder to remove the layers of buildup when we're using heat as a catalyst. Also, one of the reasons cheap conditioner makes your hair feel like actual real live silk is because of wax and silicones... which also build up V quickly but not quick enough for us to notice and switch or do something about it. We call that "Pantene hair" because it doesn't matter what type of cheap shit you use... they're all the same, kind of. Pantene is one of the most used because it's like a tiny bit more expensive than Suave or Dove. If you got Pantene hair goin on, we know it. (and we're pissed haha jk/njk)

GOOD NEWS - there are silicone alternatives that are natural that we can look out for. They can do all the same things as other silicones like smooth and enhance texture and it's not synthetic. I honestly don't know if they build up like real silicones but let's assume they do and be aware.