Silicone in Skin Care – to be or not to be?

Silicone is not only one of the most well-known and popular ingredients in the beauty industry but also one of the most debatable.

When people see shampoos, creams, powders, lipsticks, hair dye, and other cosmetics labeled “silicone-free,” it makes them think that maybe silicone is not very useful.

Put in a good word for Silicone

Frequently, we just blindly follow trends without trying to figure out for ourselves what is true and what is just a sly trick of marketers/manufacturers and/or others interested in manipulating customers.

Over the last few years, “naturalness” has become a real fashion statement for natural products in many areas of our lives, including cosmetics.

And of course, this tendency is willingly used in advertising to increase sales.

Just write on the label “silicone-free” or “does not contain”, “0%” and voila, even the most low-quality product (almost water with paint) with such a description will stand a shot at becoming a bestseller! 🙂

This is how, through unfair marketing, a false myth spreads among consumers that silicones are bad for the skin, but if you ask reputable beauty experts, they’ll tell you quite the reverse.

There is another reason for such negative PR – cosmetic silicone is an expensive ingredient that only manufacturers of elite cosmetic products can afford it.

While in the formulas of cheap lotions you can find an inexpensive substitute for Silicone – mineral oils, or rather their derivatives – hydrogenated castor oil, lanolin, petrolatum, and other oil refinery products that do not allow the skin to “breathe”.

Now you understand why manufacturers of cheap creams eagerly use the above marketing ploy, discrediting silicone is present in expensive products of other brands.

Unfortunately, this untruth about the unsafety of cosmetic silicone is shared by irresponsible or engaged bloggers, or by people who just like to chat about nothing, leave comments like this – “This is not my first time buying that cream, and I gotta say that my skin is definitely looking better now. But the cream contains silicones, so I should give it a lower rate.”

The safety of Silicone has been officially confirmed

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), the European Commission’s SCCS, and the U.S. FDA have classified Silicone as a non-carcinogenic, nontoxic, non-camerogenic, hypoallergenic, completely safe ingredient for use in cosmetics.

What is Silicone?

Silicone is a synthetic polymer composed of silicon, oxygen, and other elements such as carbon and hydrogen. Therefore, although silicone is derived from natural ingredients, it must go through some chemical treatment to become Silicone (explains its synthetic part). But just because it is synthetic does not mean that Silicone is in the same classification as parabens, phthalates, and sulfates.

There are some types of silicones: water-soluble and water-insoluble, volatile and high-polymer or “heavy”, liquid as water, gel-like, viscous as resin, and others.

They differ in their properties and are used in various ways in cosmetics.

In indoor tanning creams, you can find such Silicone ingredients as Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer and Cyclopentasiloxane.

Their %-content in high-quality tanning lotions may vary from 5 to 30% in total.

Silicone technologies don’t stand still, they keep developing and modernizing, improved versions appear all the time, as well as new silicone products with new exciting and beneficial properties.

In the U.S. solely, about 7,000 patents have been issued in the last 3 years for completely new silicones and their use in cosmetic products!

The advantages of Silicone Indoor Tanning Cosmetics

The unique properties of Silicon give the structure of the cream a smoothness, and silkiness and make it comfortable to touch & apply.

Silicone creates a protective barrier with which it locks the beneficial active, moisturizing, nourishing ingredients in the skin, while allowing it to breathe freely.

Silicones fill the wrinkles and fine lines of the skin, so they are often employed for primer purposes.

But thanks to the large size and porous structure of their molecules, they do not clog pores but protect the skin from pollution and harmful substances, free radicals.

Silicone also softens the skin and helps prolong the tan’s life.

Using quality silicone-containing indoor tanning cosmetics skin will not only retain its youthfulness, but its condition will certainly improve.

The “Rolls Royce” of indoor tanning & skincare products is deservedly considered Devoted Creations (USA). It produces lotions based on Aloe Vera or Coconut Milk, and many of them contain exclusive Silicones.

Double-dip tanning

It is not recommended by Devoted Creations to use tanning lotion with silicone if you plan to apply a self-tanner immediately after your indoor tanning session (double-dip tanning method).

By reason of non-compatibility between some ingredients in the composition of tanning lotions and self-tanners, rather than contraindications.

Hope after the article you better understand what Silicones are, their benefits for indoor tanning & skincare cosmetics, and get rid of stereotypes and misconceptions. 🙂