There’s constant noise about nasties in our skincare. The hunt for ‘clean, green’ beauty means avoiding chemicals such as parabens, sulfates and silicones. Today I’m deep diving into silicones. What are they, why are they considered such ‘bad guys’ and what’s replacing them in the clean beauty space?
Silicones in beauty products are synthetic substances which feel wonderful on the skin and hair, ultimately improving the performance of our beauty products. Silicones are used because of their barrier-forming or ‘occlusive’ properties – meaning they form a barrier to prevent water escaping, but also preventing irritants from getting into the skin.
These chemicals have two main forms: volatile and non-volatile.
