Don’t you hate it when someone wags their finger at you about bad hair habits because they heard you are still using silicones and bragging about how long they have been cone free in a Facebook group.
What works for someone else may not work for you so don’t jump the gun in silicone use. Don’t start to use them just because we said that it’s ok and certainly don’t eliminate them altogether from your regimen because someone else said you should.
It’s all relative and what you should do depends highly on your own hair and how it responds to them. Being aware of the different types of cones is the first step in making the right decision for you so make sure that you know your cones.
The easy way to identify a cone in an ingredient list is that usually they end with four letters ‘c-o-n-e’ or you might see something that ends in ‘col’ or ‘zane’.
To further break it down, water-soluble silicones the ‘good guys’ are stearoxy Dimethicone and Behenoxy Dimethicone; say that three times really fast!
Bad Cones that may cause major buildup are Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Amodimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl Dimethicone, Stearyl Dimethicone, Cetearyl Methicone and Dimethiconol. If your favorite product contains any of these then be absolutely sure to clarify regularly. Up to once a month if necessary.
Note: If you are following the curly girl method then cones are a big ‘no no’. There might be some instances where a product is considered curly girl friendly and still have some cones listed on the label.
If you know your cones chances are you wont be too afraid of them but some women would rather not allow the build up to happen in the first place and prefer to avoid cones all together and that’s fine too. The point is, know what is best for you and own hair.
If you are a cones all day kind of girl invest in a great clarifying shampoo and ensure that you deep condition to ensure that you are replacing any moisture and oils* that might be stripped from your hair when using the shampoo.
Spell check had a field day with this post! Happy coning ladies!
Jazmine Davis says
I wonder the same thing and also for mineral oil and glycerin
Gbemi Olajide says
Siobhan Dawkins this may be why it doesn’t affect my hair as much
Latoya Aaliyah Small says
I don’t think they are….it’s what works for you and your hair I personally never had problems with them