I’m the first to disclose that I’m often way too willing to compromise the health of my hair and skin for a little intoxicating hue or lovely packaging (preferably pink!).

But when it comes to hair I’ve come to see that the quick-fix ingredient for listless damaged hair known as silicone is not worth the fleeting gratification of my vanity.  

The true cost of silicone-based products:

For one, if you’re someone who relishes in the beauty of nature and the beach consider you are doing a great disservice to the environment by using silicone in your products. Our seas, streams, and oceans are getting covered by this very thin film of… well, plastic essentially. It hurts aquatic life and moves right back up the food chain to affect us internally.

What is it:

Silicone is a mineral polymer (a plastic-like substance) used in everything from hair conditioners to household products. In hair products it provides instant satisfaction for the end consumer because on touch one experiences a slip and shine only dreamt of just minutes before. The problem with this instant groom is that it makes you think you are actually touching your real hair when in fact what you are feeling is the film coating your still damaged mane.

To make matters worse when the follicle can’t breathe from being suffocated by this skin, it no longer is able to receive nutrients from the outside (good oils, natural proteins or botanicals) nor can it adequately “exhale” so to speak.

This rubber-like sealant in effect dehydrates the hair by preventing water from hydrating the hair. What is achieved is a temporary fake-kind-of-shine, similar to the one we see when looking at plastic in the sunlight.

Hairprint True Color Restorer infusing the cuticle with the hair’s own natural protein, eumelanin.

Due to the hydrophobic (not compatible with water) nature of silicones, they do not wash out easily. The build-up created on the hair can start to weigh it down, attracting dirt, and over time making you believe you really do need to wash more frequently to keep clean, when in fact it is not your hair that is dull, but the film of silicone coating the hair that is working as a magnet for dirt and grease.

What can we do about silicone build-up and what can you use instead?

We’ve found that by using our gentle chelating shampoo we are able to remove build-up of silicones from the hair. Use this cleansing product once every two weeks for optimal results.

Once the silicone coating is removed, you can bring back moisture into the devitalized hair by creating an overnight pack with castor oil and adding a tablespoon of any of our Hairprint conditioners which are rich in botanicals. Distribute the mix from scalp to ends, wrap your head in a warm towel, and let the hair hydrate from within.