Why should I avoid using cosmetics containing silicones on my skin?
Silicones today play a major role in cosmetic production. Today it appears in dozens of forms in cosmetics. Why? Basically because all ingredients containing silicone act like placing a plastic film over your skin, a plastic film which can be effective for up to 48 hours in preventing moisture escaping from the skin. On the one hand the user gets the impression that the skin is benefitting but in reality it is like “Suffocating” the skin. Why is it used? The simplest answer is because silicones are cheap to produce and secondly they have a lengthy half-life which means the product can stay on the shelves and counters of shops for longer periods of time.
What can happen to the skin where silicones are an ingredient? Basically silicones retard the whole process of cell renewal in the skin. The natural process of the skin shedding dead cells is halted or slowed down and the process of the creation of new cells from below is halted – often with ravishing effects e.g. in the forms of spots, wrinkles and in some cases causing acne.
One of the main dangers of silicone-based products is that they can be extremely difficult to remove from the skin. Dimethacone is, for example, a commonly used silicone based product in the cosmetic industry at large. It cannot be removed by simply washing the face as it is waterproof. The same applies to hair products with silicone content in hair conditioners.
Why again are silicones used in the cosmetic industry?
As mentioned silicone is a cheap ingredient which has a long shelf life and in essence silicone products have a misleading effect as they seem to make the skin look smoother giving us the impression that they actually work but this is only a temporary superficial effect. They can clog the pores of the skin giving rise to a very unhealthy condition. What you are actually doing when applying a facial cream containing silicone is applying a product which actually counteracts the reason for use of the cream – to moisturize and add natural beneficial ingredients.
The cosmetics industry, with the exception of those of us producing natural, holistic cosmetics, has no interest in spreading the real news of the long-term negative effects of including silicones in the products they sell us. But we at Zelia Cosmetics have no reason to hide the truth about silicones – simply because we avoid their use through applying ingredients which are more beneficial for your skin (and often more expensive to produce). To find out more independent evidence on what silicones really do to your skin you onlyu have to Google the words “Effects of silicones in cosmetics”
At Zelia Cosmetics we are convinced that everyone has the right to make a properly informed choice about what they buy. A personal tip: when reading the list of contents on a facial cream or hair treatment look out for the words which that end in -cone or -siloxane. for example: dimethicone, cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane.
Just to stress one last time; using creams containing silicone means you are using a cream which is defying itself, any possible benefits are deactivated by the silicone contained thus rendering the intended benefits of the cream lost i.e it is a waste of money.