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You can hardly pick up a skin care, makeup, or hair care product these days without reading “dimethicone” on the ingredient list. Why are so many products suddenly using it, and should you be concerned?
Dimethicone is known for its silky smooth texture and moisturizing properties. By filling in fine lines and wrinkles, it helps create the effect of flawless, youthful appearance on skin. It also functions as a protective barrier that locks in moisture.
However, there are some concerns regarding the safety and side effects of dimethicone, especially for those with acne-prone skin. Some individuals report breakouts and clogged pores from using dimethicone-containing products.
What is Dimethicone?
Dimethicone (also known as polydimethylsiloxane or PDMS) is technically called a silicone-based polymer. More simply, it’s a silicone oil with certain properties that make it extremely popular in today’s personal care properties.
Why is It Used in Skin Care?
What companies really like about this ingredient is that it provides a smooth application. For cosmetics, it fills in uneven texture and fine lines, which helps create a smooth look in products like makeup and moisturizers. This helps foundations, primers, lotions, and creams glide on more easily and evenly.
It also provides a protective barrier on skin, which is supposed to help keep moisture in, leaving skin hydrated for longer.
What about Hair Care?
In hair care products, dimethicone is used to provide smoothness, particularly in conditioners and detanglers, where the ingredient helps smooth hair and provide better comb-through. Because dimethicone leaves a sort of covering on the hair strands, it can also make hair appear shinier.
The smoothing effects of dimethicone are temporary, as it sits on the surface and smooths temporarily before being washed or rinsed off. For this reason, dimethicone is also commonly found in rinse-out products like conditioners as opposed to leave-in treatments.
Is Dimethicone Bad for Skin?
Dimethicone is FDA approved and generally considered safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) also evaluated the scientific data and concluded that it was safe for use in cosmetics. The Skin Deep Database also marks this ingredient with a low hazard rating.
However, there are some caveats.
This tells us little about what this ingredient may do to the skin. Dimethicone can cause dryness, slight irritation, and allergic reactions, especially with prolonged use. Those with very sensitive or acne-prone skin seem most prone to adverse effects.
Scientifically, it may not cause cancer or other obvious harm, but should you be applying this ingredient every day to your skin? We hope you don’t!
Benefits of Dimethicone on Skin
Dimethicone offers several temporary, visual benefits that make it an attractive ingredient for cosmetic manufacturers to include in their formulations:
- Smooths skin texture: The main benefit is dimethicone fills in fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture on the skin. This creates a smooth, silky texture instantly.
- Moisturizes: By forming a protective barrier on the skin, dimethicone helps seal in moisture and hydrates the skin.
- Makeup primer: It allows makeup like foundation and eyeshadow to glide on more easily and evenly. It’s commonly used in primers for this reason.
- Seals in skin care: When applied over skin care products, dimethicone helps trap active ingredients on the skin longer and can enhance their effects.
- Creates defensive shield on skin: The protective barrier formed by dimethicone also acts as an occlusion agent, shielding skin from environmental pollutants and damage.
- Reduces frizz: In hair products like conditioners and serums, dimethicone coats the hair cuticle to help reduce frizz and flyaways.
- Adds shine: By smoothing down the hair strands, dimethicone also enhances shine and gives hair a glossy look.
While this ingredient offers a few cosmetic benefits, it is important to consider the side effects of dimethicone, as well as explore safer, natural alternatives that accomplish the same job.
What Are Dimethicone Side Effects?
The first concern with this ingredient is that it covers the skin. Manufacturers may think that’s a benefit, but we don’t. Imagine having a thin, rubber-like cover over your face all day. Sound healthy? It’s not.
Not only are you missing out on truly moisturizing ingredients like natural oils, extracts, and shea butter, but you’re interfering with the skin’s natural processes by trapping it under a synthetic layer of dimethicone.
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The occlusive barrier formed by dimethicone may interfere with the skin’s natural processes. Healthy skin regulates its natural temperature, moisture, microbiome, and cell turnover. By essentially trapping skin under a foreign protective cover, dimethicone could potentially hinder sebum production, temperature regulation, sweat and oil elimination, and sloughing off of dead skin cells.
Regular application could also potentially disrupt the skin’s normal functioning over time.
Drying
Contrary to popular belief—just like petroleum jelly, dimethicone can actually end up drying your skin the more you use it, as it interferes with the natural oil production of the skin, making fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable in the long run.
Exacerbates Acne
Here’s something even worse: Have you noticed, since using these new products with dimethicone, that your skin is breaking out more? No surprise, as the covering and trapping property of dimethicone means that it’s not just trapping moisture, but bacteria, skin oils, sebum, and other impurities.
That means those prone to acne or with oily skin are more likely to see increased blackheads and breakouts when using products containing this ingredient.
Skin Dependency
Regular, prolonged use of dimethicone can make skin dependent on it for moisture and smoothness. Dimethicone provides an occlusive barrier that traps moisture in the skin. Over time, the skin may stop producing as much of its own natural moisturizing factors and oils since its moisture needs are being met by dimethicone.
When dimethicone use is stopped, existing dryness, flakiness, wrinkles and other issues can seem more noticeable, leading to continued use.
Allergic Reactions
Although not common, some individuals may be allergic or sensitive to dimethicone. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include red, itchy, swollen skin, rash, hives, blisters, and facial swelling. In severe cases, using products containing dimethicone could potentially trigger anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction requiring emergency care.
Environmental Concerns
There is also some concern that dimethicone is hurting the environment. It is non-biodegradable, which means that it can pollute our environment during both the manufacturing process and after it’s used, in the disposable process.
Natural Substitute for Dimethicone?
Your skin doesn’t need chemicals to look healthy and smooth. The way to truly beautiful skin is to nourish it, both inside and out. Avoiding this product is simple and complicated at the same time. Simple, because you can find it (and related cousins listed below) by simply reading the ingredient deck. Complicated, because you’ll find this ingredient in thousands of products out there.
Alternative Ingredients!
For those looking to avoid dimethicone, there are several natural ingredients that offer similar skin and hair benefits
- Plant oils: Jojoba, olive, almond, avocado, rosehip seed and other plant oils provide deep hydration and nourishment for skin.
- Butters: Shea, cocoa, and mango butter help hydrate while smoothing skin texture.
- Beeswax: Acts as an emollient and plant-based alternative to dimethicone for smoothing.
- Aloe vera: Soothes and hydrates sensitive or irritated skin.
- Honey: Natural humectant to help skin retain moisture. Also antibacterial.
- Essential oils: Many oils including rosemary, ylang ylang, lavender, and geranium can provide shine, nourishment, and a natural uplifting scent to hair when used properly.
Alternative Products!
The answer? Purchase high-quality skin care products from conscientious manufacturers who care about using truly nourishing ingredients. As for hair care products? The ingredient is less likely to cause any personal adverse effects when used on the hair, as long as you don’t soak in it (as in a bath) afterwards.
Oh, and by the way, you already knew, but Annmarie Skin Care stays completely away from dimethicone and any other silicone products, including:
- Methicone
- Phenyl trimethicone
- Dimethicone
- Cyclomethicone
- Dimethiconol
- Dimethicone copolyol
Conclusion
It’s clear that this substance plays a significant role in the cosmetic industry. Its prevalence is maintained by its benefits, such as smoothing skin texture, providing a protective moisture barrier, and enhancing hair manageability. However, this does not come without concerns.
The FDA, Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), and the Skin Deep Database suggest that dimethicone is generally safe for use in personal care products. Yet, it is important to consider the potential long-term effects with compounded use. These include the possibility of tampering with the skin’s natural processes, exacerbating acne, causing skin irritation, and raising environmental concerns due to its non-biodegradability.It’s also essential to recognize that personal care is highly individualistic.
While dimethicone can be a valuable ingredient for many, it may not suit everyone, especially those looking for safer, natural alternatives or even those simply living with acne-prone or sensitive skin. For readers and shoppers seeking other solutions void of dimethicone, rest assured that there are many ways to see similar (if not better) results of smooth, supple skin. Want to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles naturally, but not sure where to start? Check out our line of wildcrafted, herb-infused facial moisturizers formulated for your specific skin type.
Have you experienced breakouts when using products that contain this ingredient? Please share in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does Dimethicone Clog Pores?
While dimethicone is often used in skin care products for its smoothing effects, concerns arise regarding its potential to clog pores. While it’s not traditionally considered comedogenic, its barrier-forming properties might trap unwanted sebum and impurities. This can potentially lead to clogged pores, particularly in those with acne-prone skin.
2. Is Dimethicone an Endocrine Disruptor?
Dimethicone, a silicone oil, is a laboratory-manufactured ingredient in personal care products, forming a plastic-like barrier on the skin’s surface rather than nourishing it. While dimethicone itself has not been definitively classified as an endocrine disruptor, it is a silicone-based polymer and the primary component in the endocrine-disrupting siloxane. Additionally, some concerns have been raised about the potential for certain silicone compounds, including those related to dimethicone, to accumulate in the body over time.
3. Is Dimethicone Carcinogenic?
As of now, there is no official evidence to claim that dimethicone is carcinogenic. Though regulatory bodies like the FDA have evaluated dimethicone and deemed it safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products, we encourage our audience to consider the overall safety, purity, and sustainability of an ingredient before incorporating it. Additionally, it’s important to consider that regulatory standards are based on current scientific understanding and priority, which means it can evolve over time.
4. Can Dimethicone Irritate Skin?
While dimethicone is generally considered safe and is often used for its skin-protective properties, some individuals may experience irritation. This reaction is typically due to the synthetic barrier effect the dimethicone creates, which can trap impurities or irritants on the skin’s surface. People with sensitive or reactive skin types should avoid using dimethicone-containing products and instead look for natural moisturizers formulated for their skin type.
Yes! I’ve noticed bad breakouts after using several different products with dimethicone. I’ve been so frustrated because everyone was telling me it was not the problem. I’m glad I came across this.
I suffered from acne for 3 years because I do not care about the science of skincare before. I just use anything that dries out acne. Once I started skincare, I realized that Dimethicone breaks me out and I was so shocked when I checked the ingredients of my makeup and skincare products, all of them have Dimethicone. I throw away everything and rebuild my routine. Now, I am acne-free and I focus more on hydrating my skin because I have oily skin.
My issue is mainly environment since there is no solid evidence silicones are bad for the skin. But what about cetyl dimethicone or hydrogen dimethicone? Are they also not biodegradable?
After a bad reaction to cosmetics & having all my eyelashes fall out, I now have to avoid anything with dimethicone. Another name it goes by is cyclopentasiloxane. This eyelash “crisis” launched my search for chemical-free personal care products.
I cannot tolerate Dimethicone but for some weird reasons, my skin is okay with Cyclopentasiloxane maybe because it is a volatile silicone meaning it evaporates into air upon skin contact. It is difficult to avoid silicones, maybe you can find volatile ones that will be good on your skin. Good luck.
I’m in my early 30’s and Id been having these horrible breakouts… much like when I was a teen, only when I was teen I didn’t wear makeup. I had tried EVERYTHING, from CerVe to Glossier but I was still breaking out . Recently as an experiment I cut out my usual makeup and started reading on silicones and it’s been a month now and my skin has been near crystal clear. I’m POSITIVE it was the silicones. I got rid of any moisturizer with silicones and makeup. It’s been a challenge since almost everything has silicones in it but definitely reading the ingredient list has dramatically changed my skin.
I started using this moisturiser last December so now I’ve been using it for like 4 months. People kept mentioning about my acne getting worse at the second/third month. I’m not sure what I did wrong in my skincare routine but I just found out that the moisturiser has Dimethicone in it. I have oily and acne-prone skin. The moisturiser made my skin feel great for about an hour. After that, my face is back to its oily state. I told my mom about the moisturiser but she said my acne is caused by stress due to tests at school. So im not sure if this product is working or not. Is my acne getting worse because of stress or this dimethicone? If yes, should i immediately stop. “Stop” as in I stop using it this night. No moisturiser for tonight??
Yes!! I keep noticing that my skin was beginning to look worse, with pimples (haven’t had those for years) darker blackheads and general fatigue. So what do I do? I start using more foundation even on off make days to look better! Thanks so much for the i formation in the article! I am going to look immediately for a natural foundation.
I figured out many years ago that dimethicone and other derivatives of it were creating acne on my chin. It created closed comedones which are very hard to get rid of. The only way I found to get rid of it was to avoid those ingredients. But on the other hand I have found that pharmaceutical grade dimethicone and silicones are much much better for me. I am using a skincare line called epionce which contains the pharmaceutical grade dimethicones and silicones and so far so good! I have also found that this reaction if you would like to call it that is and can be hereditary. My youngest daughter also has the same problem and as long as we avoid the lower-grade lower-quality dimethicone and silicones out there we are good.
Hi,
Thank you so much for this article. I’m actually doing a research about those hair products which has “cone” in them. I’m just wondering if this “cone” chemical causes acne because some people are allergic to it or because of its characteristics?
Do you by any chance know any study about the relation of “cone” and acne breakouts? Thanks a lot of you know anything study about this.
I threw out my makeup and hair care that had silicones and my face is clearing up already. I added back in the hair care and the acne and clogged comedomes came back. I’d say this is a thing!
Thanks for your input, Kayla! We’d say so! We’re glad that knowing this is helping to clear blemishes!
I have curly hair and have always noticed that when I put products on it to tame the curls and make it look nice, I get itchy bumps on my scalp. This happens all the time and if I don’t wash my hair it’s much worse. I recently bought a new conditioner Organix coconut curl conditioner. The bumps and itching were terrible!! I looked at the ingredients in my hair products. Dimethicone and another “cone” ingredient is in them all including the conditioner.
What about diaper rash cream? I found this site by Googling Dimethicone. What are the concerns in my case?
I used FRESH lotus youth cream and I broke out within a week. No more silicones for me. Thanks for this article.
I purchased that neutrogena hydro boost and after two days using it my face started breaking out like crazy in places where i never had a pimple in my life, so i stopped using the moisturizer and my skin cleaned out in a day so i am staying away forever from dimethicone!!
Sameeee! I’m so glad I bought a trial version. After doing a patch test on my forehead (my most acne prone area) it seemed to be ok, so on day three I covered my entire face with it, big mistake. A couple hours later I had white heads and black heads in my cheeks, which I never ever had before. Also, it irritated my eyes.
However, the face wash from that line seems ok, it’s not drying and my skin doesn’t break out at all.
I managed to clear my skin up fairly well after a severe breakout, but as soon as I started using new makeup and a couple skincare products it all came back. It’s been months and I’m just now finding out my favorite makeup products have dimethicone in it, as well as a new moisturizer I’ve been trying. My face is currently itchy, red, and I have a terrible breakout all over my face. I really wish I would’ve known about this sooner ?
I had adult acne starting about 23 thru 34 and the dermatologist’s meds did nothing but dry out my skin. I had blackheads, acne, and cysts. It was so embarrassing. Eventually I decided to do my own research instead of depend on a doctor who knows nothing except harsh meds. First thing I found was that everything I was putting on my face contained silicone (moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, concealer, foundation, blush, Illuminator, setting powder. Setting spray) so I did 50 hours of research and replaced everything (it’s not easy) and I saw the cysts stop immediately. I have never experienced such obvious cause and effect with my skin ever. Still had hormonal acne around chin and jawline, I found that argon oil cures that. I love companies that sell products that are silicone free and alcohol free! It’s absolutely worth the extra money. My face is clear for the first time in over a decade, the bad thing is that I destroyed my skin, but I started getting chemical peels and it helps.
Have you ever noticed that women age worse than men, assuming they have the same lifestyle/eating habits men seem to age better. I believe it’s because 99% of women slather silicone on their skin (and it not all day, its 24/7 since most wear moisturizer overnight) and men do not. I wish I would have went organic/silicone free ten years ago.
Great review, pretty much my story but I’m in the research phase. What skincare products are you using now?
Would be really interested to hear what companies/ products you use?
Same thing happens to me. If I use anything with Dimethicone in it, I will have cyst breakouts. I use Clinique continuous coverage since it is one of the few foundations I have found without it. Still looking for a good moisturizer. The Clinique yellow moisturizer doesn’t have it but it doesn’t work as well either.
I am an elementary school teacher and with the past flu season I washed my hands so much they were cracking. I tried O’Keeffe’s lotion and they felt amazing. I noticed they made lip balm so I thought my lips would feel the same. Nope! I had breakouts all around my mouth. Not on my lips but around them. At first I thought it was ingrown hairs but I couldn’t find my lip balm and hadn’t used it in a while and when I did…more breakouts.
I can’t use anything with dimethicone, or I’ll break out badly. I had to return my Shape Tape among other makeup products and no longer condition my hair in the shower. It really does a number for me, and finding cosmetics without dimethicone is a task. Eliminating that one ingredient made a huge difference right away.
I’m curious about silicons, dimethicone, etc. I avoid it for my hair because I have noticed that it makes my hair dry and brittle, but it is in moisturizers that I use.
I have not broken out from dimethicone, as far as I know. I have developed whiteheads, though, when I used coconut oil as a makeup remover – I still use it, but I follow it with a foaming cleanser to sweep the oil away.
I will try moisturizers without dimethicone to see how it goes.
I suspect dimethicone might be helpful on top of some moisturizers to protect the skin in harsh conditions, like clothing would. Certainly, one would not need anything like that at night.
I have definitely noticed my face breaking out after using products with dimethicone as a primary ingredient. The problem is that it is very difficult to find any facial skincare products or makeup without it. 🙁
My story:
I never had a problem like this before – until I used Loreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream. It worked fine all over my face except the lower half of my cheeks would always feel very hot after putting it on and one day I spread what was left over on my fingers onto my eyelids. Later on, I noticed that my eyes were itchy, pink, and puffy…great. So I took a break from using it all together and shortly after received the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea V.II eyeshadow pallet. I would usually use colors from it with other colors from different pallets and would occasionally notice the same side effects in a more subtle way. Until YESTERDAY… I decided to use only colors from the tarte pallet (and I used a lot) and throughout the day my eyes became more and more itchy. By the time I got home from work (9 hours later) My eyes were very red and starting to swell. The worst part is that even after taking the makeup off they still continued to swell more and this morning I have big puffy eyes!!! UGH. After doing a lot of research I now realize that I must be allergic to Dimethicone because its in both of these products near the top of the ingredient list. Also, I would like to mention that I’ve used the Tartelette in Bloom eyeshadow pallet many times in the past year and have never had a reaction and there is no dimethicone in that pallet. Thanks for this article. It has helped a lot in my research! 🙂
I had a similar reaction! I’ve been sporadically using Ulta’s Demi-Matte Foundation (dimethicone is the second listed ingredient) under my eyes and only today did I realize that this was the product that has been irritating my skin. I assumed it was an acne cream that I kept accidentally rubbing near my eye because it seemed so random when my under eye and eye lid would swell and become irritated. I’ve stopped using the acne cream a few weeks ago while waiting for my eye reaction to calm down and today I wore only the foundation. Swollen, pink, itchy under eyes and lids. I think it’s safe the say that dimethicone is the culprit here.
Those 2 foundations have one thing in common: TALC.
Just recently purchases Rihanna’s new foundation & i noticesd my skin was starting to break out. My skin is perfectly clear, so when i have a breakout or bump i noticed right away. I started noticing little white heads on my face. The fenty foundation was the only thing i was doing diff with my skin & looked at the ingredients & dimethicone was the second ingredient listed.
Wish there was a way to really get to the manufacturers and let them know we hate this kind of junk. Not buying their product is not really enough!
Thank you for the article. I didn’t know what was causing my breakouts! I now know…argh.
I’ve been using this tinted SPF and when I use it, I break out more. When I don’t have anything on my face, it’s clear with little acne.
Recently purchased new makeup and a moisturizer. My skin has gotten worse over the past week. I took the products back to Sephora and they looked at all the ingredients. Dimethicon was the common denominator. I was able to return the products but my face is still red, irritated, has bumps and break outs. My acne has never been this bad. I was also in the shower using my new shampoo and conditioner, I have dry patches behind my ears and along my neck and jaw. I looked at the ingredients and there it was, Dimethicon. Not only am I break out on my face but also my chest, stomach and/upper back.
Another “cone” hater here. I skin has auto-detect for dimethicone or any “cone” ingredient. It is so frustrating looking for primer, foundation, and moisturizers without it. I always have tiny whiteheads on my skin by the end of the day. I can treat at night and they are all but gone by morning. Let me just find a line that doesn’t have “cones!”
i can relate so much to this article.. i am currently researching about the certain ingredient that causes me further breakouts when i introduced one moisturizer to my skin care routine..at first i thought it was alcohol..but i realized, Im also using other products (toners,serums,essence) that contain alcohol, which isn’t causing me breakouts, just that one specific moisturizer that contain dimethicone..i searched for the side effects of every ingredients of that moisturizer.. now i think i found the answer..that is, to stay away from this particular ingredient.
I work as a caregiver. With regard to skin protectant creams that are applied to an elderly person’s rear end to help prevent skin breakdown, does a cream that has 5% dimethicone protect the skin better than one with only 1% dimethicone?
Hi Suzanne,
We’re not sure because we do suggest staying away from dimethicone if it’s at all possible.
Best,
ASC
Dr YOUN recommend this on p_b_s. He claims that it heals dry skin. what a joke this plastic surgeon is. Dr. Youn is a liar. His mother was in the audience with a non human face looking like it is caught in a wind tunnel and a bad nose job. he claims she has never gone under the knife, LOL!
Products that contain silicone make my eyes born and water. Having trouble finding makeup without it.
Hey what a great article, i am researching silicone’s in hair products and this has been really helpful. Thank you xx
Are you kidding right now? Dimethicone is not natural,…you’re delusional and paranoid,
God made lice though, so let them live in freedom.
Recently I have been trying to find new foundations and primers. I bought Maybelline’s Baby Skin primer, which contains dimethicone as the first ingredient, and noticed after a day or so that my face was splotchy and irritated after I washed my face. I immediately stopped using it as I figured it was an allergic reactions. I kept it so I could cross reference ingredients if I had similar reaction with another product. A week ago I bought Rimmel’s BB Cream in the matte finish and used it for three days in a row. After the second day I noticed a little redness and acne but thought nothing of it. On the morning after the third day my cheeks and forehead where splotchy and irritated once again. I looked up the ingredients and found that dimethicone is listed as the sixth ingredient. While the BB cream did not contain as high of a percentage of dimethicone as the primer did I am assuming that it is what has been causing my allergic reactions. Dimethicone was the only product they had in common.
I know that there seems to be some negative evidence against Dimethicone but I’m sorry, my holy grail of moisturiser (the L’orael wrinkle decrese) has been a life saver! I’ve had LESS BREAKOUTS and better skin using this product consistently. Every time I’ve had break outs, putting this for a couple of days was calming my skin. Even when I’ve had a few days off I would notice of how less dry my skin used to be. I’m no longer a dry skin type but more normal now.
Sure there might be people that are sensitive to it, but i am not seeing any negative results on me. It only helped my skin!
Why does silicones like Dimethicone leave skin feeling soft even after washing off aggressively? Is it left over film or just the skin changed temporally?
It’s incredible how many cosmetics manufacturers that tout themselves as “natural” or non-sensitizing put this SILICONE in their products! ORIGINS, ESTEE LAUDER, CLINIQUE, they all do!
It’s super CHEAP for the manufacturers yet they still charge a lot of money for their products, which have a TINY AMOUNT of the good ingredients. So tiny it doesn’t do anything!
I shop at Sprouts, Vitamin Cottage, etc. for my cosmetics. Even Derma E has DIMETHICONE in some of their products, which made me break out!
Hi sitting in an ultra in Texas while the sweet young lady tried to found a foundation with out dimethicone . Uggh
Hi! thank you for the article. I stopped using a product that contains demithicone about a month ago ( i used it for a month too) but when i watched someone online talk about harmful chemicals cosmetic ingredients. ..i looked into it and was shocked i stopped using everything except for natural ingredients. Now my skin is breathing again thankfully. But i feel like its still trying to heal itself i keep seeing black heads come out now that i stopped using that product. How long do you think it will take for those to go?
Regards from Morocco ????
I have been out of high school for 3 years now, and stopped experiencing harsh acne the end of my senior year. Not using foundation or anything on my skin but bronzer for years i have never had any adverse reactions.. a few days ago i got my makeup professionally done at the MAC counter in Ohio at the mall. Full face, natural look, red lips, highlighter, bronzer and concealer. All for the package price of $35 plus any products you would like to purchase. After wearing the full face for about 8 hours I noticed no breakouts. Keep in mind, I’m more on the natural looking side of makeup and don’t like using anything heavy…I would normally NEVER wear full face makeup. After my appt I purchased the global glow highlighter and concealer. Excited to wear it in a natural look, i did my makeup the next day and wore just this product alone and eye makeup and lip liner. The results were so amazingly beautiful i hard a hard time taking it off that night. I didn’t want to! But thank god i did….i have sensitive oily skin & after taking this product off my skin was severely broken out with acne. WORST PRODUCT LINE I HAVE EVER USED IN MY LIFE!!! This product has a very harsh ingredient called DIMETHICONE..which is very harsh and bacteria prone to the skin.
Little did i know that even moisturizers have demithicone in them,i used Aveeno daily moisturizer thinking it would help my skin rather i have small bumps all over my forehead n cheeks.. I dont know how to get rid of them now :/
I am in my mid-50s and any type of silicone still gives me a break outs. I love the look of BB & CC creams but they all caused problems due to silicone type ingredients. I finally found Bare Minerals Complexioned Rescue. It works as a BB & CC cream and so far as I can tell does not contain any form of silicone.
This ingredient is in a hair product I use for my curls. After a week of use, I have breakouts around my hairline. My scalp is also suffocating. It made my curls looks great, but I can feel the buildup on my hair.
All throughout high school it was very rare for me to have so much as one pimple on my face; I always had very very clear skin, however, being the baby of five older sisters, I always wore makeup anyway. Now I’m 20-years-old and am having breakouts left and right–some were so bad that I didn’t even want to leave my house. After going to several different dermatologists, trying all sorts of medications and creams, and even swearing off makeup for weeks (I was desperate), the acne FINALLY started to go away. So, I started using makeup again, but just on the weekends, and what do you know? I broke out once again, and realized that my skin does NOT agree with sillicone based foundations. I have been unsuccessfully searching for non-sillicone-based foundations for about a year now and I am wondering if there are any out there that don’t contain these harmful ingredients?
Hi Madison!
Absolutely! You’ve come to the right place! Check out our foundation, it only has four ingredients and none of them are silicon 🙂
https://shop.annmariegianni.com/collections/sample-kits/products/sample-kit-earth-minerals-multi-purpose-foundation?variant=1124787177
Hi there! I have the same issue and only wear foundation 1-2x per week. Jane Iredale has a great liquid minerals foundation that does not contain silicones. Also, check out Rae Chen’s beauty blog: http://thenotice.net/author/rae-chen/
If you find something you like, let me know. The best silicone-free foundation I’ve found (liquid) is the Liquid Minerals but it is a bit pricey. Laura Mercier also has a mineral foundation (powder) and there is the Bare Minerals line. This works for some. Pur Minerals has a pressed 4-in-1 foundation/concealer etc.
Best wishes– you aren’t alone:)
Reply to Madison and anyone else who may have interest ; what most people don’t realize is the majority of humans have demodex mites that live on the face and scalp and any areas hair is found at all . This fact , to elaborate on it would take too long but you can google what you need to know about it ; also they’re transferable and could have been transferred by the operators fingers who applied your makeup at the store or from a brush ; probably the former, as people seem to instantly touch the palette of color or foundation and apply with a finger or at least blend ; even if she used an applicator, demodex mite and scabie mites are instantly transferable from tips of fingers and nails to tissue with it will eat the make up and tissue itself if a tissue was used to clean off the neck of the foundation since he last customer . Welcome to the world! While these are only possibilities, even so , you can fight back with dr bro nerd peppermint liquid soap sold online or at the grocer or gnc stores coupled with our aloe Vera gel like fruit of the earth at Drugstore.com. Dollar tree has generic noxema and original Seabreeze has clove and eucalyptus oil in it that thes mites don’t like . I also rotate a few drops of tea tree oil to my tegimine . And don’t share any make up at
Powder mineral foundations are great for acne prone skin.
Too bad this new full tube of aftershave balm has it as an ingredient(came with some new cologne). I still can’t believe they left out 2 of the MOST obvious ingredients, aloe and vitamin e. Seriously how do you forget those?
I was wondering why my face had two new pimples. I stopped using silicones but was forced to use a gel for my hair that had dimethicone copolyol and noticed two new pimples.
YES! Thank you so much for this article. Dimethicone makes me break out like crazy. It took me years to realize that this was what was causing my horrible acne. I always read the labels now on all of my skin care and make up products!
I’ve never had any problems with dimethicone exacerbating acne, but if I wear a product with it in the ingredients for more than two days I get this really itchy dry red rash all over my checks, forehead and around my eyes. Considering almost all foundations I can find contain dimethicone, finding one for me is proving to be a trial.
I am a 46 yr old female that has reached the breaking point with cystic acne. I found out that it is a result of dimethicone. I am having no luck finding a makeup that doesn’t fontaine these silicones. Please help.
Hi Connie! If you’re looking for foundation, we’ve got you covered. –> https://shop.annmariegianni.com/collections/makeup
For eye makeup, I really like Dr. Hauschka. 🙂 http://www.dr.hauschka.com/en_US/
Was so pleased after researching many many companies to finally find one that had no silicone ingredient added into their foundation. I for years and years have had extreme breakouts with cystic acne. After doing some research on my own discovered I may be allergeric to silicone. This seemed to be the answer I was looking for but the search for a foundation without SILICONES added was much harder than I ever thought it was going to be. From drug store reading every labels to consults with high end department stores they ALL HAD SILICONE ! AND I have to add even high end department stores that claim their products were organic and pure did have silicones of some kind in there. They advertise their active ingredients as organic,not the entire product. Very deceiving and wrong so in a nutshell ordered a sample of Annemarie’s organics and am looking forward to posting praise as I use this product. Hoping it will be the answer I’ve looked for all these years. And so far no cystic breakouts, just small pimples! Hoping these will be gone as well
Definitely break out from dimethicone and all the other silicones listed up there. I was wondering about the ingredient TRImethicone. Is it better than dimethicone or both are just the same?
That’s true ! I have been using a “blur cream” for a while and noticed a few breakouts..Thank you for pointing that out to me..
So true! I don’t use silicon products on my hair for 3 years now, my hair needed some adjustment period but now it’s supersoft and shiny on it’s own, even when I don’t use any conditioner. Might I add, the shampoo I use is also free from any harsh chemicals.
But then! I read good reviews about this Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment which promised a faster hair growth, so I thought that okay I will try it, maybe using it once or twice a week won’t do any harm. I knew it had dimethicone, but still I wanted to see it’s effect. Boy, how wrong I was! It made right after the first use my hair look like a shiny plastic Barbie doll hair! Honestly it felt exactly the same way as my Barbie’s hair felt when I was playing with it as a child! Not to mention I noticed more of my hair was falling out when I washed it. I never cared to try it again, I used it twice and that’ was it. It made me completely sure that I was right to abandone all of these ingredients fro mmy beauty products 3 years ago!
I struggled with acne on face, chest and back growing up. I was treated with different topicals as well as antibiotics and accutane. All with varying results. When I was a young adult & speaking with my cousin who is a hairdresser about my acne on my back she recommended that when I rinse my conditioner out I should put my head down & then rinse so the conditioner would run off the hair & not down my back, clogging my pores. I have had the best results from this technique & rarely have a break out on my back anymore. Hope this helps someone 🙂
My back is extremely sensitive to hair products especially those containing silicones. My back gets itchy and breaks out horribly same with my chest or shoulders wherever my hair touches my skin. So I’ve replaces all my hair care products with naturally bases ones without any silicones. By doing the same with my face products I’ve noticed an improvement in the severity of the breakouts. I’m still on the hunt for a good liquid foundation without chemicals or silicones. Also I’ve struggled to find an all physical sunblock without silicones that also won’t leave a white cast on my face (already being extremely pale, the extra white sheen makes me look ill). If anyone has any recommendations on either, a reply would be greatly appreciated!:)
I just switched hair conditioners to Aveda Dry Remedy Masque – big mistake ! After a week of use , I have the most horrible back , neck and shoulder acne I have ever experienced . Definitely it is related to the conditioner . I am trying to patiently wait for the acne to clear but it is embarrassing and painful at the same time. So frustrated as I was misled into thinking Aveda was somehow more natural ?
Any advice on getting rid if the acne quickly is appreciated .
Like,tobacco, many ingredients in skin care products have log-term effects. You pay later.
Oh no!! usually I always look carefully on the ingredient label and try to go for products made with natural ingredients. This week when my luggage got lost…and is still lost…on travels..I got “fooled”by a sales poster on HM amd bougth some Garnier products cheap.. When I got back to my hotel I looked at the labels…dimethicone first 🙁 aI knew it was not a good thing..so I Googled to find out how bad.
Ok…I’ll use it till my luggage and toiletries will return…and then back to my natursl products…
I will not buy anything from the sale progamme on the television ever again. They said on national television that the hair care called KAYA was wonderful; but it contains ” DIMETHICONE”..Frightened to use this hair mask now. The T elevision should be ashamed of themselves, but all these comments hopefully will do them harm now…Fingers crossed Dimethicone” sounds so dangerous.
Since I started using Ponds BB Cream Age Miracle, I experienced frequent breakouts. It did not bother me at first because I thought the zits were because of my upcoming menstruation. But after my mens the problem did not stop there. (Usually after the mens I wouldnt have any pimple on my face.) I just realized it today… after reading this article that it was my BB Cream using it. I researched on cosemtic active ingerdients that can trigger breakouts. I came across this article. And everything made more sense. Ponds BB Cream has Dimethicone which explains all the pimples I got. I ditched the product already.
It took me years to figure out what was casing my neverending acne. I experienced terrible breakouts after going off ‘the pill’, and no product I tried (even Proactive) helped AT ALL. Here is what did:
– I cut down on caffeine. I used to drink at least 2 cups a day. Now I drink ONE cup of half regular/half decaf.
– I cut out ALL DIMETHICONE from my beauty regime!!! This was difficult at the beginning but now is second nature. EVERYTHING- my foundation, my shampoo and conditioner, my cleansers, and my moisturizer… even powdered blush. I read every single label now and ONLY by products that don’t have ANY silicones (including dimethicone).
– I moisturize with an all-natural oil that contains vitamin E. I realized that my acne before was partially due to how DRY and sensitive my skin was.
Now that I’ve implemented these changes, if I revert back to my old ways on even one of these changes, I will see a mild to moderate breakout. I still do get a few blemishes every month before my period. I think that’s inevitable, but it goes away quickly.
Hope this helps someone!!! If you are a woman in your 20s and 30s with bad acne and have tried EVERYTHING, then PLEASE- try this for three months and see how it goes.
I’ve spent over a year trying to get this dandruff stuff off my head. took off about 1 1/2 inches cant even get a comb through it hair trapped sometimes the stuff i take off looks sandy, sometimes it looks like pieces of clear plastic. Having same issue all over body, wonder if its silicone problem. Don’t know but very curious?
I have noticed one thing about the bad reviews on this product. Everyone with a bad experience had serious skin problems to begin with. If you have oily pores I imagine that you wouldn’t want to seal them with anything even if it is all natural.
This product is used to ease some of the product ingedients that provide uv protection known to cause irritation as well as make it easier to apply and hold key elements of a formulation in place.
That said, it is very important as to how much is in the product. If you only need a little of the product because of it’s potency, you are going to need a carrier or flow agent that makes it able to be applied in a pea size or smaller amount.
Now if your slathering it on, that probably isn’t the best idea. The product I have is for normal to dry skin. There appears to be a cult like movement against this ingredient. The problem is all of the indivuals have problem skin already and don’t reflect the general population which would be normal to dry.
I don’t use products for acne and oily skin and they shouldn’t use products for normal to dry skin.
Please know that taking aitobiotics for anyting other than a serious illness is not recommended by good doctors who know their health and nutritional information. Antibiotics, which we are not only taking faor acne problems now, but is also in almost all of our meat products too, have a bad effect, they make us immune to them. So that when the time comes to really fight something awful, they don’t work. Then you have to use harsher antibiotics, and eventually your body slows down and can stop fighting things the natural way. Antibiotics are not the dream cure for anything. You will find this information if you search the web and ask what are the side affects of antibiotics.
With the 70 year old Reno, Nevada woman who died, in September 2016, from an infection she caught in India and brought back to The States this is not the time to be beating around the bush or to be politically correct about the use of antibiotics. We have lived at a time of wonder, where antibiotics have cured everything from STDs to pneumonia. Its a marvelous time to be alive. However, farmers are using antibiotics on their livestock, because it allows them to be kept in tight quarters wandering around in their own feces, urine and other body fluids. Farmers are able to inexpensively fatten the animal up, slaughter them and send the antibiotic infused meat to your dinner table. If its the right time and place you could become the next patient that not one of the 26 antibiotics in the United States of America can cure. The bacteria the Nevada woman died from was the same type that causes a common urinary tract infection. Both of my daughters get UTIs once or twice a year. I’m trying to wrap my mind around this and the best correlation I can come up with is: a common cold that turned into a deadly form of pnemonia. That’s how an annoying UTI infection turned into a deadly Infectious Super Bug (SB). Thank God, one of the doctors at the Washoe county hospital where the woman was admitted a month before ahe passed on, isolated her once he heard she had been out of the country in the past 18 months. If the dead woman had NOT BEEN quarantined, we might very well be looking at the beginning of a world wide pandemic that would make the 1918 flu look like annual coronary heart death stats.
**The stats I’m able to come up with: The Spanish flu of 1918 originated in China and infected approximately 500 million people and killed 50 million people world wide between 1918-1919.
I have dry skin with a bit of an oily t-zone and have been using several products containing Dimethicone for about ten years. Not having any problems with breaking out, are you saying it’s ‘bad’ for all skin types or those just prone to break-outs. One of the products has really calmed my redness. My skin hasn’t dried out. i apply the cream at night and when I wake up, my skin is glowing, feels soft and nourished and the redness is calmed down, though that might be from the other ingredients making up the formulation’s cosmetic matrix. Is Dimethicone ‘bad’ for my type of skin?
I’ve had acne since I was around 10 years old and I’m currently in my twenties. My family has a history of moderate to severe acne but my face has never been so bad as this product caused it to be.
I previously used a sensitive-skin primer called I’m So Sensitive by Lorac. This primer had a more lotion-like consistency and did not irritate my acne at all. but Sephora stopped selling the product. When I came to purchase a primer the sales lady told me that this dimethicone-containing primer, Cover FX. She even assured me that this primer would decrease my acne because it contained salicylic acid. My makeup looked great with this primer and I was very pleased at first. With makeup on my skin looked more flawless than ever: As an investment banker, I wore makeup every day for on average about 14 hours. Needless to say, after a week of this my face erupted into the worst it’s ever looked. Specifically my cheeks which contain deep-set large and small pimples which continue to recur and do not come to a head. These pimples refuse to fully go away, so I will be seeing a dermatologist to get a chemical peel or whatever they recommend.
I later found that my friends mother who is in her forties and has generally acne-free skin now also complained of getting acne along her cheeks while using this product.
Thumbs down for any of the dimethicone/trimethicone/silcone products. Your site has helped confirm what I had already figured out for myself….you can’t seal your face with a rubber-like cover and expect it to be happy, no matter how aesthetically smoothing the product is. As was the case with others who have posted on this site, my acne breakouts were obvious and instant when I tried all the Clinque supposedly “oil-free” foundations. On some of these liquid makeup formulas, silcone products were near the very top. Gross, gross, gross. Synthetic oil may be even worse than all the other natural oils I’ve been avoiding. I’m so disappointed. As another writer posted, these ingredients are cheap, greasy fillers….being used because they are tolerated by a certain percentage of the population, and because the manufacturers have a primary goal of increasing their bottom line. As more folks figure it out, hopefully the masses will begin to demand better quality ingredients and shun these inferior products. I am so disappointed with Clinique, in particular. I have always expected more from them, but they’ve climbed on the bandwagon too, claiming that their products are “oil free”, when in fact, they are loaded with cheap, synthetic oils. Really, did they think we wouldn’t notice? It’s insulting. In the meantime, does anybody know of a foundation for Caucasian skin, which is truly free of oils and silicones, and works for acne-prone skin?
What about natural dimethicone or the naturally derived raspberry dimethicone?
I would also like to know about raspberry derived dimetihicone. I stopped using products with dimethicone in them, and my skin has cleared so much that I don’t even have to use acne meds anymore, but I wanted to know if the raspberry dimethicone has the same effect on skin.
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thank for your reply
I have now eliminated any product containing any type of silicone ingredient. I would update your list to contain some of the silicone ingredients that do not end with “-cone” such as “cyclopentasiloxane” , which is another form or name for, a silicone to which I have found myself to be highly sensitive. I have a severe acneic reaction. This can be found in all types of skin care and hair products. I have recently looked on other sites that try and persuade everyone that these reactions are very rare, however, as a practicing esthetician for almost 10 years, the number of adult acne cases that I see increasing, I am very apt to disagree strongly with these statements.
Thank you so much for the very interesting article.
I’m a 51 year old woman from the UK who has suffered with acne of varying degrees of severity, since I was a teenager. I must have tried every acne treatment known to man, both prescribed and non prescribed, with many being about as strange as you could get (trust me, you wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve tried in complete desperation!). To make matters worse I’m now going through the menopause which has sent my body into complete melt down! I’ve had times throughout the years when my skin has flared up so badly that it’s taken months for it to get back to relatively normal and it’s so sensitive that I get terrified when trying out anything new. When I have one of the flare up’s, my skin usually burns and itches, becoming dry but weepy with large angry red spots and sores that take ages to heal. During this time, if my hair touches my face, it drives me mad and feels as though I’ve got hundreds of little insects crawling on my skin, the only slight respite is when I go to bed and remove all my makeup and pull my hair back off my face.
Because of the appearance of my skin, I couldn’t ever be without makeup and have used foundation since I was a teenager. I now also use a BB cream before putting on my foundation to try to give my skin a more even texture and better coverage. I long for a time when I can get up in the morning and not have to wear make-up, without dying of embarrassment should I accidently be seen by anyone other than my wonderful and long suffering husband and sons. As my previously oily hair has become increasingly dry, brittle and coarse, I’ve begun using Keratin shampoos and conditioners as well as intensive treatment hair masks and smoothing sprays. After a period of trying these hair products, my skin has once again gone completely berserk and is itchy, sore and feels and looks horrible. Sadly this has the knock on effect of making me very miserable, self conscious about my appearance and unsociable, as I don’t want to be seen by anyone (not easy when you work full time!). I have a tendency to touch both my hair and skin during the day and obviously when I’m in the shower and wash my hair, it runs over my face, chest and back. As a result, I decided to look at the ingredients on the products I’ve been using and noticed that they all contain Dimethicone, which is why I decided to Google it to find out exactly what it is. Thanks to your brilliant article, I’m now wondering if the root cause of my skin (and even hair) problems may be down to an allergy to Dimethicone? I’m going to try and cut it out of all the products I use (which by reading other comments may be easier said than done!) and see what happens. Watch this space everyone, I’ll report back at a later date to see if it’s made any difference……I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Maybe try try treating the root cause, instead of the symptoms. Completely eliminate all wheat and dairy from your diet.
The level of ignorance about silicons being peddled as ‘fact’ is astounding to me! I can’t believe people are too lazy to do their own research and just believe whatever rubbish they hear.
You do know, don’t you, that the medical practice has found silicons not only safe, but preferable to use in surgery on open wounds? (Remember, there are skin safe silicons and then there are industrial silicons, which aren’t used in skin care products).
You do know, don’t you, that latex used to be used in surgery but too many people suffered allergies to it, which is why the medical profession now uses silicons?
I seriously doubt that people are experiencing breakouts as a result of a silicon in their skin care products – because both of the major silicons use in skin care products – Dimethicone and Cyclomethicone – have been scientifically and medically proven to be GOOD for people with acne and rosacea.
People shouldn’t be so quick to believe lies about silicons spread by either ignorant individuals, or businesses with their own vested interests – it’s usually other ingredients causing the problem – like Shea Butter (heavy, greasy) or other oils or ingredients used.
Dimethicone is HORRIBLE and should be banned in all cosmetics world wide! I have LARGE, RED CYSTIC NODULES ALL OVER MY FACE from using Clarins Cottonseed facewash, containing Dimethicone. I can’t even use makeup because most contains dimethicone! its HORRIBLE. A NIGHTMARE! BAN IT!
I can empathise with you. I am 53 and had resigned myself to thinking my breakouts were due to menopause. After reading about dimethicone I eliminated a hair treatment product and foundation cream I had introduced…no more breakouts. It was a mission to find a foundation without silicone…settled with Nude By Nature. Good luck.
Agreed Jacqui. Dimethicone has literally saved my skin, and I wouldn’t be without it!
In fact there are studies to suggest that it (alongside glycerine) promotes youthful skin: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2230.2006.02297.x/abstract
Im sorry it didnt work for you but they cant ban it because you dont know what is bad for your skin. I work in a resturant and have to apply it before work so i can wash my hands constantly and not scare the customers with red cracked bloody hands. Health has a lot to do with skins moisture but some skin conditions and environment issues make it very difficult.
I need to put in a vote FOR dimethicone – and I’ve done more private research on this ingredient than most people would attempt in their lifetime.
For me, personally, I can’t live without it, but I beg to differ to those who says it smothers the skin so that nothing good can get in.
When I formulate for myself, I always – always – include 2% dimethicone in the cd phase, because I have a medical condition that leaves my skin feeling as though it’s crawling from the inside out and I was known to scratch my arms and chest until they’d bleed. Not a pretty sight.
So for me, including dimethicone in the cocoa butter skin products I create (for myself only) is an absolute blessing – my skin has cleared up amazingly quickly for an ‘old duck’, and while it was healing, thanks to the dimeth, I felt absolutely no sense of itchiness or ‘crawling skin’.
It protected and helped the ‘good ingredients’ to stay in place, while providing a protective cover from external elements. I personally find it to be incredibly soothing.
But none of the claims in this article have been proven in scientific research. The claims that silicone causes acne is unproven, and while it may be true for some people, it may not be so for others. Also silicone does remain on the surface of the skin, but due to its molecular structure it does allow the other ingredients to pass through and it does not suffocate skin because it can evaporate. In fact silicones have been used in products for wound healing and in burns units. Personally I dont like silicone products for my hair because I already have oily hair and I don’t kike anything to weigh it down.. But in skin care its not that bad. It may not agree with some people, but for others it works well. I like skin care made with natural ingredients products, but its important to look at actual scientific evidence.
Good points, Pam! And you are correct about a lot of the positive qualities and uses of silicones. Silcones are also used in many surgical sutures and implants because of its very low allergen-risk and its durability. That said, like as it is with cosmetic minerals, not all silcones are created equal, and there are varying grades used between medical applications vs. cosmetic applications vs. commercial/industrial applications (much like alcohol). Another possible culprit for the reaction some of us seem to get from products containing silicones, could be the the combination of ingredients locked into the pores by silcones. i.e.: Silicone is resistant to oil and water. (Why its used in sunscreen for staying power and sweat/water resistance and why its used as a second skin for burn and wound healing). MY HYPOTHESIS: Medical grade silcones, when used alone or with minimal ingredients (Dimethicone Hyaluronic Acid or Glycerine) is less comedogenic than combinations containing Dimethicone(s) Cetyl Alcohol, and palm/coconut esthers. All three ingredients alone may not cause a plug or irritation, but put them together and the dimethicone “locks in” the alcohol and coconut ethers like a tupperware lid on leftover lasagna. With burns and wounds, Dimethicone is put on super clean skin that doesn’t have an epithelium/barrier of its own (the skin is oozy and without the outermost stratum corneum layer of skin to provide temperate and moisture control and protect against infection. Dimethicone (sometimes mixed with topical colloidal silver) works like a charm in cases like these. So you’re right–it’s not all bad!
Is it ok to include demithecone in natural lotion combination of water coconut oil canola palm and olive? Because im making lotion but it does not glide good on skin. Is there alternative for demithecone which is very good to make the lotion glide great on the skin? Pls help
Hi Joe,
We’re not big on using dimethicone at all. Glycerine or aloe might be good to try, or continue playing around with your recipe until you get it just right. If you’re using extra virgin coconut oil, it might be too solid to give you the consistency you’re looking for.
“scientific proof” means very little when its clear your face is on fire just after you put a product full of dimethicone on it. Scientific proof is also paid for by the company selling the product. In essence it means very little.
I’ve been using Dior foundation which is loaded with dimethicone – plus I wear glasses. The result is a weeping, incredibly sore, pattern of pustules and red blisters exactly where my glasses frames touch. I didn’t have this before using the foundation. I am now unable to wear anything on my skin and use lenses because its too painful to wear glasses. The combination of this vile product, what it traps in the skin and the frames of my glasses trapping it further have wrecked the bridge of my nose and delicate skin either side of it. I have ditched the shampoos too as i was fed up with an itchy scalp.
I discovered last year, after process of elimination, that I was sensitive to silicones in beauty products. I break out terribly when any silicone containing product touches my skin. After months of developing a new beauty regimen to repair and maintain my skin, I was almost completely breakou-free.
Unfortunately, last week, I tried Bare Minerals’ new product, “bareskin” liquid mineral foundation. The product boasted “silicone-free” so I jumped on it and was so excited to try something more natural looking than my Laura Mercier’s “oil free supreme foundation”. Let this be a warning to my other silicone-sensitive sisters: “silicone-free” may still contain SILICA!!! I’m so disappointed because I spent over $100 for the foundation and application brush. But also because my skin is worse than ever. I forgot how horrible it was to have deep cystic acne all over my face. I’ve reverted to my self-conscious self and have hit an all-time low low self esteem.
I don’t know if everyone else is sensitive to both silicone and silica but I suggest that everyone with a sensitivity to one, do a spot test of the other. I wish I had 🙁
As a point of information, silicone and silica are two very different substances made from the element Silicon. Silicone is a synthetic long chain polymer of Silicon-the dimethicone discussed in the article is one of them. Silica, however, is a silicon oxide, otherwise known as sand. This naturally occurring rock makes up a vast majority of the Earth’s crust.
Take care with assuming similar sounding chemical names mean they are the same thing. For example: sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and sodium chloride (table salt)
Hi Amanda! Regarding your reaction to the Bare Minerals makeup: your reaction could have also been caused by Mica (which BM uses a lot of) or Bismuth Oxycholride, or Boron Nitride. All three ingredients are EXTREMELY common in mineral makeup as they give the product similar spreadability, and lasting power as dimethicone. They also lend to the pearly-dewy (non-chalky) effect that BM and more popular Mineral brands offer. I seem to be super-sensitive to dimethicone, less so to Cyclomethicone and not all to Silica. Silica should not be as occlusive or clogging as Dimethicone. It’s basically purified sand-dust (what dimethicone is made of after lots of processing). Silica absorbs/pulls oils and moisture away from the skin instead of creating a film and because of this, it’s used in many blot, set and HD finishing powders. I’ve never had a breakout from MAC’s prep & prime powder (loaded with Silica) and I normally can’t use anything MAC on my face. SUGGESTION: Try AlimaPure mineral makeup! Affordably priced, tons of colours and great quality! Google: Alimapure. For haircare, I’ve had luck with John Masters Organics, but I’m game to try Ann Marie’s products too. Good luck! (Psst: I was a clinical-esthetician and makeup artist, and one of the first mineral makeup artists in my area of Canada–before leaving the trade to become a marketer. So I’ve tried, tested and learned heap-loads about tons of products. Other ingredients to watch out for. Try raw, unrefined Shea Butter. – rub the smallest pinch between your clean hands to heat it up before patting on clean skin immediately after cleansing. After working it into your skin, you can splash your face with cold water to remove any extra slight oiliness. Your skin will feel plump, hydrated and calm from the healing/antinflammatory properties of pure Shea. It does not clog pores! It’s a 0 on the comedogenic properties scale. It works beautifully around eyes and lips too. A tiny jar of it will last a long time. Raw, unrefined Shea will look and feel like a soft wax before you warm it in your hands and apply. USE A CLEAN SPOON or spatula to scoop a teeny tiny pinch of it into your hands. Because it is without preservatives, you don’t want to contaminate the whole jar by sticking your fingers in it. Let me know how it works for you : )
I started using Di-methicone and then I realized that it is just like bath sealant because it contains an ingredient that has a similar sounding suffix. -cone! Shortly after using it, my face fell off. Not joking, it peeled off in patches. I was treated in a burn unit and now I am hideous. Don’t put bath sealant on your face!!
I used to have “boy-cut” hair and didn’t need any conditioner. Now that I’m growing long hair I definitely need to use one. The first I one I tryed caused huge break-out in my back. Guess what was high up in the ingriedients list? Our friend the silicons! Changed the conditioner and zits in my back healed. Had been using Bodyshop’s teatree moisturiser for acne-prone skin for ages, and had had acne since I was 11. If you check the list of ingredients, there’s dimethicone in it.Winter 2012-2013 was a cold one, skin was getting dry and decided try new moisturiser, this time without silicons. I turned 40, still used teatree stuff as day-moistutiser. This winter decided to ditch the teatree stuff completely. Suddenly acne started to disappear. I still have one or few zits on my face, but it’s nothing compared to what i used to have, ie. face full of black-heads, white-heads, badly inflammated zits, etc.
Maybe it’s because of the age (41) or because I changed to a silicon-free moisturiser.
Thanx so much for all the info, my Dr. just prescribed me a lotion with dimethicone and I have very sensitive skin anyway, so I definitely will not be using this product. Wonder y it is in so many creams and lotions if it does such a poor job? Hmmmm?
Never have i used anything other than alovera on my face until I visited my parents. My dad uses a product with dimethicone as the active ingredients. i used it on my face for three days, my skin started breaking out with small red blotches across my forhead,nose and cheeks. Googled the ingredient and discovered this page with info describing EXACTLY wha i am experiencing. I’m blown away.The fact of the matter is,this is the only thing different i’ve used on my face.NOT GOOD, but , good to know info. Thanx
I also just found Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone in the list on the above mentioned product. I see these are on a watch list by the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) and said to cause contact dermatitis.
I’ve been using a dimethicone product, which claims to be organic and natural, as a handwash. The skin on my hands has started peeling off in sporadic patches. I’m going to stop using it immediately.
Unfortunately, I have discovered that silicone polymers have infiltrated the beauty industry in the past 10 to 15 years. It is a cheap greasy filler, which the beauty industry has relied upon make profits.
It blocks my pores, causes acne, prevents perspiration, causes overheating and irritation, traps bacteria, doesn’t allow my skin to breath and over-stresses it. Silicone is also difficult to remove. I now have a reddish tinge on my face from using cosmetics containing silicones. All this will no doubt, lead to premature ageing and defeat the purpose of these beauty formulations and my beauty regime.
During the early years of using a number of well known cosmetic products (after they were first introduced to the beauty industry in the 1990s), I thought they were wonderful. Naming a few: Pantene Conditioner, Olay Total Effects, Elvive Royal Jelly Conditioner and Estee Lauder Fruition. Then I realised, that over the years, as the companies which make these products changed the product packaging and made claims that the products have been so-called ‘improved’, silicone was being added to the ingredient lists and the quantities were gradually increasing by the bucket load.
I personally, believe that these mentioned products are no longer as effective as the original formulations because they no longer do the job properly and don’t give the desired outcome I was used to before. I also, seriously doubt that the skin would be able to absorb the essential ingredients added to these cosmetics which contain silicones, as this ingredient would likely prevent their absorption. So really, all you are really spending your hard earned cash on is cheap silicone and we are being taken for a ride.
This is just my opinion.
Thanks Julia 🙂
We agree 100%. It is such a shame how the conventional beauty industry has evolved. The quality of products have gone down, while the quantity goes up. We will continue to spread awareness and encourage people to read their skin care labels! The thought of rubbing petroleum based products on our precious skin makes us cringe! And the fact that there are HUGE profits being made out there in this industry…. Thank you for sharing information on here! We appreciate your honest opinion!
Silicon oils r rampantly used in all BB creams. Yes it goes on great. N the finish is wonderful …u achieve that “Korean glow”. N BB products kind of trick u into thinking it is a “beauty balm” … that is good for your skin n u r encouraged to wear it for long hours for its beautifying effects. Actually it’s the worst possible pore clogging foundation u can find on the market. I didn’t realize this till after a week of continuous usage. I was breaking out again like a teenager (I’m not one. Far from it). So please stay away from BBs. N read the labels of everything carefully. I’m finding many sun blocks have many ingredients bearing the treacherous “-cone” affix too!
The price we pay for beauty! Thank you for sharing Minky, yes it can be tempting to get that flawless look but at what cost to our health and the planet? And yes er fully endorse reading the labels and if you can’t say it you probably don’t want it! Make it a wonder-filled day.
I just bought cetaphil oil free facial moisturizing lotion with spf 30 that is formulated for acne prone skin and when I saw the ingredienrs, dimethiconol is one of them. So does this mean that it will clog my pores nore? It claims to be non acnegenic and non conedogenic.
Hey Aisa! Everyone’s skin is different, dimethicone may not be problematic for you. Just pay close attention to your skin & see how it responds each day that you use it 🙂
Once you run out of that bottle, check out our Sun Love Natural Sunscreen as an option for your daytime moisturizer!
xo- Michon
ASC Customer Happiness Team