Foundation Fridays - Too Faced Air Buffed BB Crème Complete Coverage Makeup - Review, Pictures, Swatches

It's been a while since I did a Foundation Friday post and to be honest I think it's because I have not been inspired either way (good or bad) to write anything.  I actually purchased the Too Faced Air Buffed BB Crème Complete Coverage Makeup a while ago, tried it out, and then didn't write about it because I had mixed feelings on the whole thing.  But before I tell you about it, let me say that the name, Too Faced Air Buffed BB Crème Complete Coverage Makeup is super long and I will shorten it for the sake of MY sanity to TFBBC. We all clear?  Good.

So, the TFBBC claims to be a "five-in-one complete coverage beauty balm that perfects, mattifies, primes, moisturizes, and protects with SPF 20."  I think that it lives up to most of these claims, but not all of them may be good things for those with very oily skin or very dry skin.  The TFBBC boasts a "beauty balm that evens skin tone and banishes imperfections with an air-buffed second-skin finish."  That can be debatable depending upon application, but for the must part that is true.  How do you get that "Air Buffed" finish? By using the enclosed brush, which snaps into the lid of the product.

The brush is a mini Teddy Bear Kabuki style brush and is very soft to the touch.  Sadly, my brush wanted to shed, A LOT, so I switched to a different foundation brush, then another foundation brush until I found one that worked best for me.  So if you get this and decide the finish is not as "Air Buffed" as you would like, you might try experimenting with different application techniques or brushes.  I found that no matter what brush I used applying the TFBBC in a buffing motion (similar to applying a loose mineral makeup foundation) provided the most even coverage and application.  Basically, apply in little tiny circles starting in the center of your face and move outwards.  The coverage is buildable as Too Faced claims, but I still find it on the medium coverage side rather than complete coverage.  It can cover most light imperfections and can be built up on lighter imperfections by patting on with a concealer brush or clean fingers, but using concealer after application may be necessary for under eyes and other darker imperfections.

I did not see a full "cream-to-powder formula" when I used the TFBBC, but I have VERY oily skin and if you have combination to normal to slightly dry skin you might see those results.  I also did not find the formula to be "long-lasting" on my oily skin.  I applied this with a primer and without, and both methods did not yield a wear time of more than 4-5 hours.  However, with my oily skin that is completely normal when wearing BB creams.

OK. So the TFBBC claims to have 5 benefits. It is supposed to perfect, mattify, prime, moisturize, and protect with SPF 20. I did find that it perfected by evening my skin tone and did not settle into my pores or fine lines. I did need a separate primer to get any decent wear out of this product, but that's because of my oily skin type. I did find it mattified a little, but only for a short time. My oily skin broke through, so I used a finishing powder with this product. Those with combination, normal and slightly dry skin may find the mattifying properties of this product to be superior to the results I achieved.  I can't speak to the moisturizing properties of the product because I have such oily skin, but the ingredient that Too Faced claims to moisturize your skin, "Star Fruit Leaf", is the second to last ingredient on the list, so that means its amount in the product is minimal at best.  Lastly I do not believe that an SPF20 to be sufficient sun protection especially with the SPF being purely physical (Titanium Dioxide 8.3%). I prefer a 30 SPF or higher with a mixture of physical and chemical sunscreen or purely chemical sunscreen that is photo stable, but that's a personal preference. I also do not rely on my foundation to provide adequate sun protection as it is not always applied evenly all over my face.

How did it feel on my face?  Well it did feel kind of makeup-y. It wasn't heavy, but it wasn't "lightweight" as Too Faced promises.   It's not bad, but because this TFBBC is NOT for those with oily skin, it did feel as if it was sliding off my face rather quickly.

At least the color match was good, for me. I'm pretty pale, so the color "Snow Glow" described as Porcelain with Pink Undertone was a good match for me, but those with darker skin are SOL (Sh*t Outta Luck). Of course,  that seems to be the case with SO MANY BB creams. It's getting kind of annoying now because women of color are not afforded to same opportunities to waste their money as I am. HA!  No, but seriously, if any makeup company is reading this. PLEASE start offering some darker and more diverse color selections for BB creams. Oh and please stop calling colors "Chocolate" and "Mocha". So tacky. Not to mention that Women Of Color does not just include African American or Black. It also covers, Latinas, Persians, Arabs, and Asians.  But I might write a post about that whole subject at a later date.

OK Back on topic.  Do you NEED this?  YES,  if you have normal to combo skin and are looking for a light to medium coverage foundation that does not need a primer. This is a nice one to have. If you have Very Dry or Very Oily skin, skip this. At $39,  it's just not worth the agony over having yet another foundation that doesn't work for you.  That being said, this is kind of pricey for a Too Faced product. I wish there was a less expensive option to buy the TFBBC without the brush too.  You can purchase the Too Faced Air Buffed BB Crème Complete Coverage Makeup at Sephora, Ulta, Beauty.com and other retailers.

What do you think?  Will this BB Creme work for you? Have you tried the TFBBC yet?  Love it, like it, hate it?

P.S. To sound off on the whole women of color issue with foundation shades, I do have a question on The Pink Sith Blog Facebook Page about it. Click THIS LINK to give your opinion.

Ingredients:

-Titanium Dioxide 8.3% (sunscreen).
Triethylhexanoin, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Dextrin Palmitate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Alumina, Butylene Glycol, Water, Silica, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Averrhoa Carambola Leaf Extract, Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa Fruit Extract.

 

Thursday Poll

 

 

There is a trick to driving in the Washington, DC area. You have to be a total douchebag to get anywhere.  You read that correctly.  There are so many bad drivers where I live that we have THE WORST traffic in the NATION.  In order to get anywhere driving on the roads you have to drive Offensively, not Defensively. Believe it or not, the average work commute is almost an hour!  A lot of the commute time and traffic could be cut by some common courtesy. The lack of manners on the highways around here leads to tailgating, aggressive driving and accidents, which sets off a chain reaction that causes even more tailgating, aggressive driving and accidents.  For example, If you are trying to merge onto a highway or other road, and the driver in the right lane sees that you are trying to merge, many times that dimwit actually speeds up so you can't get over.  Many drivers in the right lane see you trying to merge, and instead of moving over to the empty lane on their left, they just mosey on in that right lane, making it impossible for you to get over.  Some people merging onto roads have no concept of what a yield sign means. They just GUN IT at 60 miles per hour and ignore the fact that there are other cars in the lane they want to get into. We also have Lane Vigilantes in this area.  These are people with incredibly flawed personalities that believe it is their job to keep everyone else on the road going exactly at the speed limit. These nitwits park themselves (not literally) in the left lane and go exactly the speed limit for that road, despite the fact that the flow of traffic is usually going about 10 miles per hour above the speed limit.  This causes backups for miles and also causes tailgating, aggressive and dangerous driving because people have to pass on the right to get around these imbeciles.  We have a glut of hybrid cars in the area.  The worst hybrid drivers are the ones that drive the Toyota Prius. (Sorry to all my readers that own and drive a Prius for what I'm about to say) Prius drivers have to be the WORST drivers I have ever seen, next to Minivan drivers.  Not only do these blockheads usually go BELOW the speed limit, they have this air of insecure based superiority that they are driving a holier than thou hybrid, and you aren't. That means that they can drive any speed they want because they are saving the environment.  Listen here you pious Prius drivers, I know for a fact that a Prius can go fairly fast. I have seen it happen. (After all, not all Prius drivers are idiots. The ones that read this blog for example, are not idiots.) So get out of that left or center lane if you are going to go 50 mph in a 60 mph zone. You hear me?!?  However, the worst drivers I see don't have a specific car, they have specific infliction. It's called Selfimportantitis. These cretins drive as if they are the only people on the road.  They will go as fast or as slow as they damn well please and you will just have to deal with it.  I know one of these drivers first hand (I work with this person), and I have been in the car when they are driving.  They literally stopped in the road to figure out if they should turn or not.  When asked about the other drivers behind them, this cow-worker said, "I don't care. They can wait!". Yup. They don't care.  Ugh! Others that don't care are the twits on their cell phone.  Apparently their conversation is so highly important that they have to talk on the phone for miles and miles while driving.  I usually end up behind some fool who has their cell phone in one hand, and the wheel in the other, gabbing away, not paying attention to what they are doing.  They are usually doing 10 to 15 miles below the speed limit or are drifting in and out of their lane.  What's worse, these numskulls have no idea (or don't care) that they are holding up traffic, having people pass them on all sides and are getting nasty stares from everyone that is able to pass them.  All of the boneheads listed above have their own special way of creating a virtual hell for other drivers in the DC area.  I would like to blame it all on drivers from Maryland, they tend to be awful, or Diplomats, as they just aren't from this country and may not be used to driving here, but the reality is, bad driving does not discriminate. Everyone sucks.  When I am the supreme ruler of the world, aside from banning tween pop music and giving everyone a taupe eyeshadow and red lipstick, I will make it mandatory that NO ONE is allowed to be on the road when I am driving. That way I avoid all those blockheads I mentioned above!

On To The Poll!

1.  Lip Of The Day? - NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Paris Follies. Such a nice sunny color for a nice sunny day.

2. How do you get to work, school, whatever it is that you do? - I drive. I used to be able to walk to work a long time ago, but alas I am a slave to my car.

3.  Do you wear the same fragrance every day or do you switch it up? (Assuming you do wear fragrance) - I wear a different one almost every day. I have WAAAAAAY too many perfumes, so I try to use them all so they don't go bad by the time I get around to wearing them.

4.  If you could, would you rather drive yourself in a super cool sports car or would you like to have a chauffeur and a "modest" Limo take you places? - I would totally prefer to have a Limo and driver. It's not that I don't like to drive, but I'd rather relax, check e-mail talk on the phone, apply makeup while I'm on my way to some place, and I can't do that when I'm behind the wheel.

5.  QUICK! No cheating. How many lip products are either in your purse/bag, in front of you, or on your person at the moment? - I have three lipsticks on my desk right now. I also have...and this is embarrassing because I have not cleaned my purse out in a while, 16 lip products in my purse! No wonder it's so heavy!

C. Booth Ginger Sugar Body Scrub - Review

 

Hi. I am an ant.  Not an Aunt, well I am an Aunt to some ants, but that's not why I'm here. I'm your average, run of the mill, American ant that is always on the hunt for food (usually sugar) for my colony.  I live right outside of Pink Sith's house. Every Spring we make our triumphant return to Pink Sith's house and drive her and Mr. Sith crazy.  They have yet to figure out where we are getting in. HA!  Sure we take a lot of casualties every year. They lave ant bait for the less sophisticated ants to consume. But me?  I go straight for Pink Sith's shower.  It's on the second floor and it's kind of hard to get to, but I'm an ant, and I can get almost anywhere if I have a mind to do it.

Why do I head for her shower when I could get delicious ant bait or crumbs from the cat bowl or what Darthypie leaves in his wake?  Because Pink Sith always has some sort of sugar based body scrub in her shower for me to devour, if she is careless enough to not rinse the shower thoroughly after use.  This year I was excited to see that she had the C. Booth Ginger Sugar Body Scrub for my tasting.

ginger root

The C. Booth Body Scrub is a spicy and sweet combination that is the perfect recipe for soft skin.  The ginger smells genuine even though it is synthetic. Regardless of where the scent comes from, it's invigorating.  That's why I like to frequent her shower in the morning so I can get my senses going and "wake up" even though I don't actually sleep like you humans do. The sugar, oh how I love sugar, does provide a sweet scent, but it's not cloying, and the ginger really does overpower it all.  This scrub is not for the faint of heart. It's a big heady ginger scent.  Those humans with sensitive noses may want to skip it, but I find the scent delightful!

shea butter

I notice that the Pink Sith uses her body wash first THEN the C. Booth Ginger Sugar Body Scrub.  She gets all clean and then uses the scrub to exfoliate her skin. It wasn't until I saw the ingredients that I understood why this is the last thing she uses in the shower.  The combination of Soy, Olive, Sesame, Evening Primrose, Grape Seed, and Sunflower oils, along with Shea and Cocoa butters make this scrub super softening and moisturizing. No need to wash off that delicious combo of emollient and moisturizing ingredients with soap.  This is like using body lotion in the shower!  When she gets out of the shower the water is all beaded up on her skin, and she is always so pleased with how soft and moisturized her skin feels.  The combination of the extreme hydration and the uplifting scent of ginger makes her morning routine speed by, and she's out of the bathroom faster than an ant catching fire under a magnifying glass! OK. That's a pretty gruesome comparison, but it's a fact of life us ants have to deal with.  And before you think I'm some kind of creeper spying on Pink Sith in the shower, I would like to remind you that I am an ant, after all. It's not like naked humans do anything for me.  Jeesh. Weirdos!

grape seed oil

Anyway. I hear Pink Sith remarking to Mr. Sith that she doesn't need as much body lotion in the mornings because the C. Booth Ginger Sugar Body Scrub does such a fine job moisturizing her skin. She also ads that the scrubbing action from the sugar is a great exfoliant and her rough spots on her arms and knees are smoother than they have ever been. Mr. Sith nods and grunts something, but I doubt he is listening.  So, as she is going on about how soft and silky her skin feels and how she just feels ready to conquer the world after her shower, I head for the shower itself to see if I can grab me some of that sweet, sweet sugar to bring back to the colony.

DRAT!  She was too efficient in rinsing and all the sugar has gone down the drain.  There isn't a trace of the C. Booth Ginger Body Scrub to be found in the shower! I walked the equivalent of 100 miles to get to this shower, and I have NOTHING to take home with me?  Sure I could go to my local ULTA or order the scrub from drugstore.com, but a) I don't have thumbs to open the container, let alone use a computer and b) I'm an ANT!  Oh well. Maybe next shower.  Now where is that Darthypie and the trail of crumbs he leaves from the kitchen to the living room...

The C. Booth Ginger Sugar Body Scrub can be purchased at select ULTA stores, ulta.com and drugstore.com. The generous 8 ounce tub retails for only $6.50. Don't let the no-frills packaging and label fool you, this scrub is as good as some of those more expensive sugar scrubs and leaves you just as glowy, silky and soft!  Do you NEED this?  YES! Just make sure you keep it out of the reach of the ants! C. Booth products are not tested on animals.

PLEASE NOTE! No ants were actually in my shower as a result of using the scrub.  The whole thing is just made up. This product did NOT cause ants to invade my home.  In the interest of full disclosure, I did have ants in my kitchen last Spring, but they never made it past the kitchen and they didn't return this year.

ipsy May Bag - Review, Pictures, Swatches

 

I can't believe I am saying this, but I was actually looking forward to my ipsy bag this month. For a beauty sample subscription service to have me, of all people, excited to see what was in this month's bag is a great triumph! I'll freely admit that I am so jaded when it comes to beauty samples that sometimes I don't give them their fair shake.  Looking back on some of my older Birchbox reviews, I guess the samples weren't all that bad, but I will say that the ipsy samples have been exceptional for the 6 bags I have received since their name change.  The main reason I like the ipsy bags so much is because the majority of the samples are cosmetics/nail polish. I am so overloaded with mini samples of skin and hair care that I couldn't care less if I never receive another sample sized tube of body lotion ever again.  However, with cosmetics, well...that's just fun and a great excuse to play with makeup!

This month's ipsy bag has a theme of "Spring Fling". While it might be cliche, at least the bag is cute.  Know a Miami Dolphin's fan?  Well she will love this makeup bag! Turquoise and Orange Yellow and Teal. It is a nice almost summery look, but honestly, this bag pattern is unique and easy to find in my purse, that's for sure!

But it's what was inside the bag that was so nice.  OK. I know I received a body lotion and hair care sample, but honestly, if I didn't get one, I would think something was wrong. I think it's a law that all beauty subscriptions HAVE TO include at least one if not both items in each bag. Right?  Anyhoo...look at all that makeup!  Let's take a closer look, shall we?

St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion:
I don't do the self tanner thing. I embrace my paleness, so this sample is completely wasted on me.  But for the sake of science, I applied a little to my forearm (see swatches below). It looked as I thought it would look....like dirt. (But that's me. I'm a special snowflake and self tanners and bronzers just do not look good on me)  However, if you do the self tanning thing, then I think this St. Tropez creme/gel hybrid would be awesome for those last min touch ups.  You know, like when your tan has started to fade in spots or you got a little streaky or missed a section. It's also excellent for those that want to have a "bronze glow" without the commitment of a self tanner. This no commitment body lotion washes off in the shower and is transfer resistant.  Best of all, it's free from tanning agents, so you don't get that self-tanner smell. ipsy members receive 20% off their entire purchase from sttropeztan.com with a special code.

NuMe Finishing Serum
I almost laughed when I saw this little blue bottle. I just finished an article about silicones in hair care, and now I get this.  I didn't even try it. I knew it wouldn't work for me, but it might work for you.  it's supposed to be a light, greaseless, and humidity resistant formula to give your hair a glossy finish. NuMe Finishing Serum is also supposed to protect your hair from environmental and physical stress, treating split ends and sealing hair with added, brilliant shine. Yawn. It might work for you, but not for me. I would have preferred something else.  This was the major disappointment in my may bag.  ipsy members will get 60% off any single product from numeproducts.com/shop with a special code.

Zoya Nail Polish  in blu
YAY! Full sized nail polish.  So this color is pretty. a pastel blue. It's nothing to write home about, but would be great with some of my layering polishes on top of it.  I am a little weirded out by the brush. it's a little floppier than other Zoya brushes and a bit wonky. But hey, maybe it was just one of those things.  I don't know, but FULL SIZE is full size!  As with all Zoya polishes the formula is great, the drying time is excellent, and the finish is glossy.  

With a special code, ipsy members can buy any 2 bottles get 1 free and get 1oz Remove+ & $5 shipping at zoya.com/ipsy

yaby Concealer Refill in buff
While yaby eyeshadows did nothing to impress me, I was pleasantly pleased with this concealer pan.  the color, buff, is the second lightest color, and I think would work well, because of it's yellow base on some of my purple-y under eye circles.  The concealer has a creamy texture and was extremely easy to apply. The pigmentation was very good and didn't irritate my skin.  Also, yaby concealers are Vegan friendly and contain no animal byproducts.ipsy member will get 20% off their purchase on yaby products at camerareadycosmetics.com with a special code

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink
Apparently this is an exclusive, pre-launch of the Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss.  How special!  OK. I kid, but I do like me some lip gloss. According to juice beauty, this Reflecting Gloss will give my lips brilliant shine while keeping them healthy and nourished. They claim a combination of antioxidant-rich acai and goji berries, natural minerals and sweet agave nectar that will give my lips radiant color.  Well I'll say the color is rather sheer, but it smells delightful. It's almost a cotton candy and orange scent, but I detected no flavor when wearing it.  It looks natural, a "my lips but better" shade, if you will, and will work well over a few of my lip stains and a couple of lipsticks i own.  Plus, FULL SIZE!  Love that!ipsy member will receive 20% off any purchase of $30 or more at juicebeauty.com/ipsy with a special code.

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac.
I saved the best for last. I have been actively avoiding all blogs that post about these moondust shadows because I had a feeling I would be suckered in and want all of them.  I was right.  When I opened up the package to reveal the FULL SIZE Zodiac shadow with its smoky black w/blue-green shift and blue-green 3-D sparkle, my heart skipped a beat.  This amazingly metallic and sparkly shadow looks amazing wet or dry.  It looks best when applied with a sponge tip applicator or your fingers, but really is bold when applied with a damp brush.  Plus the best part, not a single speck of chunky glitter!  I am in love with this shadow. Expect a full review soon!  This was a bonus item in my May bag, no discount was given to ipsy members.

Click to enlarge.  L to R: yaby Concealer, Juice Beauty Lip Gloss, St. Tropez body bronzer and Urban Decay Moondust eyeshadow

So let's see. 4 FULL SIZE items (Urban Decay, Juice Beauty, yaby and Zoya), 4 makeup items and two throw aways (St. Tropez and Nu-Me), I'm genuinely pleased with this month's bag. The Urban Decay eyeshadow alone makes this bag awesome.  There were a lot of other items that were in other bags this month so there may be a lot of variation when you look at other reviews.  I'm kinda jealous that I didn't get one or two of the Pacifica items, but I think I'll live.  I would totally recommend signing up for ipsy's $10 monthly subscription service. There is not referral program that I know of, so no links in this post are affiliate or give me a "credit" if you click on them. Oooh. TY dear reader. There is a referral program and you can sign up HERE!! So yes. Links to ipsy in this post will give me credit if you choose to sign up.

What say you?  Was this bag well worth the $10 I spent?  Will you sign up for ipsy or are you clever and saving your $10 a month for a larger purchase? (like I should do!)

Silicones in Hair Care. What You Need To Know

 

There has long been talk about the evils of silicones in hair products. I am here to say that silicones in hair products are not necessarily bad or "evil".  I personally choose to avoid them, but many silicones do your hair no more harm that hairspray or other styling products.  I know that many people complain about silicone buildup, but  almost every product you use on your hair will cause buildup. Hairspray, styling products, conditioners, it is all the same and silicone is no different.

The purpose of this post is to explain what some of the more popular silicones do to your hair and why I personally try to avoid them for my hair.  You might find, after reading this article that you need not worry about silicones in your hair products and can go on your way with the satisfaction that you are doing no harm to your hair. Others with dry hair, or hair prone to breakage or already damaged hair may find that all those silicones are actually hurting the recovery of your hair and a change might be in order.

silicone molecule

Using silicones on your hair will not give you any long term benefits at all.  All that silicone does is give the appearance of healthy and shiny hair.   Silicones simply coat the hair strands to make them appear smoother, less frizzy and shinier.   For example, certain silicones in conditioners, frizz fighters, and hair shine serums simply coat the hair strands and make them appear smoother and shiny.  The silicones can add a little weight to the hair which gives those with fine hair a little substance, but also can make some hair look greasy.  Basically, silicone based hair products provide only a temporary smoothing effect.  Some silicones on some types of hair WILL cause damage over the long term. I will get into that later in this post.

To understand how silicones might or might not damage your hair you need to understand that there are two types of silicones:   Water soluble and non-soluble silicones.   Water soluble silicones are just that. They can be washed away with just water. No soap or detergent required.  Non-soluble silicones are exactly the opposite of the water soluble silicones.  These silicones require sulfates in order to be washed away.  It is true that if you use non-soluble silicones on your hair and never use a shampoo with sulfates in it, you can get build up.   HOWEVER, there is a limited amount of surface area on each strand of hair for the silicone to attach itself to.  And the silicone will not attach to more silicone so it will not accumulate indefinitely.  So keep in mind that if you co-wash (never use shampoo) use sulfate free shampoo and/or have very delicate hair, silicones may weigh your hair down with repeated use.

You know how I talked about long term use causing damage to some types of hair, well this is where I explain why.  Non-soluble silicones require the help of sulfate shampoos and cleansers in order to remove the silicone coating from the hair.   This may seem meaningless to some, however if you are trying to retain moisture in your hair then you may want to refrain from using non-soluble silicone products.  Why?  Well, in addition from having to use drying sulfate based cleansers, the silicone coating on the hair prevents moisture, protein, or other products from penetrating the hair shaft.   Additionally, when an overload of silicone products are applied to hair, the buildup from the silicone coating eventually causes breakage.  (If your hair is already dry or prone to breakage)

Here is a closer look at some of the more popular silicones in hair products and what they do to your hair.

Amodimethicone is a special  type kind of silicone that has been chemically modified to better adhere to your hair strands. Commonly used in leave in conditioners, Amodimethicone is a little more difficult to remove because of the unique way it was formulated.  Silicones that have "amo", "amine" or "amino" in their name are also similar to Amodimethicone and can present a challenge to remove.

Cyclomethicone is one of the most commonly used silicones in hair care. I bet you can find at least two or more products in your hair styling/care arsenal that has Cyclomethicone in it. (Cyclopentsiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane, and cyclohexasiloxane are also designations for the same class of molecules.)  These types of silicones have a cyclic, or ring-like structure and can be much smaller than Dimethicone.  This type of silicone is often used as a solvent for fragrance and essential oils (Argan Oil for example) and is used as a way to carry higher molecular weight silicones such as Dimethicone.  Cyclomethicones are popular because they spread easily on the hair and the result is usually not greasy.  Cyclomethicone evaporate easily from the hair, therefore is not prone to build-up or an oily residue.   Many people find that conditioners or serums containing Cyclomethicones  help speed drying time of the hair.  Also, because it evaporates quickly, the "desired ingredients" like essential oils and such, can penetrate the hair shaft without being blocked out like with other silicones. The Cyclomethicones are supposed to be too large to penetrate the skin or hair itself, but some people still have a sensitivity to them and can have reactions from use.  Some believe that because Cyclomethicones evaporates on the hair like ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol evaporates, it can leave a ragged hair cuticle that results in a rough texture to the hair surface.

Dimethicone is another commonly used silicone in hair products.  The structure of the Dimethicone molecule is more linear and the basic opposite of Cyclomethicone.  The non-soluble silicone is sometimes called silicone oil.  Unlike Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone will not evaporate on the hair.  The combination of Dimethicone being a non-soluble silicone AND the fact that it does not evaporate makes, it one of the more difficult products to remove from the hair.  On average there is usually 3-5% of Dimethicone in most rinse out conditioners, shampoos and leave in conditioners. However, there can be as much as 80-90% in serums.  The issue with Dimethicone is that is adsorbs into and sticks on to the outer cuticle of the hair.  This in turn, forms a film on the hair which smooths the outer cuticle and makes hair look smooth and glossy.  Because of its heavy coating, Dimethicone prevents essential oils and other moisturizing ingredients from penetrating the hair shaft. Because Dimethicone is so water insoluble, it can be difficult to remove.  Use of sulfate cleansers are the best way to remove Dimethicone from the hair, but many times the hair will not be fully cleansed of the Dimethicone on the first wash. Those with sulfate allergies, color treated hair, fragile hair, dry or damaged hair may want to avoid Dimethicone.  Dimethicone will not damage the hair, but the products needed to remove it, could cause damage.

Dimethicone Copolyol is a water-soluble, lightweight silicone that provides very little buildup. It is often used in conditioning shampoos. Of all the silicones out there, this would be the one I would LEAST worry about having in my hair.  Aside from it being water soluble is it mainly used as a humectant and to keep products stable.  Dimethicone Copolyol provides slip to the hair and is similar to glycerin.  The main purpose of Dimethicone Copolyol is to add shine to the hair and make it feel more full.

Basically, when dealing with silicones on your hair, it all comes down to your hair type and quality.  The more moisture your hair needs, the less you should use silicones that coat the hair and blocks that moisture from getting to the hair shaft.  The more damaged or more prone to breakage your hair may be will decide if and what types of silicone products you use in your hair.  It is important to be your own Ingredient Detective and try various products on your own hair to find out what gives you the results that you want the most. As I always say, what works for me, may not work for you.

I hope this was helpful.  What do you think about silicones in hair care products?  Has your opinion changed after reading this? Has it stayed the same?  Will you now approach some hair care products with less trepidation now that you know the different types of silicones and what they do to your hair? I would love to read your comments.

Here is a list of some common Water Soluble Silicones:
Any Silicone with PEG as a prefix
Dimethicone Copolyol
Hydrolyzed wheat protein (Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane)
Lauryl Methicone Copolyol
 

Here is a list of some Non Soluble (not water soluble) Silicones:
Amodimethicone
Behenoxy Dimethicone
Cetearyl Methicone
Cetyl Dimethicone
Cyclomethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone
Dimethiconol
Phenyl Trimethicone
Stearoxy Dimethicone
Stearyl Dimethicone
Trimethylsilylamodimetheicone