Silicones are a perfectly safe and extremely common cosmetic ingredient. You will find silicones in almost every skincare product because they are:
- Hypoallergenic & non-comedogenic (at least on their own)
- Great for creating slip & smoothness
- Good for sealing in moisture & other skincare ingredients
- Very inexpensive for manufacturers
That all sounds great, so why doesn’t Maison Wolfberry use silicones in any of our products?
1. The jury is still out on the environmental impact of silicones in cosmetics
A few scientific studies have shown that most types of silicone do not bioaccumulate (that is, when the levels of a chemical increase in the body of a living organism over its life).
However, studies have also demonstrated that silicones are not biodegradable and accumulate in soil/sediments/water, which makes sense since silicones are relatively inert and non-reactive. Their ultimate fate is poorly understood, and we do not yet understand the potential risks of releasing so many silicones into the environment through our personal care products.
2. Silicones don’t have any skincare benefits on their own
Silicones are an easy solution for creating nice textures and occlusive effects, but don’t have any added benefits in terms of moisture or nutrition.
@beautifulwithbrains put it best:
“Think of silicones like junk food: they satisfy the craving but don’t nourish the body.”
3. You can achieve the same feel as silicones using plant-based ingredients that DO have additional skincare benefits!
We have found that we can get the smooth, gliding feel of silicones using only plant polysaccharides and phospholipids! These are amazing because they are:
- Moisturizing & emollient (softening!)
- Sealing & protective
- Similar to skin’s natural phospholipids
Our plant-based blend is featured in our Green Tea Gel Cream, the perfect natural priming moisturizer!
How do you feel about silicones in skincare?
