How common are silicones? What 14,000 labels show

"Silicone free" has become one of the most common claims on hair care. To see whether it means much, we looked at every product we have checked and counted. This post is the result: how often silicones appear, which product types use them most, and which names they hide behind.

The overall number

Of the 14,065 products in our data, 3,154 contain at least one silicone. That is 22 percent. Another 10,483 are silicone free, and 428 come back as not sure because the label was incomplete or ambiguous.

So the majority of products on the shelf never had a silicone in the first place. Whether a "silicone free" claim tells you anything depends entirely on the product type.

Where silicones actually are

Here is the share of products containing a silicone, by category, for every category where we have at least 50 products:

• Anti-dandruff shampoos: 65 percent (90 of 138)
• Face makeup (foundation, primer): 64 percent (103 of 162)
• Antiperspirants: 52 percent (56 of 108)
• Hair dyes: 48 percent (28 of 58)
• Lip makeup: 47 percent (29 of 62)
• Creams and lotions: 43 percent (77 of 178)
• Hair conditioners: 41 percent (70 of 172)
• Face creams: 41 percent (83 of 203)
• Sunscreens: 40 percent (167 of 418)
• Body moisturizers: 36 percent (133 of 371)
• Hand creams: 29 percent (59 of 203)
• Shampoos: 24 percent (236 of 968)
• Deodorants: 22 percent (137 of 626)
• Lip balms: 18 percent (23 of 129)
• Shower gels: 1 percent (5 of 694)
• Bar soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes, perfumes: 0 percent

Two lessons jump out. First, "silicone free shower gel" is not a distinction; almost no shower gel has silicone. Second, the places where silicones really live are anti-dandruff shampoo, foundation, antiperspirant, conditioner and sunscreen. In those categories the claim carries real information.

The names to know

Silicones rarely appear as the word silicone. These are the ones that show up most in our data, with the number of products each one appears in:

• Dimethicone: 1,821 products. The workhorse. Gives slip in creams and a smooth feel on hair.
• Dimethiconol: 507. A heavier cousin, common in conditioners and shine products.
• Cyclopentasiloxane: 502. A light, volatile silicone that evaporates after application; typical in antiperspirants and primers.
• Amodimethicone: 244. Made to cling to damaged hair; a conditioner specialty.
• Trimethylsiloxysilicate: 141. A film former in long-wear makeup and sunscreen.
• Phenyl Trimethicone: 93. Glossy finish, often in serums and hair oils.
• Cyclohexasiloxane: 88. Another volatile one.

The rule of thumb: if a word ends in -cone, -conol, -siloxane or -silane, it is a silicone. Dimethicone Copolyol and the PEG-modified silicones (for example PEG-12 Dimethicone) are the water-soluble members of the family, which matters for the rinse-out question below.

Face makeup is the other place to read carefully. Foundations and primers use silicones for slip and for the blurred finish, and 64 percent of the face makeup in our data contains one. A silicone free foundation is a real and fairly rare thing; a silicone free shower gel is not.

Why anti-dandruff shampoo leads the table

An anti-dandruff shampoo has to deposit an active such as zinc pyrithione on the scalp while still leaving hair manageable. Formulators lean on dimethicone to offset the roughness the active can cause. That is why 65 percent of them contain a silicone while ordinary shampoos sit at 24 percent.

Conditioners are the other natural home. Compare Timotei Brun Intense conditioner, which fails the check, with Inecto Nourish Me Almond Conditioner or Schauma Cream and Oil, which pass.

The one silicone the EU restricts

Most silicones have no EU restriction. Cyclopentasiloxane, also called D5, is the exception. Since January 2020, the EU limits D5 to 0.1 percent in wash-off cosmetics under the REACH regulation, on environmental grounds rather than skin safety. A 2024 amendment extends the same 0.1 percent limit to D4, D5 and D6 in leave-on products from June 2027.

In our data, cyclopentasiloxane appears in 534 products; 97 of them are deodorants and another 23 are antiperspirants, with foundations and sunscreens next. Those are all leave-on products, so this is the group that will reformulate first.

Do silicones build up?

Water-insoluble silicones such as dimethicone can accumulate on hair if you only use very mild cleansers, and that is the origin of the "build-up" complaint. Water-soluble ones (anything with PEG or Copolyol in the name) rinse out with water. A sulfate or a strong glucoside cleanser removes the insoluble ones too. So the question is not whether silicones are bad, it is whether your shampoo can remove the ones your conditioner leaves behind.

How we count

Our silicone-free check reads the full ingredient list and flags any silicone family member. A product passes only when the list is complete and contains none of them. When the list is cut off or a name is ambiguous, we say not sure rather than guess.

FAQ

Are silicones bad for hair?

They are not harmful. They coat the hair shaft, which some people like (shine, less frizz) and some do not (weight, build-up). The choice is about feel and routine, not safety.

Is dimethicone vegan?

Yes. Dimethicone is synthetic, made from silica. It does not come from animals.

What is the difference between silicone and silicon?

Silicon is the element. Silicones are synthetic polymers built on silicon and oxygen chains. Every silicone in cosmetics is made in a factory.

Which shampoos are silicone free?

About three out of four in our data. Use the silicone-free hub to browse them by product type.