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The 2025 edition of Paris Packaging Week!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010Ingredient of the month

Silicones

©Artyom Rudenko-Thinkstock

They are an ingredient of many face-care creams, and cannot be ignored in hair products, shampoos and hair-conditioners. Silicones are synthetic products, said to be almost non-biodegradable and pollutant for the environment. Nevertheless, there are many other points to know about them …

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Silicones are synthetic molecules based on silicium (one of the most abundant elements on Earth, also present in the human body, especially in the connective tissue) and oxygen.
The reaction of silicium and oxygen, through suitable chemical processes, makes many polymers with long structures.

Depending on the organic chemical group and on polymerization parameters, silicones come in very different structures and textures, from liquids (oils) to rigid ones including viscous, resinous, doughy or waxy substances …

The word "silicone" does not apply to a specific ingredient, but to a large family of products with particular proprieties…that are widely appreciated in cosmetics.

Efficient from skin to hair

Silicones are widely used in hair products. Indeed, they can coat a resin, sheath hair fibers, style hair, give smoothness, ease hair detangling or give hair silky-smoothness and shininess.
Not that easy nowadays to find an efficient hair care product (shampoo, conditioner, gel or foam) without silicones!

Further, they are also found in many face care creams, to which they give fluid and soft textures, pleasant to the touch and easy to spread on the face.
Their organic silicium content helps to offset a deficiency which increases along ageing (from 30-35); silicones strengthen the …

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