Is silicone bad for natural black hair? That’s the question of the day. The answer to this question is both yes and no, because it depends on the type of silicone you are using and your own haircare regimen.
Silicone can create an illusion of silky, shiny hair because it smooths the hair cuticle making it appear healthy. Silicone can also cause buildup in the hair, if the hair isn’t clarified of them on a regular basis, but to know how to clarify the hair, it’s best to know what kind of silicone you are putting in your hair. There are 2 types of silicone’s: The chemically modified water soluble kind, and the non-water soluble kind. The water soluble kind can be washed out with regular co-washes and water using a non-silicone containing shampoo and a good rinsing. On the other hand the kind that isn’t water soluble will need certain ingredients contained in a shampoo to remove it.
Below I have a chart that I borrowed from naturallycurly.com which breaks down the most common types of silicone used in hair products, and what ingredients to look for in your shampoo to remove them:
| Silicone | Water soluble? | Recommended cleansing agents |
| Dimethicone | No | SLS, SLES, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocobetaine, ALS, or ALES |
| Dimethiconol | No | SLS, SLES, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocobetaine, ALS, or ALES |
| Phenyl Trimethicone | No | SLS, SLES, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocobetaine, ALS, or ALES |
| Amodimethicone | No | SLS, SLES, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocobetaine, ALS, or ALES |
| Cyclomethicone | No | cocamidopropyl betaine, cocobetaine, other mild surfactants, or conditioner washing |
| PEG-modified dimethicone | Yes | cocamidopropyl betaine, cocobetaine, other mild surfactants, or conditioner washing |
| Dimethicone copolyol | Yes | cocamidopropyl betaine, cocobetaine, other mild surfactants, or conditioner washing |
If you want to view this chart on their website click here.
Hello, my name is Samara Bowling. I am a full-time natural hair care blogger and the founder of