What you need to know if you use "cones" (silicones) on your hair

Do you use "cones" (silicones) to get your hair more shiny and less frizzy?

Silicones come in a variety of forms, you may know them best as those droppers full of clear viscous liquid that you rub a few drops between your palms and smooth over your hair. But even if you're not using cones in this form, it's likely you're getting them in your conditioners or styling products (particularly any hair straightening balms) because they've become so popular.

Silicones are amazing - at first - because they make hair calm down and look/feel a lot less pouffy. Problem is, most silicones (especially the ones that work best) are not water soluble. So what happens is as you use them is that they build up in your hair. Over time, this means your hair actually gets dull and less manageable (and then you likely apply MORE cones to counter the effect!)

Now lots of people advocate getting rid of silicones altogether and I've taken that radical path before... but I missed my cones!! So here's a solution: periodically clarify your hair.

How to clarify? Here are a few options that I advocate (I only clarify about once a month or two, some people do it more often, but I find it unnecessary):

1. Use a homemade recipe: mix a couple teaspons of baking soda with an SLS-free shampoo (sodium laurel/laureth sulfate). [You shouldn't be using SLS on your hair anyways, I have a whole post on the evils of shampoo, read it to understand why]. Note, your hair will feel really dry after you do this, so be sure to do an extra-especially intense conditioning treatment.

2. Use an SLS-free clarifying shampoo (you can find these at a Beauty Supply Store, probably not at the pharmacy or supermarket). I get mine at GBS in Miami.

3. If you've already drunk the kool-aid and are no-longer using shampoo or SLS's, then you can probably just use a regular cheap shampoo to clarify, especially if you're not using a lot of cones.

By the way, here is a list of ingredients that are "code" for silicones:

Amodimethicone- Trimethylsilylamodimethicone-
Amodimethicone (&) C11-15 Pareth-7 (&) Laureth-9 (&) Glycerin (&) Trideceth-12
Amodimethicone (&) Trideceth-12 (&) Cetrimonium Chloride
Behenoxy Dimethicone
Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone
Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone
C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone
Cetearyl Methicone
Cetyl Dimethicone
Cetyl PEG/PPG-15/15 Butyl Ether Dimethicone
Cyclomethicone (&) PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane- Cyclomethicone D5
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Cyclohexasiloxane
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Dimethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Dimethicone/Vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Dimethiconol
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Cyclotetrasiloxane- Cyclomethicone D4
DEA PG-Propyl PEG/PPG-18/21 Dimethicone
Diisostearoyl Trimethylolpropane Siloxy Silicate
Dimethicone Copolyol
Dimethicone (&) Laureth-4 (&) Laureth-23
Dimethicone (&) Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Dimethicone (from 1 to 1,000,000 cs)
Dimethiconol (&) Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulphonate
Diphenyl Dimethicone
Disiloxane
Hydrolyzed wheat protein/hydroxypropyl polysiloxane & cystine/silicone co-polymers
Lauryl Methicone Copolyol
PCA Dimethicone
PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Phenyl Trimethicone
Polysilicone-18 Cetyl Phosphate
Silicone Resin Spheres (2, 5 & 6 micron)
Simethicone
Stearoxy Dimethicone
Stearyl Dimethicone
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Trisiloxane