WTF Is Dimethicone and Why Is It in *All* of My Skincare?
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If you're even a tiny bit into skincare routines, whether by choice or by accident (we've all found ourself on beauty TikTok at some point, yes?), you've probably heard about silicones in skincare—specifically, dimethicone. Dimethicone is an incredibly popular silicone that's found in the majority of skincare and makeup products and gives the formula that silky-smooth feeling—you know, the one that makes you go, "wow, so soft," after massaging it on.
I, personally, love silicones. My dry, acne-prone skin has never met a silicone it doesn't love—especially in makeup primers <3—because they make my face look airbrushed and smooth (even when I'm dealing with bumpy keratosis pilaris and hormonal cystic acne breakouts). But for every silicone-loving person like me, there's another one who hates silicones, believing them to be the cause of breakouts and clogged pores.
So what's the truth? Welp, that's why we're here today. We chatted with a few experts to find out whether or not dimethicone clogs pores, if it's safe to use, and WTF it even does. Keep reading to find out all the myths, and get ready to (politely) debate someone on their misinformation.
Meet the experts:
Dhaval G. Bhanusali, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in New York City. Dr. Bhanusali is also the founder of HairStim, a custom-compounded hair loss formula that's created and prescribed by your own dermatologist.
Mona Gohara, MD, is an associate clinical professor of dermatologist at Yale School of Medicine, and a board-certified dermatologist at the Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut in multiple locations across CT. Dr. Gohara is also the president of the Women’s Dermatologic Society.
Kerry E. Yates is a trichologist and the creator of Colour Collective, an incubator of beauty development partners who help concept, create, and execute new beauty brands.
Dimethicone fast facts
What it is:
Dimethicone is a type of silicone that's used as a smoothing agent in skin, makeup, and hair products.
Benefits of dimethicone for skin:
Creates a silky-soft feeling that isn't heavy or greasy.
Smooths skin texture by temporarily filling in fine lines, wrinkles, and pores.
Helps makeup last longer (if you're using silicone-based primers and makeup products).
Seals in moisture by creating a sheer, water-resistant "film" over your skin to prevent water loss.
Reduces oily skin by mattifying shine and blurring the look of big pores.
Helps skin heal by creating a lightweight barrier against environmental irritants.
What is dimethicone?
Dimethicone is a silicon-based polymer that, when used in beauty products, gives the formula an incredibly smooth, soft, slippery feel, says board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. Because dimethicone glides over your skin and fills in bumps and crevices, it's also known to "blur" the look of fine lines and wrinkles on contact, while also acting as an occlusive agent (meaning it helps prevent water loss by creating a seal or a barrier on your skin).
"Dimethicone can make a formula feel really cosmetically elegant, since it gives makeup and creams a slippery, silky finish," says Dr. Gohara. "It basically creates this smooth surface on your face—even if you're dealing with rough or bumpy skin texture—so makeup can also adhere better and look more natural." And that's why dimethicone is usually one of the first ingredients in your foundations, makeup primers, moisturizers, etc.
Honestly, unless a label specifically says it's free of silicones, you can almost guarantee it's going to be in everything you use (even hair products, since dimethicone keeps hair smooth and flyaway-free).
Is dimethicone harmful to skin?
Nope! According to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel, dimethicone is safe for the skin when used in cosmetic products. Not only that, but because dimethicone has a large molecular weight (meaning it can't easily penetrate the skin), it's unlikely to be absorbed into your skin in any significant way.
"I think, all too often, people put things in categories and say, 'all of this is bad,'" says board-certified dermatologist Dhaval G. Bhanusali, MD. "But in this case, I don't know of many colleagues who are concerned with dimethicone in skincare products." Basically, this isn't something to be freaked out about.
Does dimethicone break you out?
I know the idea of dimethicone acting as a "seal" on your skin probably sounds like an immediate recipe for clogged pores, but, surprisingly, nope! Dr. Bhanusali says that unlike with other occlusives (like oils), dimethicone isn't really heavy or greasy, which is why a lot of products for oily skin tend to use dimethicone in their formulas: It helps smooth and mattify your skin, which is especially helpful for temporarily minimizing large pores.
"In general, dimethicone clogging pores isn’t something that dermatologists are actually worried about," says Dr. Bhanusali. In fact, because acne-prone skin is often irritated and/or dry, and dimethicone can act as a protective and soothing barrier, "it can even be beneficial for acne patients," he adds.
Why is dimethicone bad for hair?
Spend five seconds researching hair products, and you're guaranteed to see warnings about silicones in hair products, or suggestions to try a silicone-free hair routine. But that's not because dimethicone—or silicones in general—are bad for your hair; they're just not ideal for certain hair types.
"Silicones, especially dimethicone, help create a sleek, slippery feel on your hair, making detangling easier and giving your hair the appearance of being super conditioned and healthy," says trichologist and creator of Colour Collective, Kerry E. Yates. "Dimethicone is also heavily used in styling products to help 'glue' the cuticles down to create that smooth, shiny effect in hair," she adds (which is why it's the main ingredient in frizz-smoothing and split-end-minimizing products).
But it's this "gluing" mechanism that can also cause problems in the long-run—dimethicone tends to quickly build up on your strands, preventing water from penetrating your hair cuticle, leaving your hair lank, dry, and damaged. Although dimethicone is perfectly fine for your skin and washes off easily at the end of the day, it has a harder time being removed from your hair and requires a silicone-free, sulfate-filled cleanser or a clarifying shampoo to remove.
Not a big deal, unless your hair is already dry (see damaged, color-treated, and/or curly hair). Using a clarifying shampoo every single wash will eventually destroy your hair, but if you're a big silicone user, it's still necessary once in awhile—like once every other week—to clear the buildup.
And despite what you may have heard, dimethicone buildup doesn't cause hair loss, says Dr. Bhanusali. As Yates explains it, the concern with dimethicone in hair products has more to do with hair health, since dimethicone buildup prevents the hair from achieving a proper moisture balance, which can result in dry, brittle ends that are prone to breakage.
For that reason, Yates argues that not all hair types and textures should use silicones—it can make fine hair look limp and oily, and it can make coily and curly hair textures drier and more brittle. "People with curly, coily hair should avoid using dimethicone, as the hair is already in a fragile state," says Yates. "By contributing to that dryness, you intensify the level of breakage."
The bottom line
Dimethicone is completely fine to use on your skin, and there are no real drawbacks to using silicone-based skincare products if you're not experiencing issues. That being said, if you don't love the feeling of silicone, or you think your skin doesn't love dimethicone for some reason, you can always opt for a silicone-free skincare option instead, like one of these:
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