SILICONE
Dimethicone
- silicone
The most common conditioning silicone. It coats the strand for shine, slip, and frizz control, and needs a detergent (not just water) to wash out.
Video · 3:09
What dimethicone does, and is it bad for your hair?
What it does for hair, what its place on the ingredient list tells you, the worries people have about it, and the swaps.
- products in our library
- 1100
- of researched products
- 16%
- on the label, in our conditioners
- usually #5
- most common in
- Conditioner
- in water
- Oil-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
How much easier it makes a comb pass.
How much the class is felt on fine hair.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a cleanser | 4 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with a cleanser | 2 of 5 |
| Slip | High | 5 of 5 |
| Weight | Noticeable | 4 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Dimethicone does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Fills the gaps between lifted cuticle scales so light reflects evenly.
Lowers the drag a comb feels, which is most of what "detangling" means.
Included for feel and detangling rather than for cleaning or structure.
Smooths the feel of the strand without adding hold or cleaning.
Charge
Carries no charge, so it neither clings to hair nor is pushed away by it. Nonionic ingredients are the mild, pH-tolerant workhorses of a formula.
Solubility
Needs a surfactant to remove. On a low-detergent routine it can build up over time.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Conditioner
297 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Shampoo
165 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Mask / treatment
148 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Leave-in
135 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Finisher: oil
79 products
In a finishing oil, dimethicone spreads as a smooth, low-friction layer over the hair surface. It improves slip, reduces flyaways, and creates a glossier finish. Dow
|
leading · #2 | |
Finisher: serum
56 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Heat protectant
49 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: curl cream
37 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
28 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Finisher: shine spray
23 products
|
leading · #3 |
13 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: paste
22 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
11 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: lotion
9 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: volumizer
8 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: gel
7 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Co-wash
6 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Scalp treatment
6 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: texture spray
5 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: hairspray
4 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: mousse
2 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Dry shampoo
1 product
|
secondary · #9 | |
Finisher: end oil
1 product
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: edge control
1 product
|
secondary · #18 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 297 | 26% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Shampoo | 165 | 11% | 9 | 2 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 148 | 25% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Leave-in | 135 | 20% | 4 | 1 | supporting |
| Finisher: oil | 79 | 29% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Finisher: serum | 56 | 41% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Heat protectant | 49 | 24% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Styler: curl cream | 37 | 16% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 28 | 35% | 4 | 2 | supporting |
| Finisher: shine spray | 23 | 22% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Styler: paste | 22 | 11% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 11 | 34% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Styler: lotion | 9 | 25% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: volumizer | 8 | 6% | 7 | 4 | supporting |
| Styler: gel | 7 | 3% | 4 | 1 | supporting |
| Co-wash | 6 | 6% | 13 | 4 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 6 | 2% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: texture spray | 5 | 5% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: hairspray | 4 | 2% | 7 | 6 | supporting |
| Styler: mousse | 2 | 1% | 16 | 9 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 1 | 1% | 9 | 9 | secondary |
| Finisher: end oil | 1 | 13% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: edge control | 1 | 3% | 18 | 18 | secondary |
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 395 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 411 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 223 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 63 |
| 26+ | Trace | 8 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Who should pay attention
Formulation guidance for specific hair conditions, limited to the label positions where it applies. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, or about you.
A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
May suit frizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair that benefits from surface smoothing and added slip.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8. Researched in our hair oils.Consider cleansing habits: dimethicone is not water-soluble, so repeated use may leave more deposited film than a low-detergent routine removes.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8. Researched in our hair oils.High on a list, a conditioning film is weight, and fine hair loses root lift to it before it gains much smoothness.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8.Rows marked “researched” were read for this ingredient and cited below; the rest are read from its chemical class.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- slip and surface smoothing
- easier combing
- a softer feel
- something that lasts through the day
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a supporting silicone alongside the main ingredients in our conditioners
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- buildup, since the water-soluble ones rinse out with ordinary shampoo
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Why some people avoid it
A conditioning agent that lays a smooth film on the cuticle, which is what delivers slip, shine and frizz control.
The water-insoluble ones need a detergent wash to remove, so on a routine that avoids detergent they accumulate and can leave hair feeling coated. That is the curly-method objection, and it is about buildup rather than harm. Water-soluble silicones rinse out and do not raise it.
Where regulators stand: Permitted. Some cyclic silicones are restricted in the EU on environmental grounds (they persist in waterways), not for anything to do with skin.
A formulation preference, not a regulatory finding
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 413
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 369
- Amodimethicone · 357
- Benzyl Alcohol · 353
- Disodium EDTA · 314
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 307
- Dimethiconol · 291
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 275
- Cetyl Alcohol · 272
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 259
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to improve feel after rinsing, smooth the surface, and carry the formula and let it dry.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
AG Care · Finisher
The Oil Extra-Virgin Argan Smoothing Oil
#1 on the label · $21.50/oz
amika · Finisher
Glass Action Universal Elixir
#1 on the label · $17.04/oz
Aveda · Finisher
Miraculous Oil High-Shine Hair Concentrate
#1 on the label · $24.71/oz
Bed Head · Finisher
Juxta-Pose Dry Serum
#1 on the label · $16.35/oz
Bed Head · Finisher
No Frizz Given Curl Anti-Frizz Serum
#1 on the label · $12.43/oz
Bumble and bumble · Finisher
Hairdresser's Invisible Oil
#1 on the label · $12.79/oz
Bumble and bumble · Finisher
Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Frizz Reducing Hair Oil
#1 on the label · $13.82/oz
CHI · Finisher
Aloe Vera Oil
#1 on the label · $10.33/oz
CHI · Leave-in
Royal Treatment Pearl Complex
#1 on the label · $8.33/oz
Crown Affair · Finisher
The Oil
#1 on the label · $45.00/oz
Drybar · Finisher
Blowout Defense Rapid Repair & Finishing Oil
#1 on the label · $17.00/oz
Garnier Fructis · Leave-in
Sleek & Shine Sleek & Stay Heat-Activated Serum
#1 on the label · $5.29/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Dimethicone
- emollient
- conditioning agent
- dimethicone
- polydimethylsiloxane
For your hair?
Whether Dimethicone matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 1st most-listed silicone in our libraryWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Seed entry, sourcing in progress Written from our reference work; primary sourcing is still being attached.
By product type
- Retailer or trade Dow : Dimethicone use in hair oils and its smoothing, coating, and sensory functions. · accessed 2026-08-27
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 1100 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
