SILICONE
Dimethiconol
- silicone
A high-shine silicone often paired with dimethicone for a smoother, glossier finish.
- products in our library
- 250
- of researched products
- 6%
- on the label, in our hair oils
- usually #3
- most common in
- Finisher: oil
- in water
- Oil-soluble
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
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 Dimethiconol 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.
Smooths the feel of the strand without adding hold or cleaning.
It takes a surfactant to remove — worth knowing on a low-detergent routine.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Finisher: oil
52 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Shampoo
51 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Conditioner
34 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Leave-in
32 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Finisher: serum
26 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Heat protectant
20 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Mask / treatment
16 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
4 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
3 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Scalp treatment
2 products
|
secondary · #40 |
6 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: curl cream
2 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: hairspray
2 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Styler: texture spray
2 products
|
secondary · #14 | |
Styler: volumizer
2 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Finisher: end oil
1 product
|
supporting · #4 | |
Finisher: shine spray
1 product
|
leading · #3 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finisher: oil | 52 | 30% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Shampoo | 51 | 6% | 10 | 3 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 34 | 5% | 16 | 5 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 32 | 8% | 8 | 2 | supporting |
| Finisher: serum | 26 | 33% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Heat protectant | 20 | 14% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Mask / treatment | 16 | 4% | 18 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 4 | 7% | 17 | 4 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 3 | 13% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Scalp treatment | 2 | 1% | 40 | 25 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 2 | 2% | 12 | 10 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 2 | 2% | 17 | 12 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 2 | 3% | 14 | 8 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 2 | 3% | 16 | 15 | secondary |
| Finisher: end oil | 1 | 11% | 4 | 4 | supporting |
| Finisher: shine spray | 1 | 2% | 3 | 3 | leading |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 76 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 65 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 73 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 49 |
| 26+ | Trace | 12 |
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
Conditional formulation guidance, scoped to a hair condition and to the positions where it is meaningful. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, and not a conclusion about you.
A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
Dimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients, positions 4–8 or the lower half of the ordered list.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.Read from this ingredient’s chemical class. Where we have researched the ingredient itself, that reading replaces the class one.
Why it matters to shoppers
What this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- slip and surface smoothing
- a softer feel
- something that lasts through the day
- results that hold as the weather changes
- an exact safety score — we do not publish one, for any ingredient
- how a finished product performs by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — label position never converts into a number
- a primary silicone near the top of the ingredient list in our hair oils
- it was on the label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, not marketing copy
- buildup — 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 — persistence in waterways — rather than for anything to do with skin.
A formulation preference, not a regulatory finding
Commonly paired with
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Dimethicone · 151
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 97
- Cyclopentasiloxane · 87
- Disodium EDTA · 72
- Benzyl Alcohol · 71
- Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil · 67
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 65
- Tocopherol · 64
- Citronellol · 63
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil · 61
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to smooth the surface, give it a scent, and keep the formula stable.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Biosilk · Finisher
Silk Therapy With Natural Coconut Oil Leave-In Treatment
#2 on the label · $9.29/oz
BioSilk · Finisher
Silk Therapy Original
#2 on the label · $6.59/oz
CHI · Finisher
Deep Brilliance Shine Serum Lightweight Leave-In Treatment
#2 on the label · $2.80/oz
CHI · Leave-in
Keratin Silk Infusion
#2 on the label · $6.12/oz
CHI · Finisher
Silk Infusion Botanical Bliss
#2 on the label · $4.94/oz
Coco & Eve · Finisher
Like A Virgin Miracle Hair Elixir
#2 on the label · $9.93/oz
Creme of Nature · Heat protectant
Argan Oil from Morocco Heat Protector Smooth & Shine Polisher
#2 on the label · $1.92/oz
Garnier Fructis · Finisher
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum
#2 on the label · $1.57/oz
Garnier Fructis · Finisher
Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum
#2 on the label · $1.96/oz
Gisou · Finisher
Honey Infused Hair Oil
#2 on the label · $27.06/oz
Goldwell · Finisher
Dualsenses Just Smooth Taming Oil
#2 on the label · $7.55/oz
GROWUS · Finisher
Damage Therapy Lighweight Shine Hair Oil
#2 on the label · $11.87/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Dimethiconol
- CAS 1066-42-8
- PubChem 14014
- emollient
- dimethiconol
For your hair?
Whether Dimethiconol matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 3rd 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 is read from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references — the consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem — Compound identity: CID 14014, CAS 1066-42-8, C2H8O2Si · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library — 250 of 3889 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- 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; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-08-28. Product-page methodology: the product library.