SILICONE
PEG-12 Dimethicone
- silicone
A water-soluble silicone that smooths without the build-up concern of standard silicones.
- products in our library
- 291
- of researched products
- 4%
- on the label, in our styling mousses
- usually #11
- most common in
- Styler: mousse
- in water
- Water-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 | Low, rinses out | 2 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses clean | 5 of 5 |
| Slip | Light | 3 of 5 |
| Weight | Light to medium | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What PEG-12 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.
A PEG-modified silicone that ordinary shampoo removes, so it does not build up.
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
Rinses out with water alone, so it does not build up on hair between washes.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: mousse
43 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: hairspray
42 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Shampoo
40 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Heat protectant
18 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Leave-in
18 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: gel
18 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Conditioner
14 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Finisher: shine spray
14 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Mask / treatment
14 products
|
supporting · #9 | |
Styler: volumizer
12 products
|
secondary · #9 |
12 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: texture spray
10 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Scalp treatment
9 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Styler: curl cream
9 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: paste
5 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: refresh spray
5 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: lotion
4 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
4 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Co-wash
3 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Dry shampoo
3 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
2 products
|
secondary · #26 | |
Finisher: serum
2 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Styler: edge control
2 products
|
secondary · #13 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Styler: mousse | 43 | 21% | 11 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 42 | 17% | 9 | 4 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 40 | 3% | 17 | 4 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 18 | 9% | 10 | 4 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 18 | 3% | 12 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 18 | 7% | 10 | 4 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 14 | 1% | 13 | 4 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 14 | 14% | 9 | 3 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 14 | 2% | 9 | 4 | supporting |
| Styler: volumizer | 12 | 8% | 9 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 10 | 10% | 10 | 6 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 9 | 3% | 9 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 9 | 4% | 13 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 5 | 3% | 13 | 9 | secondary |
| Styler: refresh spray | 5 | 14% | 5 | 3 | supporting |
| Styler: lotion | 4 | 11% | 7 | 5 | supporting |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 4 | 5% | 16 | 3 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 3 | 3% | 13 | 6 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 3 | 2% | 9 | 5 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 2 | 6% | 26 | 25 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 2 | 1% | 4 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: edge control | 2 | 5% | 13 | 12 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes 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 | 9 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 101 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 114 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 50 |
| 26+ | Trace | 17 |
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.
The PEG- and PPG-modified silicones disperse in water, so ordinary washing carries them off instead of leaving a film to accumulate.
A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
Delivers the slip and surface smoothing of a silicone without needing a detergent wash to remove it afterwards.
Near the top of a list, a conditioning film adds weight that fine hair loses volume to.
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 seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- slip that still rinses out
- slip and surface smoothing
- silicone slip without buildup
- a softer feel
- 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 secondary silicone, listed below the main ingredients in our styling mousses
- 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 you need a clarifying wash to remove it
- 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.
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 109
- Propylene Glycol · 92
- Alcohol Denat. · 89
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 88
- Benzyl Alcohol · 74
- Caprylyl Glycol · 70
- Polysorbate 20 · 67
- Benzyl Benzoate · 66
- Aminomethyl Propanol · 65
- Citronellol · 64
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to soften the strand, carry the formula and let it dry, and give it a scent.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
CHI · Leave-in
Infra Keratin Mist
#2 on the label · $1.67/oz
Mixed Chicks · Leave-in
Kid’s Tangle-Tamer
#2 on the label · $1.38/oz
Oribe · Styler
Curl Shaping Mousse
#2 on the label · $7.37/oz
ORS · Finisher
Olive Oil Braidzone Fertilizing Serum
#2 on the label · $5.00/oz
Palmer's · Scalp treatment
Coconut Oil Strong Roots Spray
#2 on the label · $1.29/oz
CHI · Styler
Royal Treatment Humidity Control
#3 on the label · $4.42/oz
CurlyKids · Leave-in
Super Detangle Spray
#3 on the label · $0.72/oz
Design Essentials · Styler
Coconut & Monoi Coconut Water Curl Refresher
#3 on the label · $1.25/oz
Mielle Organics · Finisher
Rice Water Shine Mist
#3 on the label · $2.34/oz
Aveda · Styler
brilliant™ medium hold hair spray
#4 on the label · $3.53/oz
CHI · Shampoo
Pour Homme Shampoo
#4 on the label · $1.74/oz
CHI · Scalp treatment
Tea Tree Oil Soothing Scalp Spray
#4 on the label · $7.33/oz
See all 291 products in the library that list PEG-12 Dimethicone
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
PEG-12 Dimethicone
- emollient
- water-soluble silicone
- peg-12 dimethicone
- peg12 dimethicone
- polyethylene glycol-12 dimethicone
For your hair?
Whether PEG-12 Dimethicone matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 5th 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.
No published source is attached to this entry yet.
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 291 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.
