MINERAL
Silica
- mineral
A fine mineral powder that absorbs oil and adds grip. It is what makes texture powders and matte pastes feel dry to the touch.
- products in our library
- 246
- of researched products
- 4%
- on the label, in our dry shampoos
- usually #7
- most common in
- Dry shampoo
- in water
- Insoluble
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 oil the solid takes up.
A solid at room temperature holds hair where it is put.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a real cleanser | 5 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Removed mechanically | 1 of 5 |
| Absorbency | High | 5 of 5 |
| Grip | Noticeable | 4 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Silica does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Changes the texture in your hand. It says nothing about what reaches your hair.
A dry solid that soaks up oil and leaves a matte, textured feel.
A solid particle: it changes how a formula looks and feels, not what it cleans.
It dissolves in neither water nor oil, so it is removed by washing or brushing.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Does not dissolve in water or oil. It sits on the surface and is removed mechanically or by cleansing.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Dry shampoo
49 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Conditioner
33 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Shampoo
26 products
|
secondary · #25 | |
Scalp treatment
22 products
|
secondary · #23 | |
Styler: paste
22 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Mask / treatment
20 products
|
secondary · #24 | |
Styler: volumizer
16 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Leave-in
11 products
|
secondary · #27 | |
Styler: texture spray
11 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: curl cream
7 products
|
secondary · #23 |
10 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Finisher: shine spray
5 products
|
secondary · #24 | |
Styler: gel
5 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Heat protectant
4 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: hairspray
4 products
|
secondary · #21 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
3 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Finisher: oil
2 products
|
secondary · #32 | |
Finisher: serum
2 products
|
secondary · #22 | |
Styler: mousse
2 products
|
secondary · #24 | |
Lightener
1 product
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: edge control
1 product
|
secondary · #31 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry shampoo | 49 | 38% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Conditioner | 33 | 3% | 29 | 8 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 26 | 2% | 25 | 3 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 22 | 8% | 23 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 22 | 11% | 12 | 6 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 20 | 3% | 24 | 14 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 16 | 11% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Leave-in | 11 | 2% | 27 | 15 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 11 | 11% | 10 | 1 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 7 | 3% | 23 | 9 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 5 | 5% | 24 | 8 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 5 | 2% | 18 | 13 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 4 | 2% | 15 | 9 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 4 | 2% | 21 | 10 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 3 | 4% | 19 | 5 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 2 | 1% | 32 | 29 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 2 | 1% | 22 | 20 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 2 | 1% | 24 | 20 | secondary |
| Lightener | 1 | 33% | 12 | 12 | secondary |
| Styler: edge control | 1 | 3% | 31 | 31 | 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 | 12 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 57 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 45 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 55 |
| 26+ | Trace | 77 |
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 dry powder takes up oil and adds friction between strands, which is most of what root lift in fine hair actually is.
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.
- a thicker, easier-to-spread formula
- oil absorption
- body and opacity
- a visible surface effect
- 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 thickener alongside the main ingredients in our dry shampoos
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- anything about what the product does on hair
- a treatment effect (it changes how the formula looks and feels)
- 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.
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.
- Alcohol Denat. · 87
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 67
- Citronellol · 64
- Benzyl Alcohol · 62
- Butylene Glycol · 56
- Tocopherol · 55
- Benzyl Benzoate · 53
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 52
- Geraniol · 49
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 48
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to carry the formula and let it dry, give it a scent, and deliver a stated effect.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
R+Co · Styler
PICTURE THIS Dry Texture Balm
#1 on the label · $45.71/oz
18.21 Man Made · Styler
Sweet Tobacco Hair Styling Powder
#2 on the label · $85.71/oz
Blind Barber · Styler
80 Proof Texturizing Style Powder
#2 on the label · $48.00/oz
dpHUE · Styler
Color Fresh Texturizing Powder
#2 on the label · $93.33/oz
Gibs Grooming · Styler
Styling Texture Powder
#2 on the label · $18.00/oz
Mixed Chicks · Dry shampoo
Hair Four Days Dry Shampoo
#2 on the label · $4.29/oz
K18 · Dry shampoo
AirWash™ dry shampoo
#3 on the label · $6.00/oz
Living Proof · Dry shampoo
Perfect hair Day™ Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo Mist
#3 on the label · $9.71/oz
LUSETA · Dry shampoo
Nourishing Dry Shampoo Powder
#3 on the label · $9.05/oz
LUSETA · Dry shampoo
Volumizing Dry Shampoo Powder
#3 on the label · $9.05/oz
Nizoral · Scalp treatment
Pre-Shampoo Scalp Build-Up Remover
#3 on the label · $2.40/oz
Verb · Shampoo
Dry Shampoo Powder
#3 on the label · $11.00/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Silica
- CAS 7631-86-9
- PubChem 24261
- powder
- thickener
- hydrated silica
- silica
For your hair?
Whether Silica matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 1st most-listed mineral, clay or powder 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
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem : Compound identity: CID 24261, CAS 7631-86-9, O2Si · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 246 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.
