Silicone to Hair...friend or foe?

In a few words, tell me what you know about silicone in your hair products.  Go! Words that come to my mind; safe, natural, beneficial, healthy, anti-frizz, smoothing…

Recently asked: Do silicones damage the hair? truthfully, I could only give a vague answer, so I decided to expand my knowledge. Now if asked that question 😨…O! M! G!! Taking the dive into silicones has been quite an awakening. I’m scratching my head--How did I not know?  Is it the smoke screen of excellent product marketing? Silicone: a miraculous cure for damaged, frizzy, lack luster hair.

Whatever the reasons; I have used, recommended, and sold my clients products having silicones under a naïve assumption, silicone is naturally good!  We have been slicking, slathering, and smoothing our locks with products filled with silicone for years! All under the pretense that silicones are beneficial. Well dear friends, as the French say…. Au contraire!!! Ohhhh Silicone…you sneaky little liquid plastic you!  Slick as you may be, it’s time we know the truth!

Silicones came onto the scene around 1950 and were predominantly used in skin care products. Following the bigger than life, frizzle-frazzled permanent wave era of the 80’s and 90’s, in came the era of silky-smooth straight hair. This marked the start of the silicone wave that we are still riding today. 🏄‍♂️ Since the late 90’s, the number of hair care products containing silicone has grown almost as fast as those long chin hairs that appear overnight!

Today, over 80% of our beauty products contain some form of silicone. Whaaa???? Mind blowing, right! It is in our shampoos, conditioners, de-tanglers, gels, creams, sprays, de-frizzers, and anti-humectants. Silicones have become the superhero to hair. The list of its amazing superpowers is lengthy; withstands extreme heat, flexible, pliable, waterproof, protects, smooths, straightens and shines, rescuing our fragile fibers from all the abuse we subject it to!

So, I ask… With all these superpowers, why are so many of us struggling with unexplainable dry, brittle, heavy, dull lack-luster hair? Even hair loss, thinning or balding!? Why are those that are au naturel, ne’er a hot tool nor chemical, who claim only to use “natural” oils like Moroccan Oil or Olaplex, experiencing the same plight. Prior to this writing, I would look to the more obvious offenders like hot tools, chemical treatments, bad water, genetics, or diet.

Well…you know how superheroes have an alter ego? Silicone’s alter ego is a dark side lurking in the shadows that negates most of its superpowers! Being a lab-made material silicone is formed of several different chemicals. It starts with Silica, a glass like mineral that exists in various forms, sand, quartz, and flint. This gives it the good reputation of being “natural” but then there’s the chemistry…

 Silica + Carbon + extreme heat = silicon. Silicon + fossil fuel-derived hydrocarbons = siloxane monomers. Siloxane monomers are then bonded together making synthetic polymers. After all that chemistry, what began as a natural mineral is now a rubbery synthetic plastic that then gets refined into thousands of forms of silicones. 😅

 Silicones have been revolutionary in suppling far reaching benefits to almost every industry including medical, aerospace, electronics, transportation, construction, and of course the beauty industry. The most common silicone found in your skin and hair products is derived from Silicone Oil. You can spy silicone oils by long words usually ending with cone or xane. This liquid plastic gets alchemized into a wide assortment of silicones that flow into 3 categories: volatile, water soluble and non-soluble.

Volatile silicones are said to evaporate from the hair overtime, 10min to several hours. Although this light-weight super-sili does not have the power to protect your locks from heat or UV rays it fills in porosity helping to smooth the cuticle which makes your hair easy to comb and manage when wet. Usually at the top of an ingredient list, you’ll recognize it by ingredients that start with cylco and ends with cone or xane: Cyclomethicone; Cyclopentasiloxane; Cyclohexasiloxane…

Water Soluble silicones create a shield over your hair to lock in moisture, add high shine, lend body and is an anti-humectant – it locks out moisture. It can also protect against UV rays and heat of hot tools. Names combined with Dimethicone, like Dimethicone Copolyol and things with a prefix PEG or PPG tell you this super-sili is present and will need a mild sulfate shampoo (or 2) to wash away. ⚠If Cetrimonium Chloride or Cetrimonium Bromide is listed on the same label as a water-soluble silicone, it then becomes a member of the non-soluble family!

Non-Soluble Silicones, the Fort Knox of silicones, are powerhouse barriers--nothing gets in! Not only do they lock in moisture but are also used to add thickness and ultra-shine leaving your highly stressed tresses feeling stronger and silky smooth. An emollient, they lend some of that creamy goodness to our styling aids. If you see words on the list that have amo, amine or amino this is your clue that this strong armed super-sili, will be more difficult and in some cases, impossible to remove.  A clarifying shampoo with harsher sulfates or solvents is needed to break through its barrier.

Now we ask…. Silicone--friend or foe? This is the conundrum. 🤔.

We want healthy shiny luxurious hair. We also want to change the color and texture, sometimes often. Hair, being a natural fiber can only endure so much. Pushing it past its threshold creates damaged and fragile locks. Product companies hear of our predicament and in slides the silicone superheroes splashing a coat of armor over our tresses restoring their stolen beauty…or so we think!

Our liquid plastic superheroes are only capable of coating. Like a coat, they protect from the outside elements of moisture and extreme temps. Their purpose is to fill, thicken and smooth giving us the illusion our hair is saved. But… it can only coat, not heal! And so, we begin to see the dark side.

 Being in 80% of our hair care products, you may think you are removing it, yet your shampoo and conditioner likely contain silicone, which means more is getting layered on. The coating inhibits moisture from getting into the hair which over time dries the hair even more. Hair becomes heavy from the buildup, dry, brittle, and breaks!  Extreme buildup can even hinder color and perm chemicals from doing their work which becomes a problem all unto itself.

And lest we forget…the mother board of our hair strands-the Scalp. Yes! If it coats the hair, it coats the scalp. The buildup of non-soluble super-sili’s is impenetrable (remember Fort Knox 😉) which if not removed, clogs the hair follicles and may be the culprit for mysterious scalp irritation, hair loss and balding for some sensitive heads.

Wait! What??? Are silicones harmful to our health and eco system? My best answer is yes, no, maybe so!  🤪 Because silicones molecular structure is too big to penetrate the pores of our skin, experts tell us silicone is safe and non-toxic. The FDA also cites silicones safe yet warns against the use of injectable silicones. Injectable silicones have been used for over 5 decades in soft-tissue augmentation (breast implants and fillers). Here we open Pandora’s box, so I encourage to do your own dive on this topic!

 Staying in my hairy lane, each time we wash these slick super-sili’s from our hair we are sending them into our eco system making them partially responsible for the microplastics being found in our oceans. then in turn they enter the food chain in which environmentalists warn is creating a bigger global problem for all living creatures and earth.

Our lives are filled with silicone. At every turn we knowingly or unknowing benefit from the stuff. Silicones make possible our non-spotting dishwasher soap, softer laundry detergents, long lasting/protective car fluids. They help make our adhesive more adhesive, enable the desired porcelain finish  from our makeup foundation,  create thicker lashes, flexible cooking ware, pliable plastics…the list is endless!! Now knowing the dark side of the super-sili, does this mean NO SILICONE?? That’s up to you. Be your own best judge!

As hairdresser… I’ve been up close and personal with heads of hair for 40 years. I have experienced hair before the crest of the silicone wave, and I see it now. You know what? There is a marked difference and in my humble opinion, it’s not all for the better! This girl will be reading her labels and changing habits. 🤛

 Here are a few of my recommendations:

·    Proceed with caution. Use discernment when choosing your haircare lines and products. Opt-in for lines that refrain 100% silicone free. My favorite go to is Hairstory.

·       Read the ingredient list. Yes, I feel ya-- it’s next to impossible to read that tiny print and words we can’t pronounce. However, knowledge is power! 💪

·       General rule of thumb; the closer to the top, the more there is! High % if 1st in line less % as it nears the bottom of the list.

·       Try to stay clear of non-soluble silicones. If you must use it, include a regular clarifying regiment at least 1 time a week.

·       The best practice if using silicones is to wash after each application with a sulfate shampoo. Avoid 2nd day re-application as this creates unwanted buildup and makes it harder to remove. And keep a regular clarifying regiment! 🙏

·        Look for words ending with cones and xanes for fastest assessment. I’ve included a list of some of the more popular silicones. 😁

Volatile

Cyclomethicone      Cyclopentasiloxane     Cyclotertrasiloxane

 Water-Soluble

Dimethiconal Diphenyl Dimethicone Dimethicone Copolyol Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane   Lauryl Methicone Copolyol Phenyltrithicone Silicone Resin Silsequioxanes Siloxysilicates            Trisiloxane PEG-8 Dimethicone PEG 12 Dimethicone Dimethicone PEG-8 Succinate

Non-Soluble

Dimethicone  Aminopropyl Dimethicone Amodimethicone Dimethicone Crosspolymer    Vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer Aminopropyltriethoxysilane Cetyl Dimethicone Cetearyl Methicone Stearyl dimethicone Trimethylsiylamodimethicone

 Sourced research articles:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/is-silicone-toxic

https://jofuller.co.uk/truth-sillicone/?cn-reloaded=1

https://www.cheeseslave.com/how-silicones-are-destroying-your-hair-and-how-to-fix-it

https://beautyce.com/examining-the-long-straight-hair-phenomenon

https://www.thehairfuel.com/silicones-in-hair-care-all-you-need-to-know

https://patternbeauty.com/blogs/news/let-s-break-down-silicones

https://www.healthline.com/health/body-modification/is-silicone-toxic

www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-know-about-breast-implants

www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/fda-warns-against-use-injectable-silicone-body-contouring-and-enhancement-fda-safety-communication

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/silicone-ingredient-solubility-list.html

www.hairstory.com  (and remember to mention my name when prompted)

Hair Treatments

When I get asked, “does my hair need a treatment”, my answer is always uhhhhh…? In reality, your long lovely locks are a wound-up chain of dead cells. OMG! Like the elastic of your swimsuit. All those woven spandex fibers start out perky, springy, and strong yet after some time of use and abuse, the fibers weaken, begin to fray, sag then break.

That’s what happens with our hair. Hair is healthiest at the scalp and root area because it hasn’t been around long enough to get the abuse our mid shafts and ends receive. Chemicals, hot tools, hairbands/ clips, sun, and salt all make a weakening impact. The longer the hair, the more history your hair has had. Which brings me to my uhhhhh. If hair is composedcomprised of dead cells, can a treatment really make a difference!

Knowledge is power so let’s break it all down in threes starting with...The Hair!

Check out this pic. It shows us the hair has 3 layers. The cuticle is the outer most layer that looks like shingles on a roof. Its job is to protect the fort. These tiny shingles lift and close when met with heat, chemicals, acids and alkalisalkalines.

The cortex is the thickest layer and holds most of the pigment giving your hair its color. This is where all the action happens when you color, straighten and/or perm your hair.

Not everyone has a medulla layer. Those that rock this nearly invisible layer are those with coarsecourse hair giving it a little extra strength.

And there we have it, the 3 layers of the hair!

The next three are reasons we would use a treatment; to moisturize, to protect and to strengthen. Moisturizers help to maintain the moisture balance in your hair strand. If your hair is feeling a bit dry or brittle, a moisturizer may do it wonders. A few common moisturizing ingredients are glycerin, aloe vera, shea butter and of course the oils; avocado, olive and coconut top the list.

Protectants like silicone, hydrolyzed wheat protein and copolymers are your hairs armor, shrouding the outside surface of the hair thus creating a protective layer from heat (hot tools) and effects from the environment like the sun.

To strengthen your hair, the best approach is to start inward. Eating a healthy balanced, vitamin and mineral rich diet not only does the heart good, your hair loves it too! To strengthen the hair outward, turn down the heat, brush daily (gently) to stimulate the scalp and move natural oils further down the hair shaft, use protein rich products that mend,rebuild and restore the hair bonds…like Olaplex.

Phew---that was getting heady! Now onto the last set of threes

My top 3 recommendations

If you are a DIYer, you can open your cupboards and find some commonly used moisturizers, pH balancers and strengtheners. Like what you ask?

Check out this link, it is one of my favorite articles with some very sensible and easy to follow recipes.

https://www.womansday.com/style/beauty/advice/g2276/homemade-hair-treatments/

If you are more one and done minded and/or prefer to have all the science to help heal your hair, my top picks are Loreal Professionnel Serie Expert. One of the most science-based treatment lines with Nanotechnology that fills any hair restorative need. Learn more here: https://us.lorealprofessionnel.com/hair-care

 Kerastase, what can I say? Tried and true. For more, follow this link:

https://www.kerastase-usa.com/

 For extremely damaged hair, nothing can top Olaplex. Olaplex is the first of its kind to actually reverse the effects of overly damaged hair by restoring broken disulfide bonds. Yes! Very intriguing and why I put this link here for you. https://olaplex.com/pages/how-it-works

And last but not least, my ultimate FAVORITE treatment meets DIY and science in the middle. Surface! This not so well-known Organic Hair Care line lets you be your own cook in your hair treatment kitchen. Here is a list of the 3 products you would want:

1)      Surface Bassu Hydrating Oil-(it’s in the name), adds moisture to your dry, frizzy, or brittle hair.        https://surfacehair.com/product/bassu-hydrating-oil/

2)      Surface Trinity One Shot- this protein packed vial adds strength a vitality back into compromised locks.   https://surfacehair.com/product/trinity-one-shot/

3)      Surface Bassu Hydrating Masque covers the bases, moisturizes, protects and strengthens.      https://surfacehair.com/product/bassu-masque/

And the last three:

Mix; Apply: Style

1)      Mix the 3 together- you are the chef and get to decide the amounts of each ingredient that your hair craves. I’ll give you a little jump start then you take it from here.

About a quarter to silver dollar size dollop of the Bassu Hydrating masque. (for longer hair use more)bout a teaspoon to a tablespoon of the Bassu Oil ( depends on hair length and dryness), ½ to a whole vial of the Trinity One Shot. This protein blend can be used for one application for intense strength building or use partial, recap, refrigerate and save for your next treatment.

2)      Apply like a conditioner from root to ends, comb thru to evenly distribute thru the hair, cap (if you have one) and let sit for 10-20min.

3)      Style! That’s right, no rinsing, just blow dry and finish your treatment with a hot tool to seal the deal. This lovely treatment also makes a wonderful styling cream-a 2 for 1!

There you have it!  Now you know why the uhhhhhh.  All you wanted to know was if your hair needed a treatment and you got 3 pages with 3 topics and 3 options that took me 3 weeks to write!

Danielle Richardson Testimonial- "My Favorite Hairstylist in the World."

Danielle has been my stylist for over ten years. I do a lot of video and public speaking work where my hair needs to represent my punk loving style and yet be professional at the same time.

Danielle is a master hair cutter and colorist who can work with even the most difficult hair. I often say- "I want to do blue this time or let's go back to the basics and only do blond highlights." I can also go a lot longer between cut and colors with Danielle as she is a magician. I don't know how else to describe what she can do! I recommend her to all of my friends and she has cut my mother's hair for many years as well. I always feel better after spending time with Danielle. She has a good spirit. This is important when you’re spending hours with someone!

Here is our latest style! My hair is shaved and styled underneath so that I can look professional with the hair down and a bit more edgy when I pull it into a bun.

Julie

The Perfect Hair Color for You in Portland, Oregon with Danielle Richardson

I want to know as much as I can about new clients before we make a final decision on a hair color. It helps to know what the client wants from a new color. To look younger, older, more professional? Or maybe they want a funky look that involves a bright color such as blue or purple. I begin the process by asking many questions about the client’s desires. This paints a visual picture in my mind’s eye. I can then use my expertise to create the perfect color that matches a client’s dream.

Great color is an art. It is all about chemistry. Some color changes are simple and can be attained in an hour while others require a few days and multiple services. No matter what a client decides, they will go home with a color that fits any lifestyle and as always, grows out in a natural way so that the person doesn’t have to constantly come into the salon.

Most people can go blond, red, brunette or blue! The goal is to get the right tone and undertone that compliments an individual’s natural skin and features. This creates a color that makes people say, “Who did your hair! It’s gorgeous!”

Danielle

Danielle Shares Her Work and Life Philospohy

As a child I had a perpetual smile on my face, 
my heart filled with life’s wonder and beauty

Fascinated with the human experience, I became an observer, a quiet study to the grace and beauty of the body and all it encompasses. The complexity of this beautiful form that houses our soul and spirit, that moves, expands, grows and changes. The wonder of how the body heals, thinks, feels and is capable of creating and sustaining life. How every person is different yet the same. A unique beauty that each of us behold and how that beauty is a hidden gem or a shining diamond. Endless possibilities, discovering what drives us and/or inhabits us to connect, to share, and love.

Life is a gift and our amazing body is the vessel in which we experience this world.

I am Danielle Richardson, founder and visionary of D.Rich Biz Inc. where my biz is serving you on the path to self-discovery of your personal beauty of body, mind and spirit.

I help you connect the dots in creating the more beautiful you you seek, offering services, products, and resources that align with your goal.

I’m on a mission of changing hearts and opening minds, making your world a more beautiful place to exist.

I believe that when we can look ourselves in the eye and say “I love you for everything you are and everything you do” and mean it, feel it, and rejoice in it, that is the moment we empower change within our life that radiates out into the world.

Let’s make that change together.

-Danielle Richardson

What's my secret to hair cuts and colors that last?

Many of my clients say that they can go much longer between colors than with other stylists. What is your secret, they ask!

It’s true! Thi is my secret and it’s one of the reason I have long term relationships with my clients and their hair.

I really work hard to know my clients. That’s important to me. Whether I am with a new client or a valued client I’ve known for decades, I stay attuned to their needs. I love color that is natural even if it as far away from what would be called their natural hair color. I use techniques and formulas designed to wear well with minimal upkeep.

How is this possible?

First of all, I rarely use one color. Instead, my process includes blending multiple colors in the same range to create an incredibly natural look that is unique to that person. This allows for a more natural grow out as there is not simply one line of color that people see. It means that my clients don’t have to come into the salon every few weeks for a touch up (unless they want to) .

When a client is in my chair and we see their desires come to life- it’s like they own this new color. It wears well on them. My goal is to give you a color that is a perfect fit. Please call today or visit my page to schedule an appointment.

- Danielle