Silicone
This is number five in a series of eight outlining ingredients commonly included in so-called healthy bath products that should be avoided and that are nowhere to be found in The Bath Shoppe line of products.
What is it? Silicone is used in creams and cosmetics to make the skin feel soft. This is a false sense of security because that soft feeling is not from your skin improving, but only the silicone on it. Silicone is not a natural ingredient as it is manufactured. It is technically derived from a natural product-silica-but undergoes a chemical process with other elements making it a lot less than natural.
Why avoid it?
- Silicone is not non-comedogenic. It traps dirt, bacteria, and other impurities in your pores, causes blackheads and acne and prevents the skin from breathing.
- Silicone is difficult to remove, and residue prevents other products from absorbing into the skin, so other beneficial products you use will have limited capabilities.
- Silicone is hard to remove and can build up on the skin leading to irritation and acne.
- Silicone does not support skin health. There are no antioxidant, hydrating, nourishing or anti-aging properties to it.
- Silicone can dehydrate your skin by preventing natural moisture exchange in your skin affecting its PH balance and skin barrier.
- Silicone slows cell turnover by trapping dead skin cells and preventing new cells from surfacing. Silicone blocks skin from creating new skin cells and getting rid of old ones which is not healthy for skin.
- Silicone is similar to rubber and plastic in that it is bad for the earth because it is not biodegradable or recyclable.
- Silicone accelerates the look of aging by drying out the skin, blocking the natural regenerative process and increasing acne and scarring.
How to avoid: Read the ingredient list and look for:
Amodimethicone, cyclomethicone, dimethicone,methicone, trimethicone, nylon,trimethylsilylamodimethicone, dimethiconol, bid-PEG-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, triethoxycaprylylsilane, triethoxycapriylylsilane cross polymer, cyclopentasloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, siloxane, acrylamides, acrylates, carbomers, copolymers, methacrylates, polyers, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, dimethicone, copolyol, cyclohexasiloxane, phenyl trimethicone