Friday 14 October 2011

Be aware of False Silkiness!

Have you ever used a skincare or makeup products
that gives you the "soft & silky" finish to them?
It probably has dimethicone (or silicone) on the ingredient list.

Let's start with a brief biology and chemistry note from dear wikipedia :D exciting......................


Polydimethylsiloxane/silicone/dimethicone

Polydimethylsiloxane, also known as silicones or dimethicone.
It is widely used in variety of industries and has strong hydrophobic ('water-fear') tendancy.
In cosmetic uses, it leaves the soft and silky touch to the skin, almost feels like the skin is coated with smooth layer with a sheen. (Sometimes, if you put too much on, it peels away like eraser bits)


Pores (sweat glands - shown in yellow and blue curly tubes) are located throughout your body except in very few places. Its primary function is to excrete sweat to control the body temperature. If they're not cleaned on regular basis, dust and dead skin cells along with bacteria can be trapped in, causing break-outs.


Personally, I knew that my skin is not fond of anything with dimethicone in it.
I learned it after using a makeup primer that contains it.

And yet, I still wanted to try some product to minimize the pore :(
So, I secretly hoped that my skin has adapted over makeups after years of usage and be able to tolerate some dimethicones. Once you put on a dimethicone-based product on your face, it feels like heaven. The skin is instantly glowing, smooth, and silky to touch. Looking perfect!



As mentioned, pores excrete your sweat out of your body. Pores are basically hollow holes or tubes that are opened to the environment. Dust, bacteria, makeup residues, dead skin cells and other undesirable things can easily accumulate in your pores.


But by covering or filling in those pores with a material that is strongly hydrophobic, your basically putting a plastic cap on top of each tube (pore), trapping everything inside :S Hydrophobic means it's water-proof, no water (ex. sweat) goes in or out.

After about 5 hours of wearing a dimethicone-based product, I cleaned my face. I was truly shocked. All my pores around my nose and cheeks are bumpy (ie.whiteheads), and some have broken out looking red and inflamed.

I tried my emergency routine and they went away within 2-3 days but I still have few of them left on my face ;( stubborn ones... they're hard to get rid of!

Here are some examples of ingredient list. I know and have used these products but I'm not so sure about revealing their names. But those ingredients in red boxes are based on dimethicone substance, the red signals for me.



Oh the second list is the product that caused me the worst trouble EVER... I see now why it is... It was basically.... a silicone tube... :S

BE AWARE of Dimethicone/silicone/Polydimethylsiloxane!
 It CAN cause break out!
Always read over the ingredient list before you try or buy product of interest!


Say No to false silkiness


No comments:

Post a Comment