Because of the different chemistry of polyquats and silicones, each of these compounds uses a different method to stay on the hair. On hair, the damaged portions are typically negatively charged. The positive charges on the polyquat allow it to stick to these negative sites on the hair. It is a bit like two magnets being attracted to each other.
Silicones are not usually charged, but stay on the hair because of their incompatibility with water. If you put a drop of silicone in water, it will not dissolve, no matter how much you stir it. When a silicone product is put on your hair, it deposits and resists being washed off.
DETERGENTS ARE NEEDED TO REMOVE THEM
Since silicones and polyquats stick to hair, they need more than just water to remove them. In fact, silicones can stick to hair so well that they may require multiple shampooings before they are removed. Similarly, some polyquats may be difficult to remove from hair. While a sulfate shampoo isn’t required to remove them, sulfates are your best bet.
BOTH MAY BUILD UP ON HAIR
Depending on the type of molecule, both silicones and polyquats may build up on your hair. Dimethicone is one of the most difficult silicones to remove and multiple use of products with it can make your hair look dull and weighed down over time. Cyclomethicone, on the other hand, evaporates from hair like water and will not cause the same problems. Polyquats do not build up as much, but still require occasional washing with a polyquat-free shampoo.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Silicones and polyquats are different materials but they both stay on hair and can build up over time. It is a good idea to wash your hair once a week with a shampoo that doesn’t contain either one in order to prevent buildup and keep your hair looking fresh, shiny and manageable.
WHY DOES SILICONE BUILD UP ON HAIR?
When it comes to buildup, the type of silicone (and how much is used) is more important than if it’s used in a leave-on styler or a rinse-off conditioner. There are many types of silicone with scientific names that can be confusing, so let’s look at a few common examples.
NO BUILDUP
One of the most common types of silicone is called “cyclic” because the chain of silicone atoms that composes this kind is linked together in a ring structure. This type of silicone evaporates and won’t build up on your hair at all. It gives a silky-smooth feel and leaves the hair with incredible slip when wet. It’s used in both leave-on stylers and rinse-off conditioners and is commonly called cyclomethicone or cyclopentasiloxane.
VERY LITTLE BUILDUP
Another type of silicone is designed to be water-soluble. This kind provides very light conditioning and is unlikely to build up because it washes away easily with water. It is often used in conditioning shampoos. Look for polyol in the name, as in dimethicone copolyol.
MODERATE TO HEAVY BUILDUP
There is a different kind of silicone that is chemically modified to stick to your hair better. That means it conditions well, but it can also be more challenging to remove. This kind generally has amo, amine or amino somewhere in the name. For example, amodimethicone is commonly used in leave-in conditioners.
POTENTIALLY HEAVY BUILDUP
Finally, perhaps the most powerful type of silicone is referred to as a silicone oil. It comes in many different forms but is typically used at very high molecular weights to make it highly waterproof, so it provides good shine to the hair. Because it’s so water-insoluble, it can be very tough to wash off, depending, of course, on how much you have on your hair. Typically, this is used in rinse-off products. Look for it on the ingredients list as dimethicone.
IS BABY SHAMPOO GOOD FOR ADULT HAIR?
Sylvia asks: Are baby shampoos sufficient to clean adult hair? I know they are sulfate-free and I have been looking for this type of shampoo to minimize the drying effect from shampoos with sulfates.
There is a lot of misinformation out there about sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and shampoo.
IS SLS BAD?
First of all, don’t believe all the urban legends about SLS causing cancer or being bad for you because it’s used in garage cleaners. We’ve debunked this myth in chapter 10. Most people can use sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate shampoos without any problem whatsoever.
But, some people do find that SLS can dry out their scalp. Those people should consider SLS’s milder cousin SLES (short for sodium lauryl ether sulfate) or they should consider using sulfate-free shampoos.
ARE BABY SHAMPOOS GOOD CLEANSERS?
Baby shampoos are good examples of sulfate-free formulas. Instead of SLS, they contain materials known as amphoteric surfactants, which are less drying to skin and milder to the eye. (Hence the “no more tears” claim of many baby shampoos.)
The downside to these types of formulations is that they don’t clean as well as the stronger detergent systems. While SLS is a very good cleansing agent that can remove sweat, dirt, styling product residue and scalp oils, baby shampoo formulas are not so effective.
WHY NOT BABY YOURSELF?
Is this a problem? It depends. If you’re using a ton of styling products, you might have to shampoo your hair multiple times with baby shampoo to get it as clean as with an SLS-based product. That’s not such a bad trade-off if your scalp is really dried out.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Sulfate-free baby shampoos can clean hair adequately enough for most adults. They are less drying and irritating but will not foam as well, so you might not think they are working. If you’re curious, we recommend trying baby shampoo for a week or two to see if you like the effect. If not, you can always switch back.
CAN YOU REALLY REBUILD YOUR HAIR?
Amanda asks: What is the deal with “restructuring” treatments for hair? I get that the vague concept is to “restore proteins” to your hair or some gobbledygook, but isn’t hair essentially dead? Can a restructuring treatment really force-feed amino acids or whatever into our manes?
The Beauty Brains love Amanda’s skepticism, because the idea of being able to slather on a hair restructuring treatment to actually re-form hair is ridiculous. True, hair is made of amino acids and putting them on hair may provide some minor benefit. But it won’t restructure, restore or rebuild the hair. This would be a bit like trying to repair a weather-worn Kate Spade bag by pouring a basket of thread and fabric on it. Sure, the stylish sack is made of thread and fabric, but you can’t just randomly put them on the worn bag and expect to get a new purse.
RESTRUCTURE HAIR?
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