They have been around for over 60 years and their use continues to increase. When it comes to beauty products, silicones are everywhere. They are included in shampoo, conditioner, styling products, sunscreen, primer, foundation, lipstick, mascara and more. Anita Hall investigates…
So what exactly is silicone? Why have they become so common in the beauty world?
Silicones are made by synthesizing elemental silicon with oxygen and other elements such as carbon and hydrogen. Silicon is rarely found in its pure form in nature due to its tendency to combine with oxygen, and is usually found in the form of silica or silica. Silica is found in high concentrations in quartz (sand). And, to be sure, sand is often used to make silicone.
