The path to flawless skin.
Indeed it’s a rocky one—a journey to a destination you may never reach. You, your skin, are ever-changing, influenced by so many factors. Time, the sun, your diet, the bad habits you refuse to give up or the good ones you wished you’d taken on so much earlier.
Of course, this quest is not without its moments of hope and even the satisfaction of victory. But it’s a confusing path, for some overwhelming. For many, it feels so out of reach, so why bother?
This quest can lead us to believe much more than we should. When you want something badly enough, it’s hard not to. Right?
By all means, when you’re feeling vulnerable, go ahead and buy that hope in ajar. But if you can. Look for more.
When it comes to skincare, believing does not make it so. Try to overlook the smart or, dare I say, unscrupulous marketing thrust upon you and look for the facts.
Can it be found in dimethicone?
An ingredient can give you the false impression you’ve found the answer to flawless skin. Dimethicone. A silicone base polymer. What was once sand becomes silica, then silicone. In the case of Dimethicone, it’s synthetic and, thanks to creative marketing, has quietly morphed into a magical gel-like substance that will undo the years. Or will it?
Despite its widespread use, you won’t find Dimethicone proudly displayed on the front label of your moisturiser or serum. You’ll know it as Age Perfect, Wrinkle Filler, Perfect Blur, Miracle Worker, Micro-Sculpting Cream, Miracle Sleeping Cream, Miracle Wake Up Cream and on and on it goes.
It’s hard to resist the allure of a well-named skincare cream or serum promising you results akin to a visit to your dermatologist or cosmetic doctor.
The beauty industry is a collective giant worth billions worldwide, and the use of Dimethicone or other silicone derivatives is commonplace among many industries. In the beauty industry, it’s everywhere. You’ll have no trouble finding it. The bigger the promise on the jar, the more likely there is some form of dimethicone in your skincare.
How does it work, you ask?
It gives your cream or serum its fluidity, its silkiness and spreadability and in some cases, its elegance. Once on your skin, it will settle into your laugh lines, furrows, frowns and the deepest crevices and smooth them over, giving your skin a slightly plumper look. Your makeup will look better. Great, you want that. We all want plump, flawless skin. Why not fill in the lines and wrinkles? But, on its own, the effect is temporary. Dimethicone is a volatile substance eventually evaporating from the surface of your skin. By the end of the day, you can expect to be back to your old self.
But it does more than plump you up.
If you’ve found a great cream or serum that has more than just Dimethicone, then you’re in luck. Dimethicone acts as a carrier for other ingredients. Retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, peptides, to name a few, can be transported into the skin far more efficiently with the right carrier agent. Dimethicone is one such ingredient.
Does it harm or help?
On its own, there’s no harm, and it works. Some may say it suffocates the skin. I’m afraid I have to disagree. Your skin does many things, but breathing is not one of them, so it can’t suffocate. Some might also say it will clog your skin or cause blackheads. Doubtful.
Dimethicone has a large molecular size and sits on the surface of your skin and, as we now know, evaporates away and cannot penetrate beyond the surface of your skin. So while it will act as a short-term protective barrier, filling in imperfections and assisting in water retention, after a few hours, it’s pretty much disappeared from your skin. It’s job done until the next time you use it.
Is it going to clogged your pores?
While you’re unique and dimethicone might cause congestion, there are lots of reasons why your skin might become congested and clogged. It’s more likely to be the concentration of emollients or lipids carried by the dimethicone are too nourishing for your skin type.
It could even be other ingredients such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) that have not penetrated the deeper layers of your skin where they belong and are oxidising in your pores, forming blackheads or; it’s as simple as your exfoliating routine needs your attention.
It’s rarely dimethicone on its own, causing your skincare woes.
Where to from here?
In its place, Dimethicone is a useful ingredient. Still, I’ve got a BIG issue with any product that promises to fill in your lines and wrinkles or give you laser-like results if the ingredient list doesn’t have adequate amounts of other high-quality anti-ageing ingredients.
So, in addition to Dimethicone, look for products where there is a potent cocktail of other super nutrients.
You’ll get the ‘first-thing-in-the-morning-wake-me-up-miracle’ you’re looking for, with the knowledge the Dimethicone is doing its job as a carrier and getting those nutrients to a lower level. You’re getting a bit of skin-plumping-moisture-protecting-action at the same time! Okay?
Having said all this? The failure to add dimethicone to a product is by no means a deal-breaker. Many well-formulated creams and serums deliver the ingredients needed to reduce the signs of ageing without silicone and more power to them.
In the right quantity Dimethicone is a useful ingredient, but any product promising to diminish your lines or wrinkles, yet failing to offer other high quality, meaningfully active ingredients in the product is misleading.
Quality over quantity. Always.
Some products are so loaded up with Dimethicone purely to improve the product’s texture and give you the illusion of better skin. While I’ll admit some of these serums have an almost addictive quality, look for a balance. If a product is loaded up with Dimethicone and not much else, you should ask what else it offers? Maybe, not so much? For me, that’s not good enough.
And now you?
Find the skincare labelling misleading and the ingredient list overwhelming? Or maybe you’ve had a skincare revelation? Looking for a serum or cream that feels good and works? You can shoot me an email here.
Thanks for stopping by, and if you found this article useful, why not share it with your friends, like you? They might like a thoughtful perspective on their skincare choices.
See you next time.
