Cyclomethicone
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Cyclomethicone has several desirable properties that make it useful in various products. It has a lightweight and silky texture, which gives a smooth and non-greasy feel when applied to the skin. It helps in spreading the product evenly and enhances its spreadability. It also acts as a temporary emollient, providing a soft and moisturised appearance to the skin and hair.
In personal care products, cyclomethicone is often used as a solvent and carrier for other ingredients. It helps deliver active ingredients to the skin and improves the absorption and effectiveness of products. It is commonly found in skincare products like moisturizers, lotions, and serums, as well as in hair care products such as conditioners, styling products, and heat protectants.
It offers several benefits when incorporated into formulations:
Enhanced Spreadability: Cyclomethicone has a low viscosity and excellent spreadability, allowing cosmetic products to glide smoothly over the skin or hair. This property makes it easier to apply and distribute products evenly, resulting in a more uniform and comfortable application experience.
Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture: Cyclomethicone has a light and volatile nature, which imparts a non-greasy feel to cosmetic formulations. It evaporates quickly upon application, leaving behind a smooth and weightless texture. This makes it suitable for use in products like serums, lotions, and sunscreens, where a light and non-greasy feel is desired.
Enhanced Moisturisation: Cyclomethicone helps to improve the moisturizing properties of cosmetic products by forming a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This barrier helps to reduce moisture loss and promotes the retention of hydration, resulting in improved skin hydration and softness.
Improved Sensory Experience: Products containing cyclomethicone often provide a silky and velvety feel upon application. It imparts a smooth and luxurious sensation, enhancing the overall sensory experience of using the cosmetic product.
Compatibility with Other Ingredients: Cyclomethicone is compatible with a wide range of cosmetic ingredients, including oils, waxes, and active compounds. It helps to solubilize and disperse these ingredients effectively, contributing to the overall stability and performance of the formulation.
It's important to note that cyclomethicone is a volatile ingredient, meaning it evaporates from the skin relatively quickly. While it provides temporary benefits such as enhanced spreadability and texture, it does not provide long-term moisturiation. Therefore, it is often used in combination with other moisturising agents to provide both immediate and long-lasting hydration.
Cyclomethicones' molecules are too big too physically penetrate the skin and therefore does not have any true moisturising properties, but rather mostly functions as a carrying agent for other ingredients contained in a product. It's particularly useful at quickly delivering nutrients to the skin & hair and evaporating into the air. It can also work as a base solvent for perfume oils and fragrance oils, as well as an anti-static agent. It's particularly useful as a hair conditioner because it provides a silky feel with out weighing the hair down with greasy residue.
Cyclomethicone is typically used at levels of 1-10% (up to 50% possible). It should only be added to the oil phase of the formulae and but cannot be heated about 50°C or can be mixed in during the cool down phase.
Uses in Cosmetics:
•Skin Care Products: Cyclomethicone is commonly used in skin care products such as moisturizers, serums, and lotions. It acts as a carrier for other active ingredients, helping them spread smoothly over the skin. It imparts a silky feel, improves skin texture, and enhances product absorption.
•Hair Care Products: Cyclomethicone is widely used in hair care products like conditioners, leave-in treatments, and styling products. It provides a lightweight, non-greasy feel, reduces frizz, and adds shine to the hair without weighing it down. It can also help in detangling and improving manageability.
•Makeup Products: Cyclomethicone is found in various makeup products, including foundations, primers, concealers, and eyeshadows. It helps in creating a smooth and even application, improves blending, and imparts a soft-focus effect. It also enhances the longevity of makeup products by reducing transfer and improving adherence.
•Sunscreens: Cyclomethicone is used in sunscreens to enhance the spreadability and application of UV filters. It helps in achieving an even and uniform coverage of the sunscreen on the skin.
•Nail Care Products: Cyclomethicone is used in nail polishes, nail polish removers, and cuticle treatments. It helps in fast drying, improves application, and imparts a glossy finish to the nails.
CAS: 556-67-2, 541-02-6
INCI: Cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclopentasiloxane
Appearance: Clear to slightly hazy liquid, odorless
Solubility: Very low water solubility (20 micrograms/L), soluble in alcohol, mixable in oils
Preservation: Preservative-free
Raw Material Source; Dimethyldichlorosilane and water
Manufacture: Cyclomethicone is made from dimethyldichlorosilane which is produced by powdered silicon (silicone dioxide) and methyl chloride. Dimethyldichlorosilane is then hydrolyzed to give a hydrolysate mixture of polysiloxanes. In a polymerization reaction with water the polysiloxanes are then polymerized to a cyclic polymer (cyclomethicone) consisting of either 4 siloxane units (cyclotetrasiloxane) or 5 siloxane units (cyclopentasiloxane).
Animal Testing: Not animal tested
GMO: GMO-free (does not contain plant-derived components)
Vegan: Does not contain animal-derived components