Thanks to trials with primers that were basically all silicone, I managed to nail down the fact that cosmetics or skincare products that have too much of the stuff tend to break me out. My theory is that while silicones absorb oil, at a certain point my crazy oily skin saturates them and then all hell breaks loose as they sit around, holding the oil trapped against my skin.
This blows, because silicone, either in the form of dimethicone, cyclomethicone or cyclopentahexane tend to be present in just about every single wonderfully textured, miraculously long-lasting and beautifully finished cosmetic. Unfortunately, the more poreless the finish, the bigger my acne.
Bear in mind that for the most part, this is an inert and non-comedogenic ingredient that most skins tolerate, even love. In fact, silicone is often recommended for sensitive, acne-prone oily skin (which, in my case makes me want to scream into a pillow with frustration). Also, that the warmer the climate, the less silicone I find my skin tolerates so if you’ve moved from a cold dry climate to a warm humid one and find that your skin’s going crazy, try slashing silicone from your beauty regime.
Since eliminating silicone from my foundation, however, I’ve found my skin to have cleared up marvellously to the point where it can also tolerate other products, like powders and moisturizers, that have the ingredient far down their lists. So the most important step may be to eliminate the worst offender to get away with it elsewhere.
From Googling around, I know that there are girls out there who, like me, have skin that react badly to the stuff. So I’ve decided to post this essay and maintain a list of silicone-free products on it to help everyone stuck in my situation. I will, of course, link reviews to the products when I’ve given them a try. A terrible number though are really hard to obtain in Asia. Drat!
For reference, my beauty routine (which could use some updating) is here.
Silicone Free Liquid Foundation
Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation (New formula has Silicone! Darn!)
Bourjois Bio Detox Organic Foundation
Lavera Natural Liquid Foundation
theNotice's list of Silicone-Free Foundations
Silicone Free Cream Foundation
theBalm Time Balm Foundation
Silicone Free Powder & Powder Foundation – (although I find some silicone is ok here)
Bourjois Bio Detox Powder Foundation
Most natural (not L’oreal, Maybelline or Revlon) mineral foundations
Silicone Free Primer (far more exist than I thought!)
Korres Silicone-free Face Primer
Fyrinnae Silica-Velvet Primer (tried this for a week and it broke me out badly)
Bare Escentuals Prime Time Oil Control
CARGO’s blu_ray™ Activating Face Primer
Fresh Rose Freshface Primer
NARS Pro-Prime Makeup Primer
Tarte ReCreate Silicone-Free Primer with Wrinkle Rewind Technology
Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion – Brightening (NOT Pore Perfecting)
Silicone Free Concealer
theBalm Time Balm Concealer (solid)
Resources
Lisa Eldridge Natural Makeup Video
Do you girls know of anything else I should add?
14 comments:
Maybe you're already aware of theNotice? Rae also went silicone-free so she reviews such products from time to time.
http://thenotice.net/2011/04/silicone-free-foundations/
I should probably try to go silicone-free and see how my skin likes it. I'm lazy though...
Wow thanks Kuri, will link her list to mine and only add as I trial. =)
No wonder the Fyrinnae primer broke you out; silica is just another chemical form/oxide of Silicone. It's like what Paraffin is to Mineral Oil (I happen to be CRAZY allergic to both).
Both compounds fall under the large class of siloxanes, so if you break out with one ingredient, you probably should avoid the rest too.
In that sense, I really doubt any product that advertises itself as containing Silica can be truly silicone-free. :/
Thanks for the list!
No silica and silicone are not quite the same thing. Silica is a different molecule (SiO2) and doesn't form a film, unlike silicone. It's like saying glass and silica are the same thing to compare silicone and silica.
Hi Kahani!
Would love it if you could link to my blog article as a resource for silicone-free foundation primers. I think offer a lot of good info and cover what's available on the market pretty thoroughly.
http://beautysquad.net/2011/05/08/the-best-silicone-free-face-primers/
Also, the NARS Pro-Prime Makeup Primer (both Multi-Protect and Pore Refining) DOES contain silicone, as does their Primer with SPF. The silicone-free formula is simply called NARS Makeup Primer (in the white tube) and I believe is only available from the NARS website and counter (not Sephora).
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P281402&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=3976
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P281401&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=3976
http://www.narscosmetics.com/Primer-with-SPF-C413_category_3B.aspx
http://www.narscosmetics.com/Makeup-Primer-C51_category_3B.aspx
Hi there, thanks! Give me some time to go through the links and details and i'll incorporate the info. =)
Silica is, basically, silicone in its purest, often powdered, form (which is what MUFE's HD loose powder is). It is also the second ingredient in Fyrinnae's primer. So they are falsely advertising it as silicone-free.
Found this on a Google search for silicone-free primers, by the way.
Lorac AquaPrime Oil-Free Primer is is oil, silicone, paraben and fragrance free - especially good for sensitive, oily and acne-prone skin types.
A million thanks for posting this list (there are lots of us out there with skin like yours)!!
Thanks Anon, hope the list helps. Must update it soon!
Shelly: Silica is not the purest form of Silicone, it's a totally different molecule - Silicon Dioxide and you most commonly see it around you as sand or glass. Silicone however is a class of lubricant-like chemical substances (including dimethicone and cyclomethicone) that contains Silicon.
In a nutshell, Silica is as much like Silicone as water is like hydrogen preoxide. Both water and Hydrogen Peroxide contain hydrogen, but when combined with other atoms result in very different molecules.
Hope that helps!
I have had the same problem and have been eliminated all make up except lipstick and eyeliner for years. After being on a make up diet for so long a am tempted to use blushes and bronzer again. Can you help us inthat category as well?
Laura mercier one contains Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone,Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, all of which are silicones
Ouch I think they've changed the formula! Thanks for letting me know will update the list.
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