Cetyl Dimethicone
Non-soluble silicone Not CG-friendly Heavy
A waxy silicone that adds a soft, smooth film. Found in creams and some styling products.
Curly Girl note: Not water-soluble.
How our checker rates it
| Mode | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Curly Girl | Avoid | Non-soluble silicone — builds up unless you wash with sulfates. Not CG-friendly. |
| Relaxed hair | Good | Silicone — coats the strand and helps protect relaxed hair from heat and friction. |
| Low porosity | Caution | Heavy ingredient near the top of the list — can sit on low-porosity hair and build up. |
| Protein-sensitive | OK | No concerns for this mode. |
Ratings assume it is listed near the top of the label. After the first preservative or fragrance (likely 1% or less) most cautions soften.
What non-soluble silicone ingredients do
Silicones that coat the strand for slip, shine and heat protection but do not rinse out with water, so they can build up without a sulfate or clarifying wash.
This one is on the heavy side, so it can weigh down fine or low-porosity hair if it sits near the top of a product’s list.
Similar ingredients
Sources
Last data update:
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). Ingredient safety assessments. Safety assessments for cosmetic ingredients cited on ingredient pages.
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