Cyclotetrasiloxane
Evaporating silicone CG: use with caution
A small volatile silicone once common in serums, now largely replaced because of environmental restrictions.
Curly Girl note: Evaporates; largely phased out of cosmetics for environmental reasons.
How our checker rates it
| Mode | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Curly Girl | Caution | Evaporating silicone — mostly evaporates, but strict CG followers avoid all non-soluble silicones. |
| Relaxed hair | Good | Silicone — coats the strand and helps protect relaxed hair from heat and friction. |
| Low porosity | OK | No concerns for this mode. |
| 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 evaporating silicone ingredients do
Light, volatile silicones that spread other ingredients and then mostly evaporate from the hair.
Also listed as
- d4
- octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
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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