Before I get too engrossed in the beauty side of silicone allergy, I feel it is important to note that silicone is used in lots of medical equipment. If you have a full-blown silicone allergy, it is very important to tell your doctors and make sure it is noted in your medical records.
I discovered (3 years after it was already in my body) that Mirena, the newest form of Intra-uterine contraception (IUD), is made of silicone. At the time I chose it, I wasn't aware of my silicone allergy. It was only recently that I was looking at their website and noticed that it said not to use Mirena if you are allergic to silicone. Oops. Fortunately for me, there had not been any adverse reaction that I know of... however, ever since I had it placed I have had problems with my legs, feet, and ankles swelling, and my abdomen was always very swollen, and now that I think about it, in that last 3 months since I had it removed all of that swelling has gone away. Curious.
In addition, many of the new "improved" contact lenses are made of silicone. This is actually how I learned that I was allergic to it - I broke out into hives... in my eyes. Ouch. After that incident, I started evaluating some of the symptoms I was having, and started doing a little research on silicone allergies. I had hives and massive itching on my head and face all the time, and because of the itching my scalp was flaky. I assumed I had dandruff, but dandruff shampoos made it worse (surprise -- they include silicone). After sniffing around the interwebs a bit, I realized that most of the products I was using every day contained silicone. Now that I have become vigilant about not using ANY product with silicone in it, I am a lot happier person. I'm never itchy, my eyes don't burn, and my skin looks amazing.
Please note that if you think you have ANY type of serious allergy, it is very important to see your doctor. I am not a medical professional of any kind, I simply want to share my experiences and some of my favorite products in the hopes that it might help others who are having a hard time finding any information on silicone allergies. All of the message board posts I find online result in people being told that silicone allergies are very rare, and therefore the person likely does not have one. Many times the logic is, "silicone is a naturally occurring substance." This logic is faulty. People are allergic to peanuts, strawberries, eggs, shellfish, kiwi, dairy, etc., etc.,... and every last one of these things is a naturally occurring substance. In addition, people can develop an allergy to something at any time in their lives. In addition to the silicone allergy, I developed a shellfish allergy in the past three years. I had eaten shrimp my entire life, until one day I had a bunch of shellfish at one meal and ended up in the emergency room having convulsions. SO, please do not assume that just because an allergy is rare that it is impossible for you to have it. In addition, you could have an intolerance to silicone without truly being allergic... and it would still be worthwhile to avoid the substance if possible.
I also feel it is necessary to state that I am not being compensated for listing any products, I am just tired of doing constant research and trying to keep it straight as to which things are silicone-free and which aren't. This blog is as much a way for me to keep a running tab of what I've tried and liked versus tried and hated as it is to help anyone else. And, if one person other than me finds it helpful, then yay me! :)
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Products: Hair Basics
As of today, Loreal's new EverSleek line of products makes me a very happy girl. I live in a humid climate, and even though my hair is mostly straight, it is just curly enough to get frizzy when it's humid. The EverSleek shampoo and conditioner (I'm using the reparative version right now because my hair was recently colored and highlighted) are serving me very well. My hair looks shiny and smooth, and doesn't seem to be as fried from daily use of a flat iron. I also use the smoothing creme from the same line. Added bonus: the entire line is readily available at your local grocery, drug, or big-box store.
For those of you who are really firm about using only salon-level shampoos, I was using Brocato Saturate shampoo (one of the few salon moisturizing shampoos which is sans-silicone) along with CHI Silk Therapy treatment as a conditioner. The downsides to these are: 1. cost ($30/liter for the Brocato, unless you stock up like I did at the Beauty Brands liter sale, and $24 for 8 ounces of the CHI), 2. they can only be purchased at a salon, and 3. they kept my hair from being dry, but didn't do much for the frizz. I really needed an additional smoothing serum, but had a heck of a time finding one.
On to serums: The EverSleek line does have a serum as well -- I own it, but do not use it very often because the creme serves me very well (I run one pump-full through damp hair before blow-drying, then flat-iron as usual). At Sephora I discovered a macadamia nut oil light smoothing mist that is okay, but leaves my hair looking overly greasy if I use more than the tiniest amount (as in, one spray's worth). Josie Maran makes a pure Argan oil that is silicone-free as well and can be used as a smoothing serum - also sold at Sephora. I have not used it in my hair, primarily because I am afraid of the greaseball look and apparently I have a heavy hand with product application.
Finally for today: Hairspray. I cannot live without Redken Quick-Dry Hairspray. I detest the height of the can, because it doesn't fit in my medicine cabinet. BUT, I love the product. For one thing, it dries almost instantly, allowing you to lock your style into place without a lot of fuss. Also, it never flakes, and its not sticky. Plus, it brushes out easily, yet provides all-day hold. Finally, it's silicone-free! Yay!
I have a whole host of other hair products as well, but I will save them for later.
For those of you who are really firm about using only salon-level shampoos, I was using Brocato Saturate shampoo (one of the few salon moisturizing shampoos which is sans-silicone) along with CHI Silk Therapy treatment as a conditioner. The downsides to these are: 1. cost ($30/liter for the Brocato, unless you stock up like I did at the Beauty Brands liter sale, and $24 for 8 ounces of the CHI), 2. they can only be purchased at a salon, and 3. they kept my hair from being dry, but didn't do much for the frizz. I really needed an additional smoothing serum, but had a heck of a time finding one.
On to serums: The EverSleek line does have a serum as well -- I own it, but do not use it very often because the creme serves me very well (I run one pump-full through damp hair before blow-drying, then flat-iron as usual). At Sephora I discovered a macadamia nut oil light smoothing mist that is okay, but leaves my hair looking overly greasy if I use more than the tiniest amount (as in, one spray's worth). Josie Maran makes a pure Argan oil that is silicone-free as well and can be used as a smoothing serum - also sold at Sephora. I have not used it in my hair, primarily because I am afraid of the greaseball look and apparently I have a heavy hand with product application.
Finally for today: Hairspray. I cannot live without Redken Quick-Dry Hairspray. I detest the height of the can, because it doesn't fit in my medicine cabinet. BUT, I love the product. For one thing, it dries almost instantly, allowing you to lock your style into place without a lot of fuss. Also, it never flakes, and its not sticky. Plus, it brushes out easily, yet provides all-day hold. Finally, it's silicone-free! Yay!
I have a whole host of other hair products as well, but I will save them for later.
Intro
Am I the only one? Am I the only person who has figured out that they are completely intolerant to silicone? Some days it feels that way, what with all the great new products out there. Want shiny hair? Coat it in silicone! Want smooth skin? Slather on some silicone! It's the modern-day solution to all our beauty issues!
Unfortunately, it is also what we use to seal our windows, doors, and bathtubs. Sure, it provides a great smooth finish, and keeps out the water, but when we are talking about your SKIN, don't you want that to breathe? Wasn't that the whole issue with burlesque dancers who painted themselves gold -- they died because their skin couldn't breathe?
I'm all about looking beautiful. I'm as vain as the next girl. I want my skin to glow, my hair to shine, and to stop people in their tracks on a good day. I, however, am allergic to silicone, and finding cone-free products these days is a bit like seeing a unicorn.
My purpose here will be to get the word out about some of the amazing (and maybe not-so amazing) products that are silicone-free. Hopefully as manufacturers catch on to silicone intolerance this list will get longer. In the meantime, I plan to share my experiences and hopefully hear from some of you who are also trying to go cone-free (for any reason!).
Unfortunately, it is also what we use to seal our windows, doors, and bathtubs. Sure, it provides a great smooth finish, and keeps out the water, but when we are talking about your SKIN, don't you want that to breathe? Wasn't that the whole issue with burlesque dancers who painted themselves gold -- they died because their skin couldn't breathe?
I'm all about looking beautiful. I'm as vain as the next girl. I want my skin to glow, my hair to shine, and to stop people in their tracks on a good day. I, however, am allergic to silicone, and finding cone-free products these days is a bit like seeing a unicorn.
My purpose here will be to get the word out about some of the amazing (and maybe not-so amazing) products that are silicone-free. Hopefully as manufacturers catch on to silicone intolerance this list will get longer. In the meantime, I plan to share my experiences and hopefully hear from some of you who are also trying to go cone-free (for any reason!).
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