This is a common question I have been asked throughout my hairdressing career. It was something that I, myself, questioned when I first started in the hairdressing trade. After 15 years in the hair industry, I have learned a thing or two. Read on to find out!
The main difference is the silicones.
Silicones make your hair feel silky, soft and add shine to your hair, silicone works on the outer layer of the hair and seals down the cuticle. It's what makes your hair feel so good after a wash. Both salon shampoos and supermarket shampoos contain silicone.
Without getting too technical there are different types of silicones and we can break these down into long-chain and short-chain or fat-soluble or water-soluble silicones.
Long-chain silicones are cheaper to produce and they are not washed away by water. These silicones are fat-soluble, they are not easily broken down and they build up on your hair. (and in your shower!) Many people suffer from product build-up and we often mistake it for greasiness.
Some of the long-chain silicones you may see on an ingredients list are; Dimethicone (the most common), Cyclomethicone, Amodimethicone, Pheryl Trimethicone, Ceteraryl Methicone, Dimethiconol, Stearyl Dimethicone among others.
Short-chain silicones are water-soluble, these include Dimethicone Copolyol (note: Dimethicone with Copolyol on the end is water-soluble, Dimethicone alone is not.), Laurel Methicone Copolyol and any silicone with PEG as a prefix. These silicones will still make your hair feel silky and seal down the cuticle and protect your hair but once water hits them on your next wash, they will be rinsed easily away.
Generally, supermarket haircare ranges will contain long-chain silicones in high amounts and often there will be multiple silicones in these products.
If a product range is using multiple long-chain silicones you will experience build up even quicker. For example, if the shampoo contains one or two silicones, the conditioner contains 2 or 3 silicones and then the leave-in treatment or oil contains another 1 to 3 silicones, it won't take long for your hair to feel greasy.
Professional, salon-quality haircare ranges either ditch the silicones completely or use short-chain, water-soluble silicones and they are usually used sparingly. Check how far down the ingredients list the silicone is, the closer to the end of the list, the smaller the quantity that is used in that product.
I think I’m suffering from product build-up, what can I do?
First of all, don't fret, this is a fairly simple fix!
Check the ingredients list of the products you are using and ditch the ones with a lot of fat-soluble silicones. If you want help with this you can get in touch with me.
Secondly, you’ll want to deal to that build-up. It’s not going to wash away with water so a Malibu C Crystal Gel in-salon treatment is recommended. This treatment will remove any mineral, medicinal or silicone build-up in the hair and leave your hair feeling, fresh, cleansed, light and shiny.
Last, of all, we will get you set up with a haircare regimen containing no nasties that is suited specifically to your hairs needs.
