Silicone oil performs a function of skin conditioning. It holds the drop of liquid, present in the mixture while making cosmetics. It is used as an emulsifier. The other substances get combined in the cosmetics with the help of Silicone Oil. It is also used as an emollient to make skin soft and smooth. When a cosmetic is used on the skin, it is expected to be distributed and applied properly. Silicone Oil helps to fulfil that requirement as it performs the role of surfactants.
Basically, silicone is inert by nature. It gets inactive chemically. It is easy to use and can be used to produce an organic product. It acts positively on the skin. The synthetic polymers are made up of silicone, oxygen, and other elements like carbon and hydrogen in required quantum. These silicones are of diversified types, including cyclic, linear or organo-functional polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS), as well as silicone elastomer dispersion and resins. These silicones range from low viscosity fluids to viscous gums. They have possessed unique chemical and physical properties. They are used to preparing cosmetics, sunscreen lotions and skin treatment ointment. It helps to deliver pigments and other particles to the skin.
Advancements in the usage of silicone material.
Dimethicones are present in the silicones to have emollient properties. There is another form of silicone named – Cyclomethicones which is volatile with low viscosity silicone fluids. It performs the task of a cosmetic solvent. The more advanced version of silicone was introduced in the 1980s. It was a derivative of Dimethicone. Grafting hydrophilic polyethylene oxide chains to the dimethicone backbone which results in silicone surfactants. It can be used as emulsifiers, foam stabilizers and wetting agents.
Use in various cosmetic products.
The make-up products like foundation, eyeshadows, blushes, liquids and pencils eyeliners have got a touch of advanced quality due to the use of silicone in them. It gives spreadability and a luxurious look to your face. The silicone solution present in foundation gives fresh and dewy looks to skin. It holds moisture and prevents the skin from getting dry. It is possible because of water resistance quality. It is produced by combinations of w/s emulsions. A foundation is generated by combining silicones with hydrophobic pigments, w/s emulsions are perfect formulations. It reacts with pleasant aesthetics, excellent spreading characteristics and optimized the film-forming properties of silicone resins. Polymeric silicone emulsifiers ae used to prepare stable w/s emulsions, it is made by grafting hydrophilic group onto a dimethicone backbone. We can take examples like PEG/ PPG – 18118 dimethicone, bis – PEG / PPG – 1414 dimethicone and cetyl PEG / PPG – 1011 dimethicone. These kinds of emulsifiers are liquid and do not need waxes for emulsion stabilization. It gives comfortable textures, feels and better result on the skin.
The colour cosmetics like lipstick is produced with the combination of phenyl groups with silicone backbone which produces fluids with a higher refractive index and increased compatibility with cosmetics waxes. It helps to retain glossy coloured look on lips. It has the ability to act as a performer for colour pigments. Lipsticks are made of better-quality and glossy with long-lasting colour with the help of silicone. Silicone resins such as Trimethylsiloxysilicate and polymethylsilsesquioxane are film – producers and improves the cohesion of pigments to the skin and transfer resistance.
Anti-ageing products need to have optical properties that allow them to reflect and scatter light to minimize the visibility of wrinkles. The silicone fluids help to hide wrinkles by settling the refractive index of the silicone. A dimethicone fluid of a phenyl silicone fulfils that requirement. Organic cosmetic oils can also be an advantage to use spherical silicone elastomer and silicone resins particles. It has gained importance nowadays as they have a different refractive index. They have a property to blur the line of ageing or wrinkles.
The silicone oil can be used for the production of sunscreen lotions because it has the capacity to minimize the stickiness and it reduces the amount of oil. It is used widely in the manufacturing of organic sunscreen lotions. It acquires the solubility when it gets combined with phenyl groups. It gives uniformity to the film giving a better quality to the skin. It also helps the cream to improve the tendency to stay on the skin. Many acrylate polymers are used to make sunscreens water resistance.
Silicone oil is not a natural product but it is organic and skin-friendly. It helps the skin to look better and makes the cosmetic products more advanced and functional in today’s ever-growing cosmetic industry. Usage of Silicone oil in cosmetic and hair care product is a boon for the producers as they can provide a better quality of product to meet the increasing demand for beauty products. We hope that this article has given a brief account of an application of silicone oil in cosmetic products. The opinions of our readers will be welcomed and treated preciously by us.