TO CONE OR NOT TO CONE...

Hey there fabulous naturals!

Although I choose not to use cones on my hair or my daughters hair.  I must admit there were a few conditioners with cones listed as their ingredient , which I loved on my hair.  But, after doing further research I made a decision to do away with cone filled products.  To go further I find information about cones to be interesting at times and quite controversial. 

You have some fabulous naturals who swear by cones stating that it leaves there hair silky, soft and easier to manage.  Then you have some fabulous naturals who may have very well felt the same or who just simply choose not to even go near cones, but they ultimately realize that its something they do not want to use in their hair.  There are many pros and cons.  So, lets explore a few.

Whether cones are good or bad for you depends on ...you. What are cones? It's any product from shampoo, conditioners to styling products which contain some form of silicone's which is a long word for cones.  Silicone's are often listed in the ingredients and end in "cone".  Now, there are many forms of cones but lets explore two. 

Dimethicone Versus Cyclomethicone

Did you know that sometimes dimthicone is sometimes referred as simethicone which is in fact one of the heaviest of all silicone's used in many hair care products. Cones have often been referred to as wax because it adds a thick coating on top of the hair. 

Dimethicone can build up on the hair and may need to be removed with a clarifying shampoo, sulfate or a shampoo with cocamidopropyl betaine.  But, what is for certain is that it can not be removed with just a conditioner.  Like you know a conditioner wash.

Cyclomethicone

Cyclomethicone is said  lighter than dimethicone and also leaves a great slippery , silky feeling after using.  But, leaves nothing behind it evaporates quickly.  Also, Cyclomethicone does not necessarily need to be removed with clarifying products since it doesn't not normally leave any residue on the hair.

Putting a stop to receiving moisture

One of the many reason some fabulous naturals  don’t use cones is because the cones may block moisture for our tresses.  Cones can leave the hair feeling puffy , dry and rough.  There has been some reports that cones don’t allow the hair to breathe but this argument doesn’t really hold up because hair is dead once it leaves the scalp and it doesn’t breathe.  While cone lovers report that cones and polyquats are great for flyaway hair because it smooths the cuticle, weighing it down and making the hair sleek.  It  doesn’t impede oxygen intake.  While it may not wash off completely, if you actually switch to a non-polyquat shampoo.  I don't know , so this is why I tend to stick to what works for my hair and , my girls hair.

Lets talk Water Soluble Cones

Water soluble cones are good for those who want the benefit of cones without the risk of moisture balance issues. Non water soluble cones may make hair feel rough, crispy, stiff or generally hard to the touch.  Conditioners and hair care products that contain some types of cones may not penetrate into the cuticle leaving a top residue which can be hard to remove and give hair a greasy or oily look.  I have noticed Some hair care products that do contain cones but they are listed near the bottom of the ingredient list might work best for those that can’t normally tolerate any type of cones,  Example, hello hydration products. 

when hair is wet

I have personally noticed that whether cones are water soluble or not I  notice my hair feels great when wet but the proof to whether cones are good or bad for your hair is when the hair ultimately dries. If the hair dries feeling crunchy or dry and coarse. This how I realized cones were not for my hair.

Then it could be the opposite your hair could feel sticky or gooey ( if you will) since it does build up on hair it can also leave your hair feeling dry and looking dull, I have experienced this as well.

Hair Breakage

 I believe At some point the hair can become so cone compromised the hair will break off.



Ultimately, using cones solely depends on you and your hair.  So experiment , take pictures touch your hair get familiar with the feel of your hair, etc.  Just remember that what may work for some may not at all work for others depending on hair texture, etc.  Also, remember to read those labels and keep plenty of notes be it on paper or in your mind.  Just remember we all all on a journey to healthy hair care.  Until next time...

Stay naturally fabulous!

                                                   ENJOY AND TAKE CARE :) 

WARNING ABOUT CONES...

Hey ladies, well to my disappointment I had to depart with my beloved " Cantu shea butter leave in conditioning repair creme " .  A couple of weeks ago I had been noticing that my hair had not been at its best.  Knowing it was product related, I began a serious product investigation on the products used in my daily hair regimen.  After reading and realizing that my cantu has trimethylsilylamodimethicone ( notice the word cone in the ending).  My hair had started to become frizzy,& appered dry looking.  After doing some research I learned that anything with cones in it will surely affect the health of the hair.  So bye, bye to cantu shea butter.  Below I've posted a article I found on the dangers of using products with any type of cones in it:



.Most of the highly commercialized lines of hair products (Pantene, Garnier Fructis, Aussie, Tressame, Sunsilk, etc.) contain silicones. These are ingredients that generally end in -cone, -conol, or -xane. If at all possible avoid silicones and also waxes in your hair products. Short term, silicones will make hair look sleeker and less frizzy, but in the long run they will coat the hair shaft of porous curly hair and seal out moisture, causing the hair to become straw like, less defined, and frizzy. Hence, silicones make quick fixes for frizz, but over time, they are truly damaging your hair. Sulfates get rid of silicones, but at the expense of completely stripping your hair of all of its natural oils! The solution to these problems is to eliminate both sulfates (in your shampoos) and silicones (in your conditioners and styling products). An exception to this rule: if a silicone has "PEG" in front of it, it is water-soluble and will not cause product build up.

Silicones that are not soluble in water and build up on the hair: Cetearyl methicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Stearyl Dimethicone, Amodimethicone (and) Trideceth-12 (and) Cetrimonium Chloride, and Trimethylsilylamodimethicone. Note: Trideceth-12 and Cetrimonium Chloride are only considered a silcone when both are combined with Amodimethicone

Silicones that are slightly soluble in water and will build up on most types of curly hair: Amodimethicone, Behenoxy Dimethicone, and Stearoxy Dimethicone.

Silicones that are soluble in water and safe to use (they are not listed with PEG in front of them): Dimethicone Copolyol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane, and Lauryl methicone copolyol.

I than realized  how much my hair really enjoys leave in conditioner's.  I than did a little searching for something else to use in my hair in the place of the cantu shea butter leave -in.  And than I found  a very simple and effective homemade leave in condtioner recipe.  Which consists of the following:

1-8 ounce pump bottle

2 ounces of leave in conditioner ( preferably a thick condtioner such as Suave Humectant, Eluence.  I used vo5 moisture milks strawberries & cream it worked just as well)

1 1/2 ounces of water

1/8 cup oil ( Avocado, coconut, or olive oil )

1 tablespoon of vegetable glycerin

1 tablespoon of silk peptide powder ( optional)

fragrance oil for scent ( optional ) Apple, Vanilla, strawberry, mango.
Double and or substitute  ingredients as needed.  This should be a pretty thick mixture, and should be  applied to soaking wet or damp hair at best.  You will not need to use much !  I love, love love this recipe.  It has provided my hair with sheen, softness, curl definition, moisture and nice fragrance.  It has not left any build up on my hair at all, which is always a plus.  REMINDER: if using Suave Humectant or Eluence conditioner.   Vegetable glycerin or any other oil will not need to be added, because  included in those condtioners  is
( shea butter) with the exception of the vo5 conditioner.

I am a girl on a budget , a mother of 5 children & a husband .  This recipe was right down my  alley.  Resonable in price, effective, and It can be made in less than 5 minutes.  Love it , love it, love it !

                                                                                                   ENJOY!!!