Our Beauty Glossary is your definitive guide to every important beauty term ever. From A – Z, we’ll regularly fill you in on beauty ingredients, personalities, products and treatments, so you know exactly who or what to look out for in the beauty space.
Dim-eth-ee-kon
There's an ongoing debate surrounding silicones, of which dimethicone is one, but it's an ingredient that is most definitely worth testing on your skin because of its known benefits:
•Hypoallergenic and non-comodegenic (translation: relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction and specifically formulated so as not to cause blocked pores) •Not known to sensitize the skin, making them very useful for irritated complexions •Great for offsetting dryness from topical acne products •Can help manage the flakiness and cracking eczema and psoriasis sufferers sometimes experience •Particularly helpful for those with acne or scaly skin •Visually softens skin by filling in fine lines and wrinkles •Keeps moisture in the skin without being greasy and moist, even on, say, flights
Because of its fluid properties, dimethicone helps create improved texture in skincare, helping products to glide across the skin. It also helps to fill in pores or fine lines, which is why you'll often find dimethicone on the ingredients list of primers. It can also act as a barrier over skin since the molecules are large, making it perfect for harsh weather conditions, whilst it's also used as a skin protectant ingredient for wound healing and treatment of dry patches.
It is also effective in creating a mattified finish, so is popular in skincare products for those with oily skin or large pores. Dimethicone is also used in creams to protect mild skin irritations, dry patches or healing wounds, and is effective at locking in moisture thanks to its larger molecules.
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