Silicones: rebalancing the debate

Today, there exists an increasingly wide range of silicones, sought by formulators for their multiple and versatile properties and used in diverse cosmetics applications in the personal care sector. All silicones used in personal care products have been tested for safety, as required by EU regulation. Any ingredient found to be an irritant to the skin or a possible sensitiser are classified in accordance with the regulation, effectively barring manufacturers from including them in their formulations, or limiting their concentrations to ensure safety if they are necessary to achieve certain properties. All other cosmetic ingredients must comply with EU legislation on cosmetics, namely Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC and Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009/EC, to enter the market and find their way to the customer.

Misconceptions regarding silicone

So why do we now hear about ‘siliconefree’ products in the personal care industry and why are ‘natural’ alternatives to silicones being marketed in such a way that may lead consumers to believe that silicones are undesirable? Is this a marketing strategy or are these claims based on facts or science? Even industry analysts sometimes mistakenly believe that silicones are petrochemicals derived from oil. In fact, silicones are synthetic products, originally derived from sand or quartz, which are among the most abundant materials on earth. So, silicones do not come from petrochemistry. Manufacturers of cosmetic and personal care products have long used synthetic man-made compounds, such as silicones, as alternatives to plant or animal-based ingredients to ensure consistent quality and high performance for consumers and to protect biological diversity. Silicones undeniably play a significant role in the personal care market today, one of the largest markets for silicones globally. In 2011, personal care made up 18% of the total European market for silicones, with sales estimated in Europe at 40,000 tonnes annually. Understandably, cosmetics manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to innovate and improve sales of their products in a highly-competitive market. One way to do this is from a marketing standpoint, by taking advantage of the current movement towards using natural cosmetics. Some consumers are drawn to natural products because they perceive them as safer and healthier, perceptions that impart a feel-good sentiment. The movement towards ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ products has undoubtedly influenced mainstream cosmetic producers. We hear from formulators that the guidance on what should and should not be included in a personal care product often comes from the marketing department, who may be more sensitive to consumer perception of a growing trend than what actually makes a good formulation. Thus, what is on the shelf may be part of a strategy to see how well ‘naturals’ sell. Choosing naturals is more often than not a lifestyle choice, not an informed choice driven by concerns about the safety or environmental impact of certain products. Extensive research has been conducted on the use of silicones and all of the available data has consistently shown that when used as intended, silicones are safe for humans and for the environment. In fact, brand new data, to be published in an upcoming special issue of the scientific journal Chemosphere, will contribute to a body of evidence that reinforces our assurance that silicones used in personal care are safe. As a result of careful and thorough research, much more is known about the environmental behaviour of silicones compared to natural alternatives, which are often not as thoroughly tested as synthetics. So-called ‘natural’ products are marketed as coming from ‘mother nature’, despite being carbon-based chemicals and subject to intensive industrial processes in chemical plants which are required to achieve an adequate and consistent level of purity and consistency. The lack of common understanding that everything is made up of ‘chemicals’ even in the natural world surely contributes to this. It is up to us as the chemical industry to explain these concepts.