Why are "cones" the enemy?

[naturalmanenyc]

I was going through my overloaded bathroom of hair care products and noticed that most of them have cones....including the stash of Herbal Essences conditioners & leave-in that I picked up on Sunday, my Garnier & my Suave Humectant.

Why are "cones" bad?

 

[Empress Yahudah]

My hair likes cones
I dont overload on them though

 

[glamazon386]

They coat your hair in an effort to keep moisture in. But that also keeps moisture from the outside that's trying to come in. If you have buildup from cones you won't be able to moisturize your hair.

 

[Dposh167]

some people's hair thrive with cones while others don't

for me personally I'm a very low cone user. I have very strict rules. There are some cones that are more stubborn than others. A high concentration of cones in a product leads to easy buildup on my fine hair. They make it smooth yes...but they also coat it which prevents moisture from getting thru in my hair. So eventually i have to try and clarify them out. and that's why i don't use products with high concentration of cones. for instance chi silk infusion

 

[Nonie]

Cones form a coating on your hair making it slippery and thus making the strands less likely to experience friction between each other and also shielding each strand from other wear and tear. However, when cones are concentrated as they are in serums that prevent hair from frizzing, they form an impenetrable shield preventing any moisture from going in or out. So if your hair isn't well moisturized before applying them, it means moisture will have a problem going in. So that your hair ends up feeling dry no matter how much moisture you add on top of the serum. So until you wash your hair to remove the serum coating, you're bound to experience hard, dry hair. At least that's the reason I believe some people hate cones.

When I've used them, like L'Oreal or John Frieda, I've always applied them on damp hair and my hair's been very happy with them. It has felt soft and had a beautiful shine.

 

[naturalmanenyc]

Oh, okay. That makes sense. So if I use products with a high concentration of cones, I will need to clarify more often. I think this explains my breakage despite mositurizing all the time. ORS Replenishing conditioner (which I use at least weekly) seems to have lots of cones.

 

[dinaaike]

some people's hair thrive with cones while others don't

for me personally I'm a very low cone user. I have very strict rules. There are some cones that are more stubborn than others. A high concentration of cones in a product leads to easy buildup on my fine hair. They make it smooth yes...but they also coat it which prevents moisture from getting thru in my hair. So eventually i have to try and clarify them out. and that's why i don't use products with high concentration of cones. for instance chi silk infusion

Poochie is right. It's not that cones are bad, they're just not necessarily good.

The coating they provide can act as a protectant to keep present moisture from evaporating. That same coating can also shield the hair from any additional moisture getting in.

Frequent washers can usually use cones without too many problems. If, however, they are a high content percentage of the product, or if the product is very viscous, then they might be hard to wash away sometimes (even with shampoo). This means moisture can't get in, leading to dryness.

So if you aren't a frequent washer, are already having problems with dryness, or are heavy-handed with the application, then cones might not be your friend. HTH!

 

[LongHairDreams]

Im still learning termenology: Are "cones" ingredients that end in "cone"?

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I'm not a frequent washer but I will become one this week. I washed & rollerset on Sunday but will wash tomorrow after work (or Thursday morning). I'm 8 weeks post texlax and my curly hair was a bit hard to comb for that set. I may try the scarf method to dry...but with heat.

Poochie is right. It's not that cones are bad, they're just not necessarily good.

The coating they provide can act as a protectant to keep present moisture from evaporating. That same coating can also shield the hair from any additional moisture getting in.

Frequent washers can usually use cones without too many problems. If, however, they are a high content percentage of the product, or if the product is very viscous, then they might be hard to wash away sometimes (even with shampoo). This means moisture can't get in, leading to dryness.

So if you aren't a frequent washer, are already having problems with dryness, or are heavy-handed with the application, then cones might not be your friend. HTH!

 

[naturalmanenyc]

The ingredients usually end in -cone or -conol and sometimes in -siloxane.

A few ingredients that silicones are: Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane.

I have an article bookmarked
http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/29/are-silicones-bad-for-your-hair/

Are Silicones Bad For Your Hair?

Diane’s Undaunted By Silicones For Silkier Hair:
The question of silicone’s usefulness has long being a subject of intense debate, speculation and confusion in Long Hair Community. As a consequence, a lot of members in Long Hair Community are wary of using silicone-heavy products, such as Pantene conditioner. Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone and whatnot are allegedly harder to rinse out, therefore build-up occurs faster than a silicone-free hair regimen.
As for me, I love how cones smooth and soften my hair big time - while in shower. Sadly, the miraculous silkiness vanishes as soon as my hair dries. So I use unrefined coconut oil to successfully add shine, softness and protection for my hair.
My questions are these: Are cones really harder to rinse out? How do they work on hair? Do they dry hair out? And why does that wonderful silkiness disappear when my hair dries? How do carrier oils like coconut oil, sweet almond oil compare to silicones?
The Right Brain Comments on ‘Cones for Conditioning:

Diane, you raise some very good questions. In general, silicones work by covering hair with a thin hydrophobic (water-proof) coating. This coating serves several purposes: it helps reduce the porosity of the hair which makes it less likely to absorb humidity; it helps reduce moisture loss from the inside of the hair; and it lubricates the surface of the hair so it feel smoother and combs easier.
The properties vary depending on which particular silicone is in the formula. Some silicones do leave a heavy coating on the hair that can be hard to wash off. Others are very water soluble and don’t buildup at all. Dimethicone, (sometimes called simethicone) for example, is the heaviest of all silicones used for hair care. It provides the most smoothing effect but it is also the hardest to wash out. Cyclomethicone on the other hand, gives great slippery feeling while you’re rinsing your hair, but it quickly evaporates leaving nothing behind. This is probably what you`re experiencing.
What about carrier oils, as you describe them? Some oils are effective conditioners. Take coconut oil, for example. While it doesn`t provide the same surface smoothing as silicones, it has been shown to penetrate hair and plasticize the cortex, making hair stronger. (This isn’t true of all natural oils however.) So oils are useful ingredients but they’re not direct replacements for silicones.
The Brains Bottom Line:
It`s tough to tell simply from reading the label because there are so many types of silicones and they can be used in combination with each other. You can’t simply say: all silicones are bad. Some women will find silicones too heavy for their hair, others will love the soft, conditioned feel they provide. You’ll have to experiment to find what’s right for you. Good luck!

Im still learning termenology: Are "cones" ingredients that end in "cone"?

 

[poookie]

Im still learning termenology: Are "cones" ingredients that end in "cone"?

yup. like cyclomethicone, dimethicone, amodimethicone, etc.


i wash 3x a week so cones don't bother me one bit. my hair's always moisturized.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

My hair really loves cones!!!!!
Naturals who want to wear their hair straight- don't dismiss the cones. I think that's what keeps my hair from reverting.

 

[destiny616]

Im still learning termenology: Are "cones" ingredients that end in "cone"?

most of the time but not always. some cones end with -xane.

Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone.

 

[AsTheCurlzTurns]

Thanks for the lesson, I figured that out about the cones, but didn't know that xane was a cone too. Thank you!

 

[gymfreak336]

Cones are not the enemy, improper use of them are.

 

[HoneyDew]

I don't think they are the enemy either. There are far worse things.

I personally prefer to use them sparingly. I notice that when I use them less, I have to clarify less and my leave-in absorbs better.

My leave-in, I noticed, was absorbing better when I used conditioners like Mane and Tail Original (from sally's only - OT, but the other places sell a version that contains Emulsifying Wax NF and Vegetable Oil and my hair can tell!), Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol, Lustrasilk Olive Oil Cholesterol and Activate Hair Repair or Activate Moisturizing conditioner. All of these are cone free.

So I've decided to stick with conditioners and leave-ins that are cone free. They don't do anything bad, I just like the way my other products work by limiting cones to my heat protectant only.

I stopped using leave-in and moisturizers with cones a while ago, but now I am doing cone-free conditioners, too. I am going to see if using the water soluble cones works okay, too. I was reading yesterday that one cone acts as a carrier oil that helps your hair and skin absorb moisture. I cannot remember which one, but one of my ABBA conditioners contains that one.