Why are we avoiding cones again?

ellebelle88

ellebelle88

Well-Known Member
So for the past couple of years, I have heard about people avoiding cones. I never really knew why because I never read up on it too much. But today I was reading an article on Curly Nikki about Silicones: http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/05/silicones-and-other-sealants-for.html

The blogger wrote:

Despite the proven advantages of silicones, some women make a big effort to avoid them. These women are often choosing to follow the hair care method promoted by Lorraine Massey in her 2001 instructional book for curly-haired women, Curly Girl: The Handbook. Regarding silicones, Massey wrote:

I suggest that you avoid conditioners that use silicones. Although they do add temporary shine to the hair, I find they weigh down curly hair. (That means avoid using products with ingredients whose name end in -cone.) The ingredients you absolutely need in conditioner include emollients, humectants, proteins, and moisturizers.

Four years later, in a Q&A featured on naturallycurly.com, Massey admitted that her original book was written before she ever heard of more sophisticated silicones like amodimethicone. Unfortunately, misinformation had already spread across the Internet and to this day, silicones are wrongly blamed for drying out the hair due to build up when in reality the opposite is true.


So I was wondering if there was some other reason people were avoiding cones that I should know about? I'm asking because I'm transitioning and I want to know as much about -cones as possible. Thanks!
 
I'm relaxed and don't use cones. I used them in the beginning of my hhj and when I washed or co-washed it was a nightmare my hair would turn into a gummy white mess. I guess the stuff was just coating my hair. I then switched to natural products I heard about here and problem solved.
 
I use cones, but I do find that they only last for a lil bit. If I don't want to wash my hair often, I usually need to reach for other products that are more moisturizing.

I do think they help protect the hair from outside elements. For instance I use NTM daily because it makes it where my hair doesn't break when I comb it wet to rollerset (similar to what Infusium 23 does for me but not as drying). Also, I think those that are heat protectants really do work for that mission.
 
It's like most things. Some people do well with cones and others not so much.

For my hair I can't say that all cones are a problem. But I know if I use a product with dimethicone's my hair is going to feel hard and wiry and brittle the next day. And trying to get moisture into my hair after that point is pointless. This was from personal experience with 5 different products.

I know I will need to moisturize my hair often during the week, so I just avoid cones so I can do so more easily.

Many people still use something with cones if they are going to straighten their hair though.
 
I personally avoid cones because a lot of the common ones are washed out with a sulfate shampoo. Shampoos in general dry my hair but sulfate shampoos especially. I also find that the products that really keep my hair moisturized and less weighed down tend to be cone free anyways. I do use silicones for occasional heat styling but they don't work well for MY natural hair.
 
The last time i co-washed my hair with a conditioner containing Dimethicone my hair felt gross!:barf: It was sticky and gummy feeling:nono: So i don't use those conditioners to co-wash with anymore.

However, i do use a curl cream and sometimes a moisturizer and some of my DC's contain cones.

I mainly use them though if i'm going to be putting heat on my hair.:yep:
 
I'm strict with my cones in products. I still use them but I don't buy any moisturizers with cones....leave ins...and for conditioners they have to be more in the middle or end of the list.

I basically don't use a cone based product ever...unless its a serum. Too much cone makes my hair dry after day 2...and they cause buildup which makes my hair heavy. I have fine hair and need as much body as poss
 
I use cones, they aid in wet combing and detangling. I think most people avoid cones because they want to avoid sulfates shampoos. Sulfate shampoos are the only ones to completely cleanse hair of silicones. I don't like sulfate-free shampoos because I use cones. See?

For me, I love what cones do for my hair. I heat style fairly often so I must use them. Even without heat styling, I tried the no-cone, no-sulfate thing and it just wasn't working for me as a relaxed head. When I was natural, I could do it. My natural hair didn't care much for silicones at all.

Cones have a notorious rep for drying out the hair. That's not the case for me. After finding the right regimen and whatnot, I use a silicone serum and I'm good for a week. I can't say the last time I've moisturized and sealed. I don't need to. I think it's just up to the individual, their styling choices, and their regimen.
 
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Generally speaking I like using all natural products....it's just my thing but I've learned when I straighten my hair cones are my friend.
 
As alove15 and Your Cheeziness have stated, it is mainly because I don't use traditional shampoo. I use the mudwash to clarify once a month and a cleansing conditioner all other times. I would never be able to get most cones out of my hair if I used them regularly. I have had success with two products with amodimethicone as it is easily removed with the cleansing conditioner I use.
 
Cones dry my hair out sooooo bad, i never touch them not even to straighten!....i use grapeseed oil and aphogee keratin spray as a protection, because cones make my hair brittle and cause lots of breakage for me :(
 
So I was wondering if there was some other reason people were avoiding cones that I should know about? I'm asking because I'm transitioning and I want to know as much about -cones as possible. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I think it basically began with the curly girl method. It was talked about extensively on hair boards at the time and a lot of people today still follow a version of this method even without realizing where it all began.

I use some conditioners and shampoos with silicone. Everything else I put in my hair is homemade so avoiding silicones isn't a make or break issue for me.
 
I pretty much use any product my hair likes. My hair loves Cone and Sulfates. So I just stay with it. I'm not dropping them because of what everyone else says. I always prepoo before my Shampoos so I think that lessens the affects of the harshness of the Sulfates. The Sulfates in the shampoos on my hair, act as clarifiers. So when I clean my hair I never have build up from Cones.
 
My hair doesn't have an issue with sulfate shampoos and my hair likes silicone based products. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
For me, it depends on how i use the product and where exactly the cone is add as far as concentration. As with all things hair related, i think it''s a matter of technique not necessarily the product itself. However, something's just don't work
 
cones fool me into thinking my ends are healthy because it makes them seem smooth I can have damage and not know until I clarify. Now if your cleanser has sulfates go right ahead.
 
My hair likes cones, but I agree with others who say not all cones are the same. I can tell a difference when I DC with cones or use a DC that doesn't have them. However, because I like the slip that cones give, I'll still do a quick rinse out with a cone condish after my non-cone DC to get that slip and silky feel which makes detangling easier. It might sound like a lot, but it seems to be working for me so far.
 
My hair loves cones :yep: I clarify every blue moon, but not too often. Seems to work find for me.
Also, I blow dry and flat iron my hair on a weekly basis, so cones are my friends for that reason as well.
 
When I straighten my hair, cones are amazing!

When my hair is in its curly state, cones frizzes my hair out SO MUCH! Every single cone based product I've used for WnGs left my hair looking like some type of frizzie yet greasy jerry curl. I dont even know how thats possible. Also I never had breakage from a sulfate shampoo, but i know that it can cause dryness so I just avoid it all together because I dont want to take that chance. And my hair needs as much moisture as possible. So since I dont use sulfate shampoo, I dont use cones.
 
I love cones, I don't overdo it, but they're in my DC, serum, and leave-in. I only use these products on my wash day (1x week). I clarify/chelate every 6 weeks and I've had no problems, only success.
 
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