What Is Silicone Elastomer Gel? A Comprehensive Guide

January 27, 2024

Silicone elastomer gel is a type of compound that is added to cosmetic products to refine its color and provide a good skin feel when applied. With the increase in popularity and demand of these cosmetic products, silicone gel is being added more frequently.

But, what is silicone elastomer gel?

Let’s dive right into the blog and answer this question

Silicone Elastomer

Silicone gel is a type of compound made up of silicone-oxygen chain linkages, which constitute when the side chains and other organic groups through the silicon atom connected, can be considered autonomously dispersed within a carrier fluid cross-linked siloxane elastomer gel particles.

How is silicone elastomer formed?

Silicone gel is formed when the silicone compounds react to form a polymer cross-linking network and the gaps of the cross-linking network are filled with solvent molecules. This interaction is the reason for the smooth skin feel when used in the cosmetic industry.

What is the use of silicone gel in cosmetic products?

Using too much of certain oil-based moisturizers, like glycerin, can make skincare and makeup products feel greasy. On the other hand, ingredients like panthenol or niacinamide can make them feel sticky in large amounts.

To make skincare and makeup products easier to apply and feel better on the skin, it's common to add low-weight silicone fluids. These give the products a dry, smooth, and even touch, enhancing their visual appeal. However, there's a challenge – while these silicone fluids make the product better, they're tricky to keep in the formula. They can evaporate, separate, or even move too much on the skin during use, limiting their effectiveness in cosmetics.

When we try to solve this by using thickening agents, which are common in cosmetics, it brings another issue. The viscosity of the solution goes up, slowing down the evaporation of the silicone oils, but it also makes them less spreadable and leaves a slippery feeling on the skin.

Here's where silicone gel for cosmetics comes in. It acts as a fantastic thickening agent for these low-weight silicone fluids. This creates a unique sensation on the skin – dry, silky, and more. It's a promising ingredient for everyday products and has great potential in the market.

Benefits of using silicone elastomer gel

For a while now, makeup has been considered heavy and oily. Adding more natural oil helps make it less prone to moisture, but it makes it less comfortable to use and gives an unnatural appearance. Makeup products with silicone gels have tackled these issues.

They can work well as thickening agents for lightweight silicone fluids, and adding them to skincare and makeup products gives a gentle initial feel of the lightweight silicone fluid while forming a film. This keeps the high viscosity of skincare and makeup products.

Some of the main benefits of using silicone gel are

Adjustable Performance: Silicone elastomer gels can change their properties such as fluidity, hardness, and curing time, based on factors like cross-linking, silicon hydrogen group content, and catalyst amount. This helps tailor the product according to specific needs.

Natural Bonding: The gel naturally sticks to the surface of common materials without needing extra adhesives or coatings before curing.

Stable Properties: Silicone elastomer gels are not easily affected by temperature and can be used in a broad temperature range.

Repeatable Use: These gels are great for repeatable operations, can be repaired, are highly flexible, and have an extremely low shrinkage rate.

Applications of silicone elastomer in cosmetics

Silicone gel has some unique features: it makes products less thick and gives them a shiny look and a powdery feel. People use it a lot in skincare, haircare, and makeup, especially in colorful makeup – it's getting more popular each year.

Now, let's look at different makeup types:

Liquid Foundation: This is the top pick. It gives a smooth finish and makes makeup stay longer.

Lip Glosses, Pre-Makeups, Powders, Eye Shadows, Multi-Purpose Makeups, Concealers, Blushes, Eyebrow Pencils, Eyeliners, and Eye Shadows: These also use silicone gels for various reasons.

In skin care, silicone elastomer gel is mostly in face and neck care products. It also shows up in sunscreen, eye care, body care, kits, hand/nail care, lip care, foot care, hair care, and more.

For specific uses:

Sun Care: Silicone gel helps block harmful UV rays and keeps your skin feeling good.

Liquid Foundation: Makes it smooth to apply and helps the makeup stay in place.

Anti-Wrinkle Cream: This creates a nice layer on your skin and makes the cream last longer.

Deodorant or Antiperspirant: Silicone gel helps it feel smooth on your skin and prevents it from drying out.

Conclusion

In this blog, you learned all about silicone elastomer gel and why it is used in cosmetic products. It plays the role of moisturizing and hydrating the skin which lasts a longer period. Want to know more about silicone elastomer? Get in touch with us and we’ll assist you in the best possible way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is silicone elastomer safe?

Yes, it is completely safe and non-toxic.