TKB Featured Product: Dimethicone

Dimethicone is a kind of Silicone, which is made from petrochemicals. Dimethicone comes in different thicknesses. Our Dimethicone is a liquid, about the viscosity of canola oil. But it is not oily. It is odorless and has a silky feel as you rub it onto your skin.

Dimethicone is popular because it is a great emollient (an emollient soften, soothes and protects the skin by acting as a barrier layer on the skin/hair, keeping the natural water/moisture from drying out). For this reason, you will often see dimethicone used in formulas for lotions, as well as hair care products. Usually, it is not more than 1% - 5% of the formula.

Our color-cosmetic customers like to use Dimethicone for several projects:

• to make a makeup primer
• to turn their loose powder makeup into a "pressed powder" (see other blog post)
• to improve the slip, shine and feel of a lipstick or lip gloss

Dimethicone does not dissolve in water and doesn't really like to dissolve in castor or jojoba oil, either! It can be added to a formula which uses some kind of emulsyfing agent, however. Dimethicone will dissolve into such things as essential oils.

Below is a recipe for a pressed powder using dimethicone.

To make a pressed powder, you will need:

• Some kind of powder to press (some blend that you have created for eye shadow, foundation or blush)
• A binder of some kind (recipes below)
• Something to press into (you can press into a small jar, or in to a compact or a cosmetic tin)
• Something to press with (you can use your thumbs, a coin, or something more sophisticated which you make up.

Binder recipes can be very simple. Here are three:

• 2 parts dimethicone, 2 parts fractionated coconut oil, 1 part jojoba oil
• 1 part dimethicone, 1 part fractionated coconut oil
• 1 part dimethicone, 1 part jojoba oil, 2 parts alcohol.

Simply shake the binder in a bottle and then either squeeze or spray it onto your loose powders. Then stir or mix together. I like to put everything in a plastic bag and mush it around.

You will use about 10-15% binder to 85-90% color. Said another way, 1/2 teaspoon binder to 1 tablespoon powder. You want the powder to be damp and pressable.

Once the ingredients are mixed together, spoon them into their container and press. I suggest you cover the surface of the powder with some plastic wrap and then press with something firm such as your fingers, or a coin wrapped in plastic. If you really get into it, you can come up with your own devices using c-clamps and other hardware.