How to Get Silicone Goop Out of Your Hair

(The Science Experiment)
by Beth Skwarecki

When my hair gets frizzy, a good silicone serum is like magic. You just rub a drop on your hands, pat your hair all over, and your hair looks like a million bucks. But then you have to wash your hands afterward, which sometimes feels impossible. Silicone just does not wash out like other hair products.

So the anti-frizz serum sits on a shelf in my bathroom, mostly unused. A few days ago, my four-year-old found it.

“What’s that in your hair?” I asked. The front of his head was all wet, shiny curls. “I washed it!” he said. With what? “Hair soap!”

Our hand soap is in a green container with a pump top. The anti-frizz serum is also in a green container with a pump top. Four year olds have a vague idea that hand soap is not for hair, but they also cannot read words like “serum” or “shampoo.”

I asked my Facebook friends what gets silicone out of hair. Surely someone would know. Apple cider vinegar was the first answer, and the second, and made several more appearances as the day went on. I had my doubts, since silicone is not water soluble. Clarifying shampoo was another popular recommendation, but is there really a difference between clarifying shampoo and regular shampoo?

Crowdsourcing would not solve my problem. I needed to use science

Click here for the experiment >>