Dimethicone is a silicone based ingredient widely used in skincare and makeup to create a smooth, silky texture and a light, breathable barrier on the skin's surface.
Unlike heavier occlusive ingredients, dimethicone forms a barrier with tiny gaps that still allow some air and moisture vapor through while measurably reducing water loss from skin.
Safety review panels that have evaluated decades of research on dimethicone and related silicones have found it to be non irritating, non comedogenic, and safe for long term use in cosmetics. It is also frequently used in barrier repair creams for sensitive or compromised skin because it helps protect the surface without feeling heavy or greasy.
Dimethicone References
Amended Safety Assessment of Dimethicone, Methicone, and Substituted Methicone Polymers, Cosmetic Ingredient Review, 2022
Barrier Products for Topical Delivery, Insight into Efficacy Testing and Barrier Boosting Compounds, 2024
Our team reviews ingredient research and uses up-to-date evidence to rate ingredients based on the categories below.
Best
Ingredients with the most rigorous and convincing evidence. These are the standouts backed by consistent findings across independent, peer reviewed clinical research.. When we call an ingredient Best, it has earned that distinction through genuine, reproducible proof that it improves skin.
Good
Reliable, well tolerated ingredients that do their job without complaint. They may not carry the headline benefits of a Best rated active, but they hydrate, stabilize a formula, or support the ingredients around them in ways that make a real difference in how a product performs and feels.
Average
Ingredients that are perfectly safe and serve a clear function, typically as an emollient, thickener, or filler, but do not offer any meaningful skin benefit beyond that basic job. Not a red flag, just not a reason to choose one product over another.
Bad/Worst
Ingredients with documented potential to irritate skin, disrupt the barrier, or trigger sensitization in some users, often synthetic fragrance, drying forms of alcohol, or certain essential oils. Not automatically a dealbreaker for every skin type, but worth knowing about before you commit to a product.
