Silicones have shaped the texture of modern beauty.
They make creams glide, primers blur, hair serums shine, sunscreens spread evenly and colour cosmetics feel lighter than their pigment load suggests.
For years, they were the quiet performance engine behind ‘premium feel’.
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The new question for brands is no longer whether silicones work – they do.
The question is whether the next generation of beauty can achieve the same sensory standard with ingredients that better match today’s expectations on sustainability and transparency as well as regulatory resilience.
This is why natural silicone alternatives are moving from niche claim to strategic formulation priority.
In Europe, the regulatory signal is clear: D5 and D6 will be restricted above 0.1% in all cosmetic products from June 2027, including leave-on products [1].
This does not mean every silicone disappears from beauty, but it does change the risk calculation for brands.
It pushes product developers to ask whether they want to reformulate reactively, ingredient by ingredient, or proactively build new sensory systems less exposed to future scrutiny.
Natural selection
The trend is also commercial. The global natural personal care ingredients market was valued at US$5.3bn in 2023 and is projected to reach $7.9bn by 2028, growing at 8.3% CAGR [2], according to MarketsandMarkets.
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