BUTTER-C
Signature ingredients
Dimethicone hair serum OEM/ODM manufacturing
Dimethicone Hair Serum · Signature Ingredients · OEM/ODM
Dimethicone (polydimethylsiloxane) is a linear silicone, described by the CIR Expert Panel as a mixture of fully methylated linear siloxane polymers (Nair, 2003). It is a familiar ingredient in "dry oil" style hair serums: a 2025 narrative review describes silicones as forming a film on the hair shaft, reducing friction and enhancing shine, while noting that water-insoluble silicones can build up on the hair (Carvalho et al., 2025). CIR concluded that dimethicone is safe in cosmetics (2003), and the 2022 re-review concluded it is safe when formulated to be non-irritating, except for airbrush application. Dimethicone has no entry in ASEAN Annexes II, III, VI or VII; the banned substance is D4, a different, cyclic silicone (Annex II, Ref 1388). What sets this page apart from the general (water-based) hair serum page: with dimethicone as the named ingredient, the formula has to answer three questions of its own — which carrier to use (D5 is restricted in the EU for leave-on cosmetics after 6 June 2027 for environmental reasons), how to control cyclic silicone residues, and how much film to leave on the hair for smoothness without greasiness. Claims stay at the sensory level: soft, smooth, glossy, easy-to-comb hair once assessed on the finished product. Butter-C offers turnkey OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formula development and testing to labeled finished goods and the notification dossier.
Formula base
Dimethicone forms the film, the carrier sets how light it feels
A dimethicone serum is usually anhydrous (water-free): the film-forming part stays on the hair, while the carrier lets a few drops spread over the whole head of hair. A water-based milky version can be added for fine hair.
Dimethicone: the main film former
A polymer supplied in many viscosity grades, all under the same INCI name "Dimethicone": high viscosity gives a thicker, glossier film; low viscosity spreads more thinly. The 2003 CIR report notes that the dimethicones mainly function as conditioning agents, at use concentrations of up to 15% at that time; the 2022 re-review records reported use of up to 85% in leave-on products — survey figures, not a limit or a recommendation. No entry in ASEAN Annexes II, III, VI or VII.
Carrier: linear silicone, D5, hydrocarbon or ester
Low-viscosity dimethicone (still a linear silicone); Cyclopentasiloxane (D5), a cyclic silicone that evaporates from skin and hair within 4–12 hours according to SCCS; Isododecane, a volatile hydrocarbon that is not a silicone; or light esters such as Coco-Caprylate/Caprate and Dicaprylyl Carbonate. Each group differs in feel, volatility and solvency, so they are not one-for-one swaps.
Secondary silicones for slip and shine
Dimethiconol is often supplied predissolved at 10–40% in cyclic silicone or 10–30% in dimethicone (CIR 2017), so the full INCI of the blend must be listed. Phenyl Trimethicone has a refractive index of 1.459, higher than dimethicone (1.4000–1.4035); shine data so far come from laboratory hair tresses, with no trials in people.
Supporting oil, antioxidant, fragrance
A plant oil can be added for the story (for example argan oil — see its own page), in which case Tocopherol is needed against rancidity. Fragrance is optional; a hair serum is a leave-on product, and for EU export fragrance allergens are named above 0.001% — ASEAN Annex III leaves entries 67–92 blank, so this is an EU rule, not an ASEAN one.
Key technical points
Film on the hair, buildup, cyclic silicones and naming
The four points below are specific to dimethicone as the named ingredient; general hair serum principles are on the hair serum page.
The film sits on the surface; it does not "nourish from within"
Dimethicone is charge neutral (Rushton et al., 1994) and insoluble in water (formulation knowledge); because of its large molecular weight, CIR considered significant skin absorption unlikely. The 2025 review mentions silicones helping hair limit moisture loss, but its abstract gives no measurements (Carvalho et al., 2025); on skin, in a study of 26 young women, silicone excipient films were permeable to water vapor and did not moisturize, unlike petrolatum (De Paepe et al., 2014). This page therefore does not say "locks moisture into hair": what dimethicone does is give slip, shine and easier combing at the fiber surface.
Greasiness and buildup depend on the amount used
A 1994 technology description of 2-in-1 shampoos states that the next wash removes previously deposited dimethicone, so it does not build up; the 2025 review, by contrast, notes that water-insoluble silicones can accumulate and need stronger surfactants to remove, and that overusing clarifying shampoos can dry the hair. A serum stays on the hair, so Butter-C tunes the share of high-viscosity dimethicone to the hair type, chooses a low-dose pump and writes directions for the lengths and ends.
Cyclic silicones: banned, restricted and residual
D4 (Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane) is in ASEAN Annex II, Ref 1388 — it must not be present in cosmetics. D5 has no ASEAN entry, but under Regulation (EU) 2024/1328 (REACH Annex XVII, entry 70), leave-on cosmetics containing 0.1% or more of D4, D5 or D6 (each substance) may not be placed on the EU market after 6 June 2027, for environmental reasons. Residues from low-viscosity dimethicone, predissolved dimethiconol and silicone emulsions must be added in, so each raw material COA states D4, D5 and D6.
No spray format; a name that matches the ingredient list
CIR 2022 found insufficient data for dimethicone applied by airbrush, and SCCS excluded aerosol hair styling sprays from its D5 safety conclusion — sprays are outside this product's scope. Ingredients on the notification are listed in descending order: D5 or isododecane versions usually put the carrier first, while the dimethicone-based version puts "Dimethicone" first, matching the product name.
Three formulation directions
Three types of dimethicone hair serum
Anhydrous dimethicone base, no cyclic silicones
Low-viscosity dimethicone as the carrier, high-viscosity dimethicone and dimethiconol (the grade predissolved in dimethicone) as film formers, Phenyl Trimethicone for shine. With no D5, one formula can be sold in both ASEAN and the EU, provided COAs show D4, D5 and D6 residues below the threshold. The dry-down feels different from a D5 serum and is settled by sensory testing; total dimethicone above CIR's reported 85% is assessed separately in the PIF.
Anhydrous serum with a volatile carrier
D5 gives the familiar quick dry-down — for products sold in ASEAN, with D4 impurity checked. Isododecane replaces D5 when cyclic silicones must go: CIR 2012 concluded it is safe in the present practices of use, though it can irritate under occlusion; there are no data showing it is "safer than D5". Isododecane is a flammable liquid (most classification notifications to ECHA list H226), so it is weighed and mixed in closed vessels without open heating.
Water-based milky serum
A preformed dimethicone emulsion with a cationic conditioner (Behentrimonium Methosulfate), Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin and Panthenol; lighter, suited to fine hair that gets greasy easily. The emulsion's full INCI is listed from the supplier (emulsifiers, cyclic silicone residues); with water present it needs a preservative system and challenge testing.
Packaging is designed together with the formula
Low-dose pump or dropper cap to dispense just a few drops. D5 and isododecane can swell some plastics and gaskets and be lost through the closure — compatibility is tested on samples. No spray heads, no aerosol cans.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
These are the parameters Butter-C monitors during formula development and scale-up. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product's in-house specification.
- Silicone incoming inspection
- Batch COA: full INCI (including predissolved blends), viscosity, D4, D5 and D6 content; no D4 for ASEAN goods and a check against the 0.1% threshold for EU goods.
- Clarity and homogeneity
- No haze or separation between silicones, esters and oils after cold storage and freeze–thaw cycling; color and odor against the reference sample.
- Viscosity and spreading
- Measured at 25°C; sets how many drops a head of hair needs and how it feels on application.
- Evaporation loss
- For D5 or isododecane versions: weight tracked across stability time points in the final pack.
- Hair tress evaluation
- Combing force, shine and frizz on hair tresses; the basis for "easy to comb" and "glossy" on the label.
- Greasiness on repeated use
- In-use test over several consecutive days: greasy roots, heaviness, how clean hair is after one wash.
- Microbiology
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; anhydrous versions get a microbiological risk assessment under ISO 29621, water-based versions a preservative efficacy test under ISO 11930.
- Packaging compatibility
- Swelling of plastics and gaskets, pump leaks, sticking dropper caps.
Claims
Sensory-level claims with data notes
Dimethicone's hair data in the sources we checked are a 1994 technology description of 2-in-1 shampoos and a 2025 narrative review (one author has consulting ties to industry); there is no controlled trial in people using a dimethicone serum. Appendix 03-MP (Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT) does not accept "restores hair cells/follicles", "thickens the hair shaft", "prevents hair loss" or "stimulates hair growth". Butter-C reviews the wording on the label and in marketing materials when preparing the notification dossier.
Leaves hair soft, smooth and easy to comb, with less frizz (once assessed on the finished product)
Instead of: restores damaged hair, rebuilds hair structure, nourishes hair from the root.
Hair looks glossier (once assessed on the finished product)
Describes a surface effect of the film. Instead of: "permanent shine", untested shine percentages.
Helps reduce breakage from combing, only when breakage testing on the finished product supports it
Instead of: prevents hair loss, stimulates hair growth, thickens the hair shaft. Heavy, prolonged or patchy hair loss needs a dermatologist.
Protects hair during blow-drying, only after testing on hair tresses exposed to heat
No temperature stated unless tested. Instead of: "prevents heat damage" without data.
About "silicones make hair greasy and cause hair loss"
Greasiness and buildup depend on the amount used and how hair is washed (see the technical points); the sources we read contain no data on silicones and hair loss, so this page makes no statement either way. Instead of: "never builds up", "non-greasy for every hair type", any statement linking silicones and hair loss in either direction.
Label reminders
Apply a small amount to the lengths and ends, keeping it off the roots and scalp; avoid the eyes; stop if the scalp, forehead or nape turns red or itchy; pregnant or breastfeeding women should ask a doctor if concerned (the reproductive data in the CIR report are animal data); close after use; spilled serum makes floors slippery, so wipe it up. These are practical suggestions; the label text is agreed with you.
Manufacturing specifications
Available capabilities
- Formats
- Anhydrous dimethicone-based serum, anhydrous serum with a volatile carrier, or water-based milky serum.
- Pack types
- Glass or plastic bottles with a low-dose pump or dropper cap. Volume agreed when selecting packaging.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order, depending on formula direction, target market and pack type.
- Testing
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, with a certificate of analysis supplied with every batch.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and notification dossier prepared by Butter-C, with silicone COAs stating D4, D5 and D6 and a cyclic silicone residue calculation for EU export.
- Packaging
- Label design with pump count, application area and an eye-contact reminder; printing and packing run in parallel with formulation.
Suggested product concept
Cyclosiloxane-free dimethicone serum, one formula for two markets
A concept to help you picture the product, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is built around your brand positioning and price range.
Dimethicone in two viscosity grades
The low-viscosity grade as carrier, the high-viscosity grade as film former; "Dimethicone" heads the ingredient list, matching the product name.
Dimethiconol and Phenyl Trimethicone
Extra slip and shine; dimethiconol predissolved in dimethicone rather than in D5 keeps the version free of cyclic silicones.
Tocopherol, fragrance-free or lightly fragranced
A fragrance-free version for people sensitive to fragrance; a salon fragrance means declaring fragrance allergens for the target market.
50 ml low-dose pump bottle
A small amount per pump; the label gives a suggested number of pumps by hair length and says to apply to lengths and ends only.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type can target very different customers. Tell us your requirements in the areas below and our pharmacists will build the formula accordingly.
Carrier
Low-viscosity dimethicone, D5, isododecane or light esters — this sets the dry-down, where the product can be sold and the ingredient list.
Target market
ASEAN only, or EU export as well — this decides whether cyclic silicones can be used and which residue documents are needed.
Hair type
Fine hair that gets greasy easily, thick dry frizzy hair, permed or colored hair — the share of high-viscosity dimethicone and the suggested dose are tuned accordingly.
Supporting ingredients
Argan oil, camellia oil or no added oil; plant oils need an antioxidant and light-protective packaging.
Texture
Clear anhydrous serum or a lighter water-based milky serum.
Fragrance and packaging
Fragrance-free, light or salon fragrance; pump or dropper, glass or plastic.
Further reading
Related knowledge
Dimethicone in cosmetics
Film-forming mechanism, CIR safety conclusions, how it differs from D4 and D5, and ASEAN regulation (in Vietnamese).
Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) in cosmetics
Consumer safety and EU restrictions for environmental reasons; the 2020 and 2027 milestones (in Vietnamese).
Hair serum OEM/ODM manufacturing
General page: water-based milk or gel serums with cationic conditioners, proteins and film-forming polymers.
Argan hair oil OEM/ODM manufacturing
A named plant oil in a silicone or ester base — another direction if you want an oil story.
Isododecane in cosmetics
The volatile hydrocarbon often used instead of D5: properties, safety, flammability in the plant (in Vietnamese).
Hair loss and hair breakage
What hair-shaft care can do and hair claims under Appendix 03-MP (in Vietnamese).
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details →
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