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Simethicone

What Simethicone is & what it does

A silicone fluid (a form of dimethicone with added silica) used as an emollient and anti-foaming agent in sunscreens. It smooths the feel of the product, helps it spread evenly, and stops unwanted foam during manufacturing. It works on the surface to give a light, silky finish without sitting heavily on the skin.

What is Simethicone and what does it do in sunscreen?

Simethicone is a silicone fluid, a form of dimethicone combined with silica. In a sunscreen it acts as an emollient that smooths the feel and spread of the product, and it doubles as an anti-foaming agent that keeps the formula from trapping air during mixing. It works on the surface to give a light, silky finish rather than a heavy or greasy one.

Is Simethicone safe?

Yes. Simethicone is a widely used silicone that sits on the surface of the skin and is well tolerated in cosmetics. It is chemically inert, not known as a common irritant or allergen, and the same compound is used in other everyday products. At the small levels used in sunscreen it is considered a low-risk ingredient.

Does Simethicone clog pores?

Generally no. Like other silicones, Simethicone is considered low on the comedogenicity scale and is not one of the classic pore-clogging culprits. It forms a light, breathable layer rather than a heavy occlusive film. If you are prone to breakouts, the richer oils and waxes in a formula are far more likely to be the cause.

Is Simethicone the same as dimethicone?

Closely related, but not identical. Simethicone is essentially dimethicone with a small amount of silica added, which gives it its anti-foaming ability. Both are silicones that smooth texture and spread, so on an ingredient list they play similar emollient roles. The silica is what makes Simethicone especially good at controlling foam.

Is Simethicone natural?

No, it is synthetic. It is a silicone made in the lab from silicon-based building blocks, not something harvested from a plant or mineral in finished form. Synthetic here simply means engineered for a smooth feel and reliable performance, not that it is unsafe.

Sunscreens with Simethicone

We rate 140 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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