PHENYL TRIMETHICONE

📋 Quick facts

Description: PHENYL TRIMETHICONE — silicone, adds shine and slip.

All Functions: silicone, adds shine and slip

Quick Facts:

• Category: emollient

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• A silicone-based ingredient used in medical devices, hair care, and topical formulations
• In hair care, it’s been shown to enhance shine by smoothing the hair surface
• Used as a solvent and penetration enhancer in transdermal (through-skin) drug delivery systems
• The research on its cosmetic safety is limited; most studies focus on its technical properties rather than skincare benefits

⚗️ Chemical Overview

See also: Phenyl trimethicone (annotation moved to).

Source(s): PubChem, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Phenyl trimethicone is a silicone compound that appears across several specialized applications in research, though consumer skincare studies are sparse. Here’s what the available evidence shows:

#1: Hair shine enhancement — In hair care research, phenyl trimethicone was found to increase hair luster (shine) by reducing surface roughness, as confirmed by both instrumental measurement and consumer panel assessment (J Cosmet Sci, 2006). The study used atomic force microscopy to verify that the shine-enhancing effect correlated with smoother hair surfaces. #2: Medical device use — The ingredient was studied as a base component for heavy tamponade agents (medical fillers used in eye surgery).

When combined with silica, phenyl trimethicone formulations showed good optical clarity, appropriate flow properties for injection, and biocompatibility comparable to standard silicone oils used in ophthalmology (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2013). However, this research is about medical applications, not cosmetic skincare. #3: Transdermal penetration enhancement — Phenyl trimethicone functions as a penetration enhancer, meaning it can increase how readily substances pass through skin when applied topically. It was used as a carrier in transdermal pain management formulations (Int J Pharm Compd, 2016) and in sunscreen research (Toxicol Ind Health, 2003). Notably, the sunscreen study found that phenyl trimethicone as a solvent could actually reduce unwanted penetration of certain ingredients—suggesting its effects are context-dependent.

#4: Oil interaction — One recent study measured how phenyl trimethicone interacts with oil-absorption materials, finding it had a 9.3% adsorption rate when tested against a fullerene composite (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2024). This was mentioned as part of broader oil-control research, not as a standalone skincare benefit claim. Limitations: The sources provided contain almost no data on phenyl trimethicone’s direct effects on skin health, hydration, irritation, or typical cosmetic performance in consumer products. Most research focuses on its technical properties (viscosity, clarity, injectability) or its role as a carrier for other active ingredients. Claims about anti-aging, moisturizing, or other skincare benefits are not supported by these abstracts.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Williams RL et al. (2013). Novel heavy tamponade for vitreoretinal surgery. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci.
• Lim JM et al. (2006). A study correlating between instrumental and consumers’ subjective luster values in oriental hair tresses. J Cosmet Sci.
• Trimble J et al. (2016). Effect of Penetration Enhancers on the Percutaneous Delivery of Pain Management Actives. Int J Pharm Compd.
• Lu WW et al. (2024). A novel fullerene composite material for directional oil control and antioxidant. J Cosmet Dermatol.
• Brand RM et al. (2003). Sunscreens containing physical UV blockers can increase transdermal absorption of pesticides. Toxicol Ind Health.

🧴 Products Containing PHENYL TRIMETHICONE

• Blistex Blistex Lippenpflege Lip Infusions Hydration
• Elmiplant Skin Moisture
• Delia, Delia Cosmetics Cameleo Blond Moyen 7.0
• Henkel, Schwarzkopf Gliss Kur Hair Repair
• Idraet Pro Reti-C Retinol & Vitamin C
• Les Cosmétiques Design Paris, Nectar of Beauty Shampooing ultra nourrissant à l’huile d’olive
• qibest matte lip gloss
• MAC – Make-up art cosmetics 612 Russian Red rouge à lèvres mat
• consum Desodorante kyrey for men
• Les Cosmetiques Spray solar niños repelente de arena spf50+ sun ultimate
• MAC Studio Radiance 24HR Luminous Lift Concealer NC11
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Color Riche Matte Obsession Moka Chic
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Maybelline Color Riche Lipstick Matte Paris Cherry
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Maybelline Color Riche Lipstick Matte Haute Rouge
• Neutrogena Visibly Clear Correct & Perfect CC Crème Claire
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Color Riche Lipstick Only in Paris Shine 112
• l-oreal, Elsève Cica repair – Soins sans rinçage
• CoverGirl Trunaked Roses
• blistex silk & shine
• chapstick
• Revlon Colorstay™ Foundation 110 Ivory
• sensitive skin Aveeno
• NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
• O’Keefe’s Lip Repair
• Shiseido Future Solution LX Sérum Intensif Contours Fermeté Shiseido
• nyx nyx born to glow
• Superdrug Hairspray firm hold
• Oribe Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Crème
• Olaplex Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner
• milk_shake milk_shake Incredible Milk Leave-In Treatment
• Red One Conditioning Beard & Mustache Keratin Care Oil Hipster Style
• Revlon Delineador retráctil Colorstay
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Eyeshadow Color Queen High Potential 9
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Color Riche Color Queen Gilded Eyeshadow
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Eyeshadow Color Queen Dont’t Stop Me 17
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Eyeshadow Color Queen Iconic 39
• L’Oréal, LASCAD, Mennen Gel ultra frais anti-transpirant X-treme Ocean surf 48H
• Mennen Gel ultra-frais anti-transpirant X-Treme Pacific Blue 48H
• Casino Crème de soin nourrissante
• SEPHORA Ombre à paupières délipsable Sir yes sir! n°275