What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Silicone safe on skin (left on)?

Q: Is silicone safe on skin (left on)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, silicone on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. 3 sourced concerns count (environmental, consensus tier; endocrine, emerging tier; irritant · allergen, emerging tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

1 use researched4 sourced claims

Detox My Life researched silicone under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, left on	Low	Watch	Watch	3 · 0 · +1

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog has no entry tied to this ingredient yet. When you scan a product that contains it, the app suggests cleaner alternative types for that product; the swap categories list what the catalog covers today.

On skin, left on Watch

Under the default Cautious lens silicone on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Low; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Watch. Researched 2026-09-04.

Sourced concerns (3)

ConsensusEnvironmentalconfidence 100%

The European Union has restricted the use of cyclotetrasiloxane (D4), cyclopentasiloxane (D5), and cyclohexasiloxane (D6) in leave-on cosmetic products to a maximum concentration of 0.1% by weight, with these restrictions applying from June 6, 2027, due to their classification as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) substances.

Why here: These specific cyclic silicones are used in leave-on cosmetics, and their environmental persistence and bioaccumulation properties are the basis for the regulatory restrictions.
What would have to be true: Dermal exposure from leave-on cosmetic products containing D4, D5, or D6 at concentrations equal to or greater than 0.1% by weight.

Sources the engine cites:

New Restrictions to D4, D5 and D6 – REACH amendment — CRITICAL CATALYST (2024) · regulator or public body
1 web article (BeautyMatter), linked in the app.

EmergingEndocrineconfidence 70%

Animal studies have linked cyclic methyl-siloxanes, particularly D4 and D5, to potential endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity, with D4 showing low estrogenic activity and D5 disrupting follicle growth and hormonal balances.

Why here: While research on human health is ongoing, the possibility of hormonal effects is a concern for regular users of leave-on products containing these silicones, as dermal absorption can lead to systemic exposure.
What would have to be true: Regular dermal exposure to leave-on cosmetic products containing D4 or D5.
The other side: The Global Silicones Council states that scientific evidence indicates D4 does not behave like an endocrine disruptor and does not exhibit sufficient estrogenic activity to produce adverse effects in humans or the environment. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel considers D5 safe for cosmetic use, noting that a 2012 study found D5 is not absorbed into the skin.

Sources the engine cites:

Toxicokinetic Profiles and Potential Endocrine Disruption Effects at the Reproductive Level Promoted by Siloxanes Used in Consumer Products - PubMed (2024) · regulator or public body
Understanding the Toxicology and Health Impacts of Silicones — newtopsilicone.com (2023) · review
1 web article (Healthline), linked in the app.

EmergingIrritant · allergenconfidence 80%

Silicones, particularly in leave-on formulations, can form an occlusive barrier on the skin that may trap moisture, oil, and debris, potentially leading to clogged pores, blackheads, acne breakouts, or irritation for some individuals, especially those with oily, acne-prone, or sensitive skin.

Why here: Leave-on products containing silicones remain on the skin for extended periods, and their occlusive nature can interfere with natural skin processes and potentially exacerbate certain skin conditions.
What would have to be true: Dermal exposure from leave-on cosmetic products containing silicones, particularly in individuals with sensitive, oily, or acne-prone skin.

Sources the engine cites:

Understanding the Toxicology and Health Impacts of Silicones — newtopsilicone.com (2023) · review

Shown only in the Based lens (1)

Fringe claims: hypotheses and commentary that are not scientific consensus, each shown with the other side.

Fringe · not consensusEnvironmentalconfidence 60%

Some commentators and advocacy groups, such as Beat the Microbead, argue that while silicones are chemically distinct from hydrocarbon plastics, they share similar environmental concerns regarding persistence and accumulation, leading to them being grouped with microplastics by some broader definitions, though this is not scientific consensus.

Why here: Silicones in leave-on products can eventually enter the environment through washing off or disposal, contributing to environmental persistence.
What would have to be true: Environmental release of silicones from cosmetic products.
The other side: Under the standard definition, microplastics are small particles of synthetic carbon-chain polymers, and silicones, with their silicon-oxygen backbone, are not considered microplastics and do not appear in microplastic counts.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

1 community or commercial page, not counted here.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for silicone when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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