Smoothing

Ingredients with smoothing function make the surface of the skin or hair smoother and more pleasant to the touch. In cosmetics, they help to reduce the feeling of dryness, roughness and "clinging", and on hair — to reduce tangling, add softness and a more neat appearance. This is especially important for care formulas, because such substances not only improve sensory properties, but can also affect the distribution of the product: it glides easier on the skin, is applied more evenly and leaves a more comfortable finish. In the CosIng database of the European Commission, the smoothing function is highlighted as a separate cosmetic role of ingredients, and the FDA also notes that some cosmetic components are used to make skin and hair smoother and at the same time affect the texture of the product. (single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu)

Silicones and similar softening agents often have this effect. For example, Dimethicone is used as a conditioning component for skin and hair: it forms a very thin sliding film, due to which the surface feels smoother and the product is easier to distribute. Cyclomethicone is known as a volatile silicone with a good surface distribution: it helps to spread the formula quickly and subtly, gives an easy glide and reduces the stickiness of heavy formulations. Therefore, ingredients with this function can be found not only in creams and serums, but also in primers, balms, conditioners and styling products, where smoothness, softness and a more "polished" feeling after application are important. (pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)