Alcohol in Skincare Products: Is it that bad?

When it comes to alcohol, all of us know that it is a substance derived from yeast fermentation in many edible fruits and grains.

It is known as toxic liquid, leading to several severe health problems.

How about alcohol in cosmetics which we use every single day? Do alcohol-based products badly affect our skins and bodies?

1. Alcohol in cosmetics: What exactly is that?

First, the alcohol used in cosmetics is denatured alcohol ( also ethanol/ethyl alcohol), containing additional chemicals called denaturants to make it unfit for human consumption, and it is often mixed with plasticizers.

In cosmetics labeling, the term “alcohol,” used by itself, refers to ethyl alcohol.

2. Role of alcohol in skincare products

• Acts as a preservative in several products.

• A solvent that helps to form a homogeneous composite.

• Improves products texture, create a light and dry feeling after applying.

• Facilitates the penetration of active ingredients into layers of the skin.

3. Good Alcohol vs. Bad Alcohol

Not all alcohol are bad for our skins. In fact, alcohol is classified into two types:

• Fatty alcohol: Cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, lanolin alcohol,…

  • These alcohols are obtained from fatty acids in plants.

  • Fatty alcohol is mild, and do not cause acne, pimple, blackheads, and non-irritating.

  • Helps skin remain moisture, make it softer and suppler.

• Drying alcohol (monohydric alcohols): Alcohol denat, ethanol denat, ethyl alcohol, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, SD alcohol and benzyl alcohol,…

  • Create quick-drying finish, immediately degrease skin, and leave a weightless feeling.

  • They do worsen breakouts, cause dryness and irritation.

4. Why is alcohol ill-reputed?

Alcohol dries out and irritates skin; Alcohol causes redness, burning sensation, pimples, acne,…; Alcohol destroys natural skin barrier; And a lot more reasons.

It is understandable, since many consumers have terrible experiences when using alcohol-based products. However, this is the case for ethanol, not fatty alcohol.

5. Conclusion

In short, just remember that: avoid using denatured alcohol, and fatty alcohol is accepted.

There are a few noticeable notes:

• Always check ingredient list before buying skincare products to find position of bad alcohol.

  • If it appears in top four or five of the list, it means that the concentration is high. You’d better switch to another choices, especially who own sensitive skin type.

  • If it is in the middle or bottom of the list, it is barely harmful, since concentration is very low. Unless irritation appears, you can still use those products.

• Products labelled “alcohol-free” do not mean that they contain no alcohol. They just do not have bad alcohol, but may have fatty (good) alcohol instead.