Alcohol

moisturising
skin barrier disruption dryness irritation

overview

Fatty alcohols, such as cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol, are beneficial for the skin. They act as thickeners and emulsifiers in cleansing lotions and moisturizers, helping to lock moisture into the skin and form a protective barrier. On the other hand, simple alcohols like SD alcohol 40, denatured alcohol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol can be detrimental to the skin's health. They disrupt the skin's natural barrier, leading to dryness, irritation, and increased oiliness. Denatured alcohol is a type of simple alcohol that is made by adding toxic additives to ethanol, making it unfit for human consumption.

benefits

Fatty alcohols, such as cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol, are beneficial for the skin. They act as thickeners and emulsifiers in cleansing lotions and moisturizers, helping to lock moisture into the skin and form a protective barrier. Vitamins A1 (retinol) and E are actually alcohols, too, and are beneficial to the skin's overall surface.

Skin suitability

Fatty alcohols are suitable for all skin types, including dehydrated skin.

concerns

Simple alcohols in skincare can cause dryness, irritation, disruption of the skin's microbiome and barrier, and increased oiliness. They can also contribute to premature aging of the skin. Denatured alcohol is sometimes perceived as irritating and drying.

precautions

Avoid using skincare products that contain simple alcohols as a main ingredient, especially if you have sensitive skin. Look for products that contain fatty alcohols, which are beneficial for the skin.

source

Fatty alcohols are derived from fats. Denatured alcohol is obtained by fermenting sugar starch (beet or sugar cane) or by synthesis.

CIR

NA

EWG

NA

additional info

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are an exception to the rule, as they serve a necessary health-protecting purpose. However, it's important to use soap and water for hand hygiene whenever possible. Ethyl alcohol is sometimes denatured to prevent illegal diversion for use as an alcoholic beverage. Denatured ethyl alcohol may appear in the ingredient listing under several different names, such as SD Alcohol (which stands for "specially denatured alcohol"), followed by a number or a number-letter combination that indicates how the alcohol was denatured. The term "Alcohol Denat." was introduced in Europe as a generic term for denatured alcohol in the interest of harmonizing ingredient names internationally. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are well-tolerated and associated with better acceptability and tolerance than other hand hygiene products. Allergic contact dermatitis attributable to alcohol-based handrubs is very uncommon. Frequent handwashing leads to progressive depletion of surface lipids with resulting deeper action of detergents into the superficial skin layers. Lipid-dissolving alcohols can cause dryness and skin irritation. Ethanol tends to be less irritating than n-propanol or isopropanol. Denatured alcohol is a type of simple alcohol that is made by adding toxic additives to ethanol, making it unfit for human consumption.