“Good” and “bad”: which alcohol should not be in cosmetics

Ethanol is one of the most controversial items on the exempt lists. Recently, it was considered a “bad, unusable” ingredient, but in fact, not everything is so simple.

“When it comes to cosmetics, we divide alcohols into two categories: plain and fatty,” explains Rachel Rempe, creator of her own personal care brand. At the same time, she notes that it is not identical to the concepts of “bad” and “good” – it all depends on specific goals.

It is their mention on the label that should be worrying: simple alcohols, also called volatile, can have a strong dehydrating effect on the skin, which leads to dullness, excess sebum, sensitivity, wrinkles and itching.

But if pure alcohol does so much damage, why even include it in the composition? The fact is that methanol, ethanol, denatured, isopropyl and benzyl alcohols are used as antibacterial agents or solvents that improve the texture of the agent.

Simple alcohols are able to absorb excess fat, they act as preservatives and help other ingredients penetrate the skin. However, long-term use of cosmetics containing simple alcohols can lead to problems – they irritate the skin and interfere with its ability to self-renew.

Here are some alcohols to avoid:

At the other end of the spectrum is the group of skin-friendly fatty alcohols, which are compounds derived from natural waxes, plants, and unrefined grains.

“They have softening and occlusive properties and make cosmetics velvety and pleasantly slippery,” says Christine Powell, founder of her own skincare brand. “Fatty alcohols also prevent dehydration of the skin, make it soft to the touch and help stabilize actives such as salicylic acid, zinc oxide and hyaluronic acid.”

Here are some alcohols that are part of the group of these superheroes of the cosmetics world:

In the end, it all depends on how you use them. Simple alcohols are not harmful if you do not constantly use the products in which they are included. However, if regular alcohol is among the first six ingredients of a daily remedy, it is best to refrain from it. Well, fatty alcohols benefit our skin in the short and long term, so you shouldn’t be afraid of them, unless it’s some individual characteristic of your skin that they are incompatible with.