The short answer is: Yes! Most of the alcohol used in cosmetics can cause skin irritation , dryness, and barrier damage. However, the effect strongly depends on your skin type, other ingredients in the product, as well as alcohol concentration.
Not necessarily, as alcohols come at different concentrations and in a combination of different ingredients. For instance, while people with sensitive skin, dermatitis, or rosacea may find alcohol highly irritating, people with dry skin may actually benefit from the moisturizing effect of fatty alcohols.
Your email address will not be published. If you freeze water, what do you get? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This article is medically reviewed on July 19, by:. Personalize this article! Read the whole article. For many years cosmetic manufacturers have marketed certain cosmetic products that do not contain ethyl alcohol also known as ethanol, or grain alcohol as "alcohol free.
This can lead to some confusion among consumers when they check the ingredient listings on cosmetic labels to determine alcohol content. In cosmetic labeling, the term " alcohol ," used by itself, refers to ethyl alcohol. Yet one look at the ingredients list and you may be confused, as your product may include fatty alcohols like cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl, or lanolin alcohol. Those are an entirely different category. Another category of alcohol is fatty alcohols. These include cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol, which are derived from fats.
While it can be a source of contact dermatitis , when specifically formulated, it can actually be gentle, even for wounded skin, according to a study published in October in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. The research looked at the effects of applying a wound-healing ointment containing a specially formulated lanolin alcohol; of the nearly people analyzed, none developed a contact allergy to the product.
If you find that your skin is sensitive to products that contain alcohol, consider that the source of the irritation may not be alcohol at all, Fine points out. These may include certain preservatives like parabens and fragrances, according to DermNet NZ. To know if your product has a paraben, look for ingredients that end in "-paraben," like methylparaben and butylparaben.
Hair dyes and using wet wipes on your face can also trigger irritation, shows a study published in June in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. In high concentrations or with heavy use, solvent-type alcohols can be pretty drying and irritating.
Most of them are derived from vegetable sources, often coconut or palm oil, which means they come with all the same asterisks as other plant, seed, or nut oils—a tendency to irritate skin or clog pores, in particular. Plus, plant oils— especially coconut and palm oils—are pretty great at clogging pores. If you think the alcohol in your products might be a culprit, talk to a dermatologist about whether or not it makes sense for you to switch to something new.
Here are some basic ground rules to keep in mind:. Zampella says, such as ethyl alcohol. For dry skin: People with dry skin should look for products with higher molecular weight alcohols that give a more moisturizing feel, like cetyl and stearyl.
For sensitive skin: Those with sensitive skin—especially those with eczema—should use caution when it comes to all alcohols. They may find that even those moisturizing, high molecular weight alcohols are irritating.
In that case, Dr.
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