Alcohol Misconceptions

A lot of misinformation and misconceptions about the term 'alcohol' used in haircare and skincare products is perpetuated across the internet and social media.

Cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, cetearyl stearyl and behenyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, white, waxy, solid materials in the form of flakes. They are typically derived from coconut and are solids at room temperature; therefore, they must be melted for use in cosmetic formulations.

Mainly used as conditioning agents in hair and skin products or as a thickener and/or emulsifier to emulsify oils into water in creams, conditioners, treatments, face, hand and body lotions.

People often misinterpret the above-mentioned alcohols when reading ingredient listings, as these alcohols ARE NOT drying; instead, they are actually conditioning to hair and skin.

Regular alcohol (ethyl alcohol) is one of the most common alcohols used in cosmetics and is also referred to as 'ethanol', 'SD alcohol', 'alcohol denat' or simply 'alcohol' on some haircare and cosmetic ingredient listings.

Ethanol is typically derived from sugars, mostly from corn and sugarcane. It is a liquid at room temperature. An important characteristic of alcohol (ethanol), which is vital to manufacturing hairsprays, styling products and facial toners, is that it evaporates much more rapidly than water. The fast-drying activity of alcohol allows the fixative to be sprayed onto the surface of hair without 'wetting' the hair and ruining the style.

In the case of hairsprays, the alcohol (ethanol) used is the vehicle to deposit the fixative on hair. In such formulations, the percentage of ethanol would be from 10% to 30%. The amount of alcohol sprayed onto hair is minimal and will not cause a drying or damaging effect with typical use​.