What are the advantages and disadvantages of ethanol?

The scientific name of alcohol is ethanol, and some cosmetics say that modified ethanol is added. In fact, whether it is high-grade or low-grade, it is ethanol. Even denatured ethanol is ethanol. As long as it is ethanol, the effect is the same as the risk to the skin. Let me briefly talk about the advantages and disadvantages of alcohol on the skin.

First of all, adding alcohol to cosmetics can promote the absorption of effective ingredients in cosmetics. On the one hand, because alcohol is a very good solvent, it can dissolve many inorganic substances and many organic substances. Some ingredients are difficult to dissolve in water, but can be easily dissolved in alcohol. Alcohol is also used as a solvent when extracting many plant components. Common maintenance ingredients, such as salicylic acid, lipoic acid, flavonoids, etc., have extremely low solubility in water, and almost all of them must be dissolved in alcohol before they can be added to the formula. On the other hand, alcohol is a very good penetration enhancer, which can improve the oil morphology of skin. Cosmetics added with alcohol can make the effective ingredients pass through the stratum corneum more easily and play a role, which can improve the transdermal absorption rate many times. It is precisely because it is a good solvent that it has a cleaning effect, can remove grease and dirt that are not easy to wash off, and also has a certain degreasing effect, so it is more suitable for oily skin. But alcohol can't tell good from bad, such as perfume (essential oil), preservatives, sunscreen (some chemical sunscreen), which are not good for the skin, will also be sent to the stratum corneum together. Moreover, because of its super-strong penetrability and protein-coagulating function, it can penetrate into cells, and the horniness in the stratum corneum, which plays a role in water absorption, is destroyed by alcohol, and the water absorption capacity of the skin itself will also be affected. Long-term use will damage the stratum corneum, resulting in decreased skin resistance, skin gradually losing elasticity and aging.

The second is convergence, so that pores shrink. This is because alcohol can condense protein, and the evaporation of alcohol can temporarily cool the skin, which also has a certain convergence effect. Therefore, the alcohol content in the lotion formula is large, and the pH value is mostly weakly acidic. Alcohol in skin cleansing water is also one of the key ingredients to clean dead skin. Ordinary toner also contains alcohol, making you feel refreshed. Alcohol evaporates quickly, giving you the illusion that the product is absorbed by the skin, but it all evaporates. It is precisely because of the high volatility of alcohol that it takes away the heat and moisture of the skin, reduces the natural moisturizing ability and immunity of the skin, and leads to dry and rough skin. Therefore, the use of cosmetics with high alcohol concentration also requires the use of moisturizing emollients to ensure the balance of various components on the skin surface. From this perspective, dry skin should be paid attention to.

The third is sterilization, because alcohol can coagulate bacteria protein. But we all know that alcohol has the best bactericidal effect when its concentration is 70%-75%, and it is not effective when its concentration is too high or too low. It is absolutely impossible to add so much to cosmetics, and naturally it can't achieve the sterilization effect. However, a certain concentration of alcohol can play a bacteriostatic role, so it is more suitable for skin that is prone to acne and acne.

Fourth, a small number of people are allergic to alcohol. Cosmetics containing alcohol will cause skin irritation and inflammatory reaction after being applied to the skin. Inflammation will accelerate the secretion of melanin, leading to aggravation and aging of skin pigment and irreversible spots. Therefore, sensitive skin should not use alcohol-containing cosmetics.

In fact, many cosmetics contain a small amount of alcohol, especially lotions such as cleansing and toner, while lotions, creams and essences are rare. Whether there is alcohol in cosmetics is not the standard to judge whether cosmetics are good or not, let alone whether cosmetics are true or false. Each skin type has different requirements for skin care ingredients. Neutral, mixed and oily skin has poor antibacterial and bacteriostatic ability. Appropriate alcohol addition can help the skin resist bacteria and germs, which is beneficial to the skin, such as helping to inhibit bacteria and reduce acne, and bring a comfortable feeling. Of course, if you have dry or sensitive skin, you can choose alcohol-free moisturizing cleanser, because alcohol is highly volatile and it is easy for this type of skin to feel dry. So again, what suits you is the best.

Finally, how to judge whether cosmetics contain alcohol? Everyone usually judges the alcohol content by smelling it. Although this method has certain effect, it is not very reliable. Because many products will add spices or other additives to neutralize or mask the taste of alcohol. There are also many kinds of extracted components, similar to alcohol, which are difficult to distinguish simply by smell. Therefore, if you have sensitive skin, the best way to buy alcohol-free cosmetics is to ask the shopping guide directly whether it contains alcohol.