“Alcohol” word become familiar to us in 2020. And the COVID-19 situation comes into more limelight as the doctor suggested washing hands with alcohol-packed sanitizer because it has antimicrobial activity. It is not just confined to antimicrobial properties, it is more than that!
Have you noticed a trend going on “skincare products without alcohol” especially in the beauty industry? Yes, because alcohol is used in the cosmeceutical industry, it has never been taken into consideration until researchers make it clear that alcohol as a main ingredient in any skincare product is a problem. But the fact is many of us don’t get them or understand them. We don’t know the chemistry of alcohol.
What Is Alcohol?
Alcohol is an OH− is a diatomic anion with the chemical name Hydroxide which makes a covalent bond with the Carbon chain to form alcohol compounds like ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, Methanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, and Behenyl alcohol. These compounds are used in many haircare, skincare, and body care products- Shampoo, Conditioners, Creams, Toner, Gel, Serum, Hair Sprays, Dry Shampoo, Soap, and many more.
However, the use of alcohol in the skincare and haircare industry is always a debatable issue. If you noticed the line “skincare products without alcohol” do you ever think about what kind of alcohol-free the brand is saying. Yes, this is a valid question to ask from the brand because we have 2 types of alcohol- Bad Alcohol and Good Alcohol. Let’s take a glance at what are they:
Is alcohol bad for your skin?
The unsafe alcohols in some skincare products are linear alcohol or denatured alcohols, which are created using petroleum-based ingredients. Alcohol is not something that you want on your skin or in your bloodstream. These not-so-skin-friendly alcohols include ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, alcohol denature, and methanol.
Ok! What About Good Alcohol
These good, fatty alcohols are usually solid, pearly white wax pieces and are used to help emulsify cosmetics (i.e. they help hold the product together so the oil and water don’t separate). They’re not drying or irritating to your skin at all. They have the opposite effect. They act as emollients that protect your skin and help it keep moisture in. Compounds like- Cetearyl, Stearyl, Cetyl, and Behenyl alcohol are the most common so if you find them in an ingredient list you have nothing to worry about.
- Alcohol Dries Out The Skin
Because it evaporates rapidly, skin contact time with denatured alcohol is very short. These short-chain compounds are used in super light gels and creams for oily skin. These types of volatile alcohols give products a quick-drying finish, immediately degrease the skin, and feel weightless on the skin, so it’s easy to see their appeal, especially for those with oily skin. But those short-term benefits end up with negative long-term consequences.
And the consequences include dryness & disruption of the surface of the skin's microbiome and barrier (the latter being especially bad for skin), and a strain on how skin replenishes, renews, and rejuvenates itself. Alcohol just weakens everything about the skin.
- Short-Chain Alcohols Make Breakout Worst
If your skin is oily, it can be tempting to use alcohol based products because they provide an immediate matte finish, essentially de-greasing the "oil slick”. The irony of using alcohol based products to control oily skin is that the damage from alcohol can lead to an increase in bumps and enlarged pores.
3. Dry Shampoos May Cause Irreversible Damage
Unfortunately, some styling products, like aerosol-based products, i.e., hair sprays can’t be made without using some of these types of alcohols. When hair is dry and has been styled, you don’t want a hair spray that is too wet because it will interfere with your style. Alcohols dry quickly. And persistent use of these styling sprays makes your hair lifeless.
- Long-Chain Alcohol Can Cause Acne:
Just because something is plant-derived doesn’t mean it’s harmless. “We think that if something says ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ or ‘plant-derived,’ that it’ll uniformly be healthy or good for us. If you are oily with acne-prone skin, this long-chain fatty alcohol irritates the skin or clogs pores, and eventually, your skin condition gets worse and you will get prone to acne.
BIOAYURVEDA has exotic herbal skincare products that rescue your skin from alcohol. Use BIOAYURVEDA Acne Balance Moisturiser Face Creme along with the alcohol and salicylic acid-free BIOAYURVEDA Acne Protective Face Wash.
- Short Chain Alcohol Havoc On Your Hair
Especially After Frequent or Prolonged Use–Do you ever feel like your hair is always hard and brittle, no matter how much conditioner you use? Chances are, it’s caused by the alcohol in your alcohol-based shampoo. Hair becomes brittle and weak due to the excessive dryness from the use of alcohol in the shampoo. If you want hair, that’s naturally bouncy, full of life, and soft, you need to look for a shampoo that doesn’t use alcohol.
We recommend you to try BIOAYURVEDA Forest Absolute Fortifying Nourishment Shampoo to prevent your hair from alcohol misuse.
- Dry Shampoos May Cause Irreversible Damage
Unfortunately, some styling products, like aerosol-based products, i.e., hair sprays can’t be made without using some of these types of alcohols. When hair is dry and has been styled, you don’t want a hair spray that is too wet because it will interfere with your style. Alcohols dry quickly. And persistent use of these styling sprays makes your hair lifeless.
- Body Soaps remove the body's natural oil
The “Antibacterial body soap” leaves your skin dry and patchy because they contain a strong surfactant and single-chain alcohol that remove all your body’s natural oil and leave your skin dry. Even a few body wash strips away too many of the skin's natural oils.
If you want to treat your body with a touch of nature, then try BIOAYURVEDA Baby Ultra Gentle Head & Body Wash. It gives smooth and deep moisture & nourished skin.
- Alcohol Can Give Serious Health Issue
The most toxic ingredient in perfumes, colognes, and aftershaves is ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. The scented ingredients in perfume are infused into these alcohols as a way of preserving and stabilizing the product’s desired scent. These alcohols are toxic and may cause symptoms if swallowed in amounts greater than 30 milliliters. Be careful while using them and keep them away from children’s reach.
Therefore, the use of alcohol is a questionable issue as they are defined as “Is alcohol bad for your skin” and “Good for your skin”. The use of bad alcohol makes your skin dry, whereas the use of good alcohol moisturizes your skin. So before jumping on to the conclusion look at the packaging ingredient list and check which alcohol has been mentioned. Bad alcohol ends with the name “-ol” and good alcohol ends with “-yl”.
If you want to find an alternative to alcohol, then go natural because “natural is good”. And BIOAYURVEDA is excelling to provide short-chain alcohol free skincare, haircare products, and Body care products.
Our products not only alcohol free skincare but also free from silicones, free from paraben, phthalates, sulfates, formaldehyde, and those ingredients which are possibly dangerous for the skin. To check our enlist ingredients just visit our site https://bioayurveda.com
