Alcohol In Skincare Products? Get the facts.

So, we've all been there before. Making our way happily through the mall when suddenly
there it is. The latest and greatest in skin cleansers has made it's way to your friendly neighborhood department store makeup counter.The friendly sales person offers to show you how well this new cleanser works. She applies some of a competitors cleanser, wipes it off of your face and then proceeds to take a cotton pad, load it with her brand and viola' you can see how much dirt the other cleanser left behind.
Like to know what happened? What you are looking at on the second pad is actually the previous cleanser which was deposited on your face as you sat there. Then you were given a heavy dose of an alcohol based cleanser which proceeded not only to remove the cleanser but also the hydrating lipids your skin needs to stay healthy.


Don't All Skincare Products Use Alcohol?
Absolutely. There are many alcohols that quality skincare products use to either preserve their products or help them to penetrate the skin and cleanse the pores.These are innocuous fatty alcohols (with names like cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and so on), but when an ingredient label simply lists “Alcohol,” “Alcohol Denat.,” or “SD-Alcohol 40,” you can be sure that it’s the very bad kind! These types of alcohols are extremely detrimental to skin: drying it out, causing free-radical damage with continued use, and, for those with oily skin, triggering more oil production in the pore lining. Sure, it can temporarily de-grease skin, but the long term damage (and the triggering of more oil production) is not worth the short term benefit.

What to Do?
First and foremost, ask questions. Any knowledgeable skincare professional should be able to tell you all the ins and outs of their products. This goes a bit beyond "it cleans your pores". He or she should be able to design a custom skincare regimen that suits your skin's specific needs.
Next. Ask more questions. If something does or doesn't work, find out why. This will help you down the road when you get tempted to let the counter lady play doctor with your skin.
Last. Find a "quality" skincare line that is supported by a physician, dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Here's a hint. The ones on T.V. don't count. There are always local sources to answer any medical questions you may have.


In the long run it is well worth shelling out a few extra bucks to have health happy skin that is trouble free through your whole life. Not just your 30's.