Alcohol - a good or bad component in cosmetic formulas?

How many times lately have you heard of alcohol as an evil ingredient in cosmetics? We here at the writing, tons of times! Here is a substance as old as the world which in fact groups together a wide variety of compounds. There are even substances referred to as fatty alcohols that are not strictly alcohols. You will find them in the list of INCI ingredients in your cosmetic products under the name of stearyl alcohol or cetyl alcohol, etc...

Alcohol or no alcohol - that is the question?

Let us now focus on "real" alcohols and more specifically on ethyl alcohol which is the one mainly used in cosmetics. It will be found in the list of INCI ingredients in its raw form "Alcohol" or its denatured form "alcohol denat". It can be of plant origin, fruit of the fermentation of fruits or cereals or of synthetic origin, extracted from ethylene. It is used for:

1.its very effective antiseptic (antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral) action
2.its action as a solvent for the preparation of perfumes or dyes
3. its preservative action, especially in certain natural brands because combined with other plant substances, the mixture offers a good alternative for preserving the product and thus avoiding the use of aggressive chemical preservative ingredients
 

But then for what dosage?

However, you should know that it has a drying effect on the skin and can therefore damage our hydrolipidic film, this first protective barrier of our skin! But as usual you have to understand to have the right reaction. Its drying effect will of course depend on its dosage in the product. Usually a lotion contains more than a cream without counting, that in a cream its drying effect is diluted or even neutralized by the presence of other moisturizing and nourishing active ingredients. The secret of cosmetic formulas makes it impossible to give you a simple reading key.
 

How to choose your treatment in the light of this information?

However, we can strongly advise you to opt for brands that claim a "clean" approach and transparency in the compositions. For our part, we opt for transparency. In our care, alcohol is present only in our Well-Aging Ange Sensationnel and Sève Divine up to 0.001% so at the trace level! It is an alcohol obtained from the fermentation of cane sugar present to preserve one of our natural ingredients to protect the freshness and quality of our assets.

If you have any other questions about alcohol or reading an INCI label or list, we will be happy to answer you.