Good Alcohols/Bad Alcohols

Let's talk alcohol.

As people become more mindful of what goes into their skincare products, there is a misconception about alcohols in skincare products that I want to address.

I often hear things like, "There is alcohol in this product, and it's at the top of the ingredient list, which means it's high in content, so this product is bad." .

This is simply a misunderstanding as the green beauty movement makes people afraid of every "chemical" which in the long run can be very misleading as the truth is there are GOOD and BAD alcohols in products and it is important that you know the difference understand.

The bad alcohols attack the moisture barrier and can do more harm than good as drying out the barrier leads to sensitivity, irritation and even breakouts. Stay away from these 🙅🏼‍♀️

The good alcohols have the task of an emulsifier (water-loving) and actually draw moisture into the skin! Here I have listed the good alcohols and what they actually do 👇🏼

CETYL ALCOHOL ( product thickener, important for a creamy texture ) .

STEARYL ALCOHOL (emollient, keeps product intact during formulation)

LAURYL ALCOHOL (detergent derived from coconut)

C12-16 (fatty alcohol, used as an emulsifier and detergent)

MYRISTYL ALCOHOL (emollient)

CETEARYL ALCOHOL (emollient, emulsifier and carrier for other ingredients)

Alcohols are necessary to get the texture and feel we need in a product and not all are bad and I hope you keep that in mind the next time you make a product purchase! 📚