What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Acetate
MaskingEthyl Acetate
Perfuming
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Nitrocellulose
Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate
Triphenyl Phosphate
Etocrylene
UV AbsorberBenzophenone-1
UV Absorber
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Sulfurized Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantAcid Yellow 3 Aluminum Lake
Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Alcohol Denat., Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Etocrylene, Benzophenone-1, Hydrolyzed Silk, Sulfurized Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, CI 15850, Acid Yellow 3 Aluminum Lake
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.We don't have a description for Butyl Acetate yet.
Ethyl Acetate is a fragrance.
Isopropyl Alcohol is a small, fast-evaporating alcohol.
Formulators use it as a solvent, a way to think out thick liquids, an antifoaming agent, and occasionally a fragrance ingredient.
Reported use concentrations run from 0.002%-100% and any number over 50% usually comes from a nail product.
Actual skincare numbers run much lower: cleansers (0.3-26%), toners (0.07-7%), face moisturizers (0.04-0.2%).
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it is safe in the present practices of use and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a non-carcinogenic to humans.
True allergy to this ingredient is uncommon but real: 44 out of 1,450 patients patch tested between 1992-2011 reacted with most cases clustering in people with leg ulcers, occupational hand eczema, or repeated use of Isopropyl Alcohol on already-broken skin.
Irritation and dryness are far more likely than allergy; before you throw away your skincare, just know this is dose-dependent and the risk is modest.
The irritant potential of the alcohols used in hand antiseptics is very low and skin irritation is significantly lower after alcohol application than after detergents (though isopropanol is somewhat more irritating than ethanol).
A 70% solution was a severe eye irritant in rabbit eye tests so the industry keeps this ingredient at low percentages in eye-area products.
One genuine caution: a 70% solution was a severe eye irritant in rabbit eye tests, so it belongs at low percentages in eye-area products, which is where the industry already keeps it.
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Learn more about Isopropyl AlcoholWe don't have a description for Nitrocellulose yet.
We don't have a description for Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate yet.
We don't have a description for Triphenyl Phosphate yet.
