What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPEG/PPG-17/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningButyl Ester Of Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Ethyl Ester Of Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Silicone Quaternium-16
Skin Conditioning
Undeceth-5
EmulsifyingUndeceth-11
EmollientButyloctanol
HumectantN-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alcohol Denat., Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, PEG/PPG-17/18 Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Butyl Ester Of Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Ethyl Ester Of Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Silicone Quaternium-16, Undeceth-5, Undeceth-11, Butyloctanol, N-Butyl Alcohol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol
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.
