Alcohol in cosmetics is bad, right? But if it’s so, why are there so many products with this ingredient? Why do some beauticians argue that alcohol-based products can actually be helpful?
There is so much misinformation regarding this particular topic that it’s not surprising that many girls get confused. Today we will try to help you understand what is real when it comes to the issue of alcohol in cosmetic products. This way, the next time you consider buying one, you will know exactly what you are doing.
First of all, alcohol-based products are often deceiving, which is the main reason why girls with oily skin are attracted to them. They have a nice quick-drying finish that seems to clean the excess sebum off your skin. The result looks and feels rather nice. At least it does for the first few minutes. However, this effect is short-lived, while the damage this chemical concoction deals to your skin may be irreparable.
Why Do Companies Use Alcohol?
Many girls don’t believe that alcohol is so bad because so many companies use it. They wouldn’t do this if the effect were really dangerous, right?
The answer to this question is “wrong” because the benefits of alcohol for the manufacturers outweigh their concern for their customers. The main reason for using this substance in products is the fact that it’s a great thinning agent that can make a skincare product that would otherwise be too thick and pore-clogging into a weightless substance that would feel nice on your skin.
The other reason has more to do with the actual benefits of alcohol. It really has one positive effect, which is to help some active ingredients, like retinol or vitamins, to penetrate your skin. Our bodies’ defensive mechanisms resist the intrusion by default. So, by lowering this natural protection, alcohol makes these treatments more effective. But is this really a good thing?
Alcohol creates this effect because it dissolves the sebum and other protective substance designed by nature to keep your skin safe in the long term. Therefore, the damage it actually deals to you outweighs the short-term perks of an extremely potent retinol infusion you get when using these products.
Even though alcohol evaporates quickly, its corroding influence triggers a chain reaction that affects your skin’s ability to produce the substances that should protect it from the outside influences. According to the results of some studies, prolonged exposure to alcohol-based cleansers can damage your skin so much, it will lose the ability to retail not only vitamins and other nutrients that come with creams and serums, but water. This will destroy the collagen in your skin and speed up the process of aging. The fact that you won’t be able to retain these essential elements will render any non-invasive anti-aging treatment inefficient.
Is All Alcohol Bad?
Alcohol, as we know it, is highly damaging to your skin. However, it’s not the only type of alcohol used in cosmetic industry. There is a group of chemicals known as fatty alcohols, like stearyl and
cetyl alcohol. These ingredients in some cosmetic products are both safe and beneficial. They work well for dry skin.
Alcohol and Acne
The most popular among alcohol-based products are anti-acne treatments. We understand why this is so as it’s true that alcohol can destroy the bacteria that cause acne. However, you need to understand that it will also irritate your skin and damage it on a much deeper level than an acne breakout could.
Therefore, even though you get a short-time boost of a seemingly positive change, you actually invite trouble by using these products. If you want to get rid of acne safely and efficiently, read this post.
The Bottom Line
No matter how attractive their ads are, alcohol-based skincare products are to be avoided. The studies conducted by researchers all over the world prove that the damage this ingredient deals to your skin is far too great to take the risk.
