Alcohols in hair products – good and bad sides of hair care
Do you pay attention to the ingredients of a given product?
Do you try to avoid products which contain – even a very small amount of – alcohol?
If you do, you have very limited choice – most hair care products contain alcohol (even in scant quantities).
However, not every alcohol does harm to your hair.
There is a group of substances which belong to the wide family of alcohols and it may be very beneficial to hair. Some substances can cause damage and dryness and disturb the processes on the scalp. There also the ones that moisturise, smooth and soften your hair. Being able to tell the difference between them is crucial.
Thanks to the article, you will gain knowledge about good and bad alcohols.
WHAT ALCOHOLS ARE INCLUDED IN HAIR PRODUCTS?
When we divide alcohols into “good” and “bad” ones, we must consider – most of all – their structure.
– MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOLS – the ones that don’t bring any benefits to your hair. They cause dryness, often lead to allergy, sometimes make hair frizzy. Long-term use of products with monohydric alcohols can even make your hair brittle. They can work as a diluent in a cosmetic. Therefore, they may dissolve the natural protective layer on hair.
– DIHYDRIC ALCOHOLS AND POLYOLS – they are justifiably added to hair products. They moisturise and condition hair, and create an occlusive layer. Thanks to hygroscopic properties, they have an ability to lock in water. They smooth and soften your strands.
You should learn the names of good as well as bad alcohols.
PUT THEM BACK ON THE SHELF AND RUN – BAD ALCOHOLS IN BEAUTY PRODUCTS:
- Alcohol denat/ SD alcohol / SD alcohol-40 – denatured alcohols, contaminated with strong irritative chemicals.
- Alcohol / Ethanol / Ethyl alcohol – too large amount causes irritation and dryness.
- Isopropyl alcohol/ IPA /Propanol/ Izopropanol/ Propan-2-ol. Used in cosmetics as a preservative. It may cause allergic reaction, irritation, make hair and scalp dry.
- Benzyl alcohol. It works as a preservative. It is sometimes a diluent. Potential allergen.
FEEL FREE TO BUY THEM – GOOD ALCOHOLS IN BEAUTY PRODUCTS:
This group includes fatty alcohols – long-chain substances which don’t cause scalp irritation but soften and moisturise hair instead. They help to keep water inside the hair and make detangling easier.
- Cetyl alcohol
- Myristyl alcohol
- Stearyl alcohol
- Cetearyl alcohol
- Behenyl alcohol
- Lauryl alcohol
- Acetyl Alcohol
- Sterol Alcohol
- Lanolin Alcohol
- Stearic Acid
- Propylene glycol
- Glycerine
