Denatured Alcohol
The quick-drying alcohol that makes toners and gels feel light. Near the top of the list, daily use can dry out skin.
What it does
It dissolves other ingredients, makes products feel light and quick to sink in, and helps some ingredients get into skin. When it’s one of the first three ingredients, as in many 'oil-free' toners and gel serums, daily use can dry skin. That’s most likely on skin that’s already sensitive or damaged.
The EU’s ingredient database lists it as a solvent (dissolves other ingredients) and an antifoaming agent (reduces foaming).European Commission, CosIng (© European Union, CC BY 4.0) · uses put in plain words by Drop ↗
Also known as
alcohol denat, SD alcohol, ethanol
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Browse all 1238 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.