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Is

Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol · Isopropanol

A fast-evaporating solvent — helps products dry quickly and feel less tacky; can be drying in high amounts.

What it does

It dissolves oils and other ingredients, helps a product dry quickly and makes it feel less sticky. In large amounts it can dry out skin. It’s there to help the formula, not to change your skin.

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 ↗

The evidence, graded

expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2012) judged isopropyl alcohol safe as used, in products with 0.002–100% of it. In patch tests, a spray with 80.74% caused no allergy in 9 people, nor did a hair dye base with 2.85% in 109. It badly irritated rabbit eyes. The International Agency for Research on Cancer says it can’t be classified as causing cancer in people.Heldreth 2012 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Also known as

rubbing alcohol, IPA

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