Alcohol in hair Products? Not Always Bad!
When we see alcohols, no matter it’s in skin-care lotions or hair- cleaning shampoos, we always tend to think that they are bad and choose to stay away and not using them. But are they always bad? The answer is “no”! There are two types alcohols, short-chain alcohols are the ones you would want to steer clear of, while the fatty alcohols are a better choice derived from natural sources like coconuts.
FATTY ALCOHOLS (GOOD)
- Stearyl Alcohol
- Myristyl Alcohol
- Lauryl Alcohol
- Behenyl Alcohol
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Cetyl Alcohol
Fatty alcohols provide lubrication, hydrating and film forming properties which absorb and lock in moisture keeping the hair from drying out. For these reasons, fatty alcohols like Cetyl, Stearyl and Cetearyl alcohols derived from plants are used extensively in hair care products designed to keep hair hydrated and healthy.
SHORT CHAIN ALCOHOLS (BAD)
- Proponal
- Propyl Alcohol
- SD Alcohol 40
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- Isoproponal Alcohol
- Alcohol Denat
- Ethanol Alcohol
- Ethyl Alcohol
Short-chain alcohols evaporate quickly and so they are used in hair and skin care products as an additive to help decrease the time it takes for a product to dry once applied. But the flip side to their use is that these alcohols also wick moisture from hair and skin. With hair this causes the cuticle to roughen, leaving the hair dry, brittle and frizzy.
So now you know the difference between these two alcohols, and you are always suggested to choose fatty alcohols over short-chain alcohols.
