In this new age of being amidst products which are free of animal cruelty and the likes of it, it’s only natural for us to hop on the bandwagon of making our products alcohol free.  To which we have successfully done. Following the notion of alcohol-based product being bad for the skin, cosmetic brands have eliminated its use in their products. Thus, finding other alternatives to replicate it whilst making it easy on the skin upon application. As such, before picking up a product reading the label is important for it is always key to note what goes on your skin. The team at Twinkle has come up with an informative article on the various forms of synthetic alcohol present in products to give clarity on their definition and usage in a product.

First up, we will be covering the definition and usage of C14-22 Alcohols which can be found in Twinkle’s Body Milk Natural. Like many of us, the sight of Alcohol on the ingredient label is enough to deter us from supporting a brand. However, the thing special about this particular chemical compound is that it is made up of a mixture of synthetic fatty alcohols with 14 to 22 carbons in the alkylchain. Unlike other chemical compounds like ethyl alcohol (also known as ethanol, or grain alcohol) which dries out hair and skin, C14-22 Alcohol acts as an emulsifier. Prior to this ingredient, cosmetic products that do not contain Ethyl alcohol are marked as “alcohol free”. Whilst this can lead to confusion amongst consumers, it is important to stay well-informed. While a product may be labelled “alcohol free” it is important to note that they may contain other alcohols such as cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl, or lanolin alcohol. These alcohols are known as “fatty alcohols” and their effects on the skin are vastly different from that of ethyl alcohol. C14-22 Alcohol also acts as an emulsifier. Due to its light feel and moisturizing effect, it’s highly used in various skincare and haircare products.

Do know that an emulsifier is not akin to denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol is often used as a solvent and acts a fuel for alcohol burners and camping stoves. It is also a bad-tasting, foul-smelling and poisonous making it unsafe for human consumption. Denaturing alcohol doesn’t automatically alter the ethanol molecule. As such, ethanol is infused with various kinds of chemicals to form an undrinkable solution. So, the next time you’re grocery shopping at your nearest supermarket, pick up a bottle of any kind of chemical product and check its contents. Compare it with a cosmetic product and see the difference of chemicals in it.

Although this may seem all complicated, trust us when we say once you get the hang of differentiating the various forms of chemical products in a product, shopping for cosmetics will never be the same again. Also, don’t forget to pass the message to your friends. It never hurts to be a part of a well-informed clique.