Ethanol is a versatile liquid cosmetic ingredient widely used in personal-care, skin-care, hair-care, fragrance and cleansing formulations. It is also commonly known as Ethyl Alcohol and is identified by CAS Number 64-17-5.
Ethanol is a highly volatile solvent that evaporates rapidly from the skin and other surfaces. This property makes it particularly useful for dissolving fragrance materials, cosmetic actives, botanical extracts and other formulation components.
In cosmetic products, ethanol can provide multiple formulation functions. Current cosmetic ingredient references identify its functions as solvent, antimicrobial, astringent, functional fragrance, antifoaming and viscosity controlling.
Ethanol is commonly used in perfumes, eau de toilette, deodorants, aftershaves, hair-care products, skin-care formulations, cleansing products and selected oral-care formulations.
Ethanol is a low-molecular-weight, volatile alcohol used extensively as a solvent and functional ingredient. It is generally supplied as a clear, colourless liquid with a characteristic alcoholic odour.
Its high volatility and ability to dissolve a wide range of organic materials make it valuable in formulations where rapid drying, fragrance solubilization or active-ingredient dissolution is required.
Ethanol can be manufactured from different feedstocks and processes. Cosmetic-grade material may be supplied as non-denatured or denatured ethanol depending on the intended application and applicable regulations.
The cosmetic ingredient designation ALCOHOL refers to ethanol, while ALCOHOL DENAT. refers to denatured ethanol containing an approved denaturant.
The most important cosmetic application of Ethanol is its role as a solvent.
It can dissolve or help solubilize:
This makes Ethanol particularly useful in transparent and fast-drying products.
Ethanol is extensively used as the carrier solvent in perfumes and fragrance products.
It helps dissolve perfume oils and supports their uniform distribution throughout the formulation. Because it evaporates quickly after application, it allows the fragrance composition to develop on the skin.
COSMILE Europe notes that ethanol is widely used in perfumes and other fragrance products and can be present at relatively high concentrations depending on the product type.
Ethanol is widely used in deodorant sprays, roll-on products and other deodorizing formulations.
It provides rapid evaporation and a cooling/fresh sensation while helping dissolve fragrance and other formulation components. It can also contribute antimicrobial functionality.
Ethanol is commonly incorporated into aftershaves and related personal-care products.
Its rapid evaporation provides a cooling sensation, while its solvent, antimicrobial and astringent functions can contribute to the formulation's intended performance.
Ethanol can be used in hair sprays, styling products, hair gels and other hair-care formulations.
It can help dissolve styling polymers and other ingredients while contributing to rapid drying after application.
Ethanol can be used in selected toners, skin fluids, gels and other lightweight formulations where rapid evaporation and solvent performance are desired.
The appropriate concentration depends on the formulation type, intended skin application and regulatory requirements.
Ethanol may also be incorporated into selected mouth-rinse and oral-care formulations. The concentration should be controlled according to the intended product category and applicable regulations.
Ethanol has antimicrobial properties and can contribute to microbial control in cosmetic formulations.
COSMILE Europe states that ethanol can support preservation at lower concentrations and may provide a stronger preservative effect at higher concentrations. However, the antimicrobial performance depends on concentration, formulation composition and exposure conditions.
For cosmetic formulation development, ethanol should not automatically be considered a complete replacement for a validated preservation system. Finished-product microbial testing should be performed where required.
Ethanol is highly volatile and evaporates rapidly. This characteristic is useful for sprays, perfumes and fast-drying products but must be considered during manufacturing and packaging.
Manufacturing areas should have suitable ventilation and controls appropriate for handling flammable volatile materials.
Ethanol is highly miscible with water and can dissolve many organic formulation components. This makes it particularly useful in hydroalcoholic cosmetic systems.
The appropriate concentration depends strongly on the finished product.
COSMILE Europe describes examples ranging from relatively low levels in some hair and oral-care products to much higher concentrations in perfumes, deodorants and aftershaves.
The final concentration should be established according to product type, formulation objectives and applicable cosmetic regulations.
For cosmetic manufacturing, denatured ethanol may be used to prevent consumption. The denaturant used must be appropriate for the intended cosmetic application and regulatory market.
The term ALCOHOL DENAT. is used for denatured ethanol in cosmetic ingredient nomenclature.
Ethanol is compatible with many formulation components but can influence the solubility, viscosity and stability of polymers, surfactants and other ingredients.
Compatibility and stability testing should therefore be performed on the complete formulation.
Because ethanol is volatile and flammable, suitable sealed packaging and appropriate storage conditions are important.
Containers should remain tightly closed and should be protected from excessive heat, ignition sources and direct sunlight.
Ethanol can be used in:
Swapnroop provides Ethanol for cosmetic and personal-care formulation applications with controlled quality parameters suitable for commercial manufacturing.
Key advantages include:
Ethanol is a volatile alcohol used in cosmetics primarily as a solvent. It is also used for antimicrobial, astringent, fragrance-functional and viscosity-controlling purposes.
The CAS Number of Ethanol is 64-17-5.
Yes. Ethanol is normally supplied as a clear, colourless liquid.
Ethanol is used as a solvent in perfumes, deodorants, aftershaves, hair-care products, skin-care products and other personal-care formulations. It can also provide antimicrobial and astringent functions.
For ethanol, the cosmetic ingredient designation ALCOHOL is used. Denatured ethanol is designated ALCOHOL DENAT.
Yes. Ethanol is widely used as a solvent and carrier for perfume oils and fragrance materials.
Yes. It is commonly used in deodorant sprays and other deodorizing products as a solvent, refreshing/cooling ingredient and antimicrobial component.
Yes. Ethanol is used in hair sprays, styling products, gels and other hair-care formulations, particularly where rapid drying and dissolution of formulation components are required.
Ethanol should be stored in tightly closed, suitable containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from heat, sparks, flames and other ignition sources.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to light-yellow liquid or oily liquid |