when you look at the ingredient lists of products like shower gel, conditioner etc. there are often several types of alcohol included…what’s the difference between these alcohols?

Question

A shower thought of mine haha

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

You might see something like Cetyl alcohol or Cetearyl alcohol, which are fatty alcohols used as thickeners and conditioner boosters. You might see a glycol, like propylene glycol, or a sugar alcohols, like xylitol, which work as humectants to draw water from the atmosphere to hydrate skin or hair, bind water, reduce the freezing point of the product, boost preservatives, or act as a solvent for other ingredients, like extracts. And you can find liquid alcohols, like rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol, which act as solvents, offer a cool, refreshing “fresh kick”, and can be used as preservatives if they are in high quantities.