This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Ingredients are everything when it comes to anti-aging skincare, and most beauty experts can agree upon the ingredients you should use when aiming to brighten, soften and smoothen for a younger-looking complexion. The main players are powerful ingredients like retinol, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, which are known to nourish and hydrate the skin – exactly what it needs to achieve that bright and energized appearance. But there is sometimes another ingredient mixed in with the nourishing items that can have adverse effects. Which is why you should always be careful when buying products that list alcohol in the ingredients.
Bad Alcohols In Beauty Products
Alcohol can help other ingredients - like retinol and vitamin C - absorb more effectively into the skin. However, alcohol can bring unwanted results that counteract with the hydrating and nourishing benefits you are looking for. Alcohol can dry out the skin, in turn destroying the surface and causing a more aged and damaged appearance. This harm is stronger than a lot of the benefits the beauty product’s other ingredients can provide. These types of products can even strip your skin of the natural oils that keep it smooth, protected and hydrated.
Using alcohol on your skin over a long term will leave it dry - even if you don’t notice the dryness. This prevents your skin from renewing itself properly, which means that it cannot easily repair damage and will show signs of aging earlier than normal.
Whenever you buy new beauty products, look out for ingredients listed as “SD alcohol” or “isopropyl alcohol.” These are the drying alcohols that you don’t want on your skin. But there are other alcohols that might not be so bad for your beauty regimen.
Good Alcohols In Beauty Products
There is no question that you should avoid drying alcohol in your beauty products at all costs. But this doesn’t mean you should avoid all alcohol. There is another type that can actually be beneficial to a healthy skincare routine. These are called fatty alcohols.
Also called “cetearyl,” “stearyl” and “cetyl alcohols,” fatty alcohols are capable of improving skin texture and elasticity. And, they don’t cause dryness or damage the skin’s surface.
What Anti-Aging Ingredients Should We Use Instead Of Alcohol?
While buying beauty products made with fatty alcohols is perfectly fine for your skincare game, you should always be on the lookout for the most nourishing and hydrating ingredients you can find to get the best anti-aging results. Hydration is key to fighting signs of aging because it helps repair, protect and soften the skin. Some of the best ingredients you can use are collagen hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, aloe vera, jojoba oil, ceramides and glycolic acid.
