Alcohol
Alcohol is a cosmetic ingredient used as an antifoaming, antimicrobial agent. It appears in about 4% of cosmetic products in our 90,000+ product dataset. It is regulated in the EU (listed in a Cosmetics Regulation annex). PubMed carries 40,230 studies of its skin or topical use.
| INCI name | ALCOHOL |
| Function | ANTIFOAMING, ANTIMICROBIAL, ASTRINGENT, FRAGRANCE |
| CAS number | 64-17-5 |
| EC number | 200-578-6 |
| Prevalence | 3,465 products (3.73% of dataset) |
| Most used in | Skincare |
| EU status | Restricted (annex ) |
| Scientific studies | 40,230 on PubMed (skin/cosmetic/topical) |
| Monthly searches | 246,000 |
Used in
Fragrances 13.2%Serums 8.9%Toners 7.8%Sunscreens 7.2%General Moisturizers 5.8%Face Cleansers 5.2%
Frequently asked
- What does Alcohol do in skincare?
- Alcohol functions as an antifoaming, antimicrobial agent in cosmetic formulas.
- Is Alcohol allowed in cosmetics?
- Yes, but it is regulated in the EU — it appears in a Cosmetics Regulation annex with usage conditions.
- What products contain Alcohol?
- It is most commonly found in Skincare products, especially fragrances (13.2% of its uses).
Manufacturers with experience using Alcohol
Match with vetted US contract manufacturers that have hands-on experience formulating with this ingredient.