When choosing skincare products, it’s important to know if the product contains alcohol, especially for sensitive skin.

Here are some effective ways to tell if a skincare product contains alcohol:

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1. Check the ingredient list

The most straightforward and reliable way to do this is to look at the ingredient list on the product packaging. By law, all skincare products must be truthfully labelled with all ingredients, in order of content, from highest to lowest. In ingredient lists, alcohol is often referred to as “ethanol”, “ethyl alcohol” or “ethanol denat.”

2. Olfactory test

Although the alcohol in skincare products has been specially treated and may not have a noticeable alcoholic smell, it can still be preliminarily judged by smelling. Take some skincare products in the palm of your hand, if you smell alcohol, especially the one that is volatile and irritating, then the product may contain alcohol.

3. Shake test

For liquid skincare products, the change in foam can be observed by shaking the bottle. If the foam is fine, rich and long-lasting, it is alcohol-free; If the foam is large and disappears quickly, it may contain alcohol.

4. Burn test

For some skincare products, especially lotions, try filling the product with a cotton swab and lighting it with fire. If a distinct blue flame is seen, it may contain alcohol; If there is no blue flame, it may not contain alcohol.

5. pH test strip test

The use of pH test strips is also one method. Squeezing a small amount of skincare products onto a pH test paper and comparing it to a pH comparison table gives you the pH value of the product, which can be used to determine whether it contains alcohol.

6. Skin sensation test

If there is alcohol in your skincare products, you may experience a slight sensation of heat or coolness when applied to your skin. This is because alcohol is volatile and takes heat away from the skin’s surface.

epilogue

With the above methods, you can tell whether your skincare products contain alcohol or not.

Knowing the ingredients of a product is essential to choosing the right skincare products, especially for people with sensitive skin, and avoiding products containing alcohol can reduce the risk of irritation and allergies.