Alcohol in skin care products - is it bad? Dr. Irwin answers on SkinTour skin care blog

Alcohol in skincare products. Is it harmful?

Dr. Irwin
December 29, 2016
Hello, Dr. Irwin - I've heard that high concentrations of alcohol in skincare products can be bad for skin, but I am wondering whether layering a moisturizer or serum under such a product would help mitigate the negative effects of the alcohol? For example, I've finally found a foundation I love, with the perfect shade and finish, but it lists alcohol as the third ingredient (and also contains some irritating fragrant ingredients near the bottom of the list). Would my skin be somewhat protected from these ingredients if buffered by a layer of moisturizer underneath? I very much hope you'll find time to answer this one. Many thanks!

There has been controversy around this in the past few years. I have not seen a single paper written in the medical literature that shows that a small amount of alcohol in skincare products harms your skin. If any of you know of any, please send me the reference and I’ll read it! There are various types of alcohol in skincare products and I would never claim to be an expert on all the different types.

The main effect of alcohol:

To me it’s more a matter of common sense also. The main effect of alcohol is that’s it’s drying (dehydrating). Think about the amount you consume in alcohol when you drink it!! There may be even a few weekends you regret. 😉 If you drink too much alcohol, the remedy is hydration. The rule is at least one glass of water (and maybe include electrolytes like gatorade) for every glass of alcohol.

It’s the same with your skin. Do you want to put straight alcohol on your skin? It’s good for killing bacteria, but it would really dry your skin if you kept it up. So a tiny amount of alcohol in a skincare product that’s also coupled with protective hydration is unlikely to cause a problem. I also love your idea of buffering it underneath with a hydrating serum like the SkinCeuticals Vitamin B5 gel that is almost pure hyaluronic acid (a hydrator) or a moisturizer.

If you have a product that works for your skin and your skin looks great – isn’t irritated or dry – then let’s all vote for sanity and not worry about this issue any more!! Personally I think there are many more important issues for skin like making sure the zinc content of your daily sunscreen is high enough (8-20%) depending on your lifestyle. Here are some of my favorite sunscreens that I and my patients get great results from.

Happy holidays,   Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!
Browse Shop