ETHANOL

📋 Quick facts

Description: ETHANOL — ETHANOL. Formula: C2H6O. MW: 46.07. IUPAC: ethanol.

Quick Facts:

• Category: other

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Ethanol is found in many everyday sources: foods, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and the environment
• Your skin can metabolize ethanol, but dysfunction in these metabolic enzymes may increase sensitivity to ethanol-related skin damage
• Ethanol converts to acetaldehyde in your body—a toxic compound that can damage proteins and DNA
• Research on ethanol’s role in melanoma is limited; most evidence comes from one review article examining enzyme activity in melanoma tissue

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages can cause developmental toxicity according to an independent committee of scientific and health experts. Ethanol with a small amount of an adulterant added so as to be unfit for use as a beverage. Ethanol appears as a clear colorless liquid with a characteristic vinous odor and pungent taste. Flash point 55 °F. Density 6.5 lb / gal. Vapors are heavier than air.

Source(s): California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), CAMEO Chemicals, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Here’s what the current research shows about ethanol and skin health, with important caveats about what we still don’t know. #1: **Ethanol metabolism in skin.** When ethanol enters your body, it’s primarily broken down in the liver, but your skin also has enzymes capable of metabolizing it. However, the skin’s ability to process ethanol isn’t infinite—if the metabolic enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase 1B, P450 2E1, catalase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) aren’t working properly, your skin becomes more vulnerable to ethanol-related damage (Cancers (Basel), 2023). #2: **The acetaldehyde problem.** Ethanol breaks down into acetaldehyde, a toxic intermediate that can bind to proteins and DNA and potentially cause tumors.

Once in the bloodstream, acetaldehyde can reach skin tissue just as it does the liver (Cancers (Basel), 2023). #3: **Melanoma connection—preliminary evidence only.** A 2023 review in *Cancers (Basel)* found that three ethanol-metabolizing enzymes and one acetaldehyde-metabolizing enzyme show significantly reduced activity in melanoma tissue samples. However, the sources provided do not establish a direct causal link between topical or dietary ethanol exposure and melanoma development in humans—only that these metabolic pathways differ in melanoma tissue. This is an area flagged for further research, not a proven consumer risk. #4: **Ethanol in medical and cosmetic use.** The sources do not support claims about ethanol as a skincare ingredient.

One study examined an herbal *ethanol extract* (a preparation method, not ethanol itself as the active ingredient), which showed antioxidant and UV-protective effects—but these benefits came from the plant compounds within the extract, not the ethanol solvent (Plants (Basel), 2023). **What we don’t know:** The sources provided do not contain sufficient data on topical ethanol application, safe concentration limits, or direct skincare benefits or harms for consumers. Claims about ethanol in cosmetics would require additional research not present in these abstracts.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Zhai Z et al. (2023). Ethanol Metabolism and Melanoma. Cancers (Basel).
• Unknown authors (1975). 2-(1-Aziridinyl)ethanol. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risk Chem Man.
• Steiner F et al. (2016). Ethanol sclerotherapy for venous malformation. ANZ J Surg.
• Huang L et al. (2023). Antiphotoaging and Skin-Protective Activities of Ardisia silvestris Ethanol Extract in Human Keratinocytes. Plants (Basel).
• Bird MD et al. (2008). Organ-specific inflammation following acute ethanol and burn injury. J Leukoc Biol.

🧴 Products Containing ETHANOL

• aldo Vandini SENSUAL Aroma Handbalsam Hand Cream Tamarinde & Ingwer
• Eucerin UreaRepair PLUS 10%
• Eucerin Lotion Sun Protection kids SPF 50+
• Eucerin pH5
• Nivea Men NIVEA Men Active Energy Hydraterende Dagcrème
• Max & More, Max & More Make-up Lipstick
• Nivea Body lotion
• atrix
• Nivea Nivea Intensive Moisture Body Milk 5-in-1 Complete Care (or Nivea Nourishing Body Milk)
• Nivea Nivea q10 plus anti rides
• Nivea Sun Pflegende Sonnenmilch – LSF 50+ Sehr Hoch
• Nivea NIVEA Verfrissende Reinigingsgel
• Nivea Lait corps sous la douche nourissant
• nivea nivea cream
• Nivea Soft
• Nivea, Nivea Men NIVEA Men Hyaluron Anti-age Gezichtscrème
• Beiesdorf, Nivea, Nivea Sun Protect & Hydrate 30 haute
• Nivéa Nivea soft
• Nivea Q10 Plus Soin de jour FPS 15
• Nivea Perles de Q10 sérum concentré
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Men Body & Face Cream 150ml
• Nivea NIVEA CREME DARK SPOT REDUCTION
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Night Care Cellular 50ml
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Sensitive Day Care 50ml
• Nivea Creme
• Nivea NIVEA Sun Protect & Hydrate SPF30 Zonnebrandspray
• Nivea NIVEA Sun Protect & Hydrate SPF50+ Zonnebrandspray
• Nivea body lotion
• Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture, SPF15
• Nivea Hairmilk 7 Plus
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Day Care Q10 Plus C 50ml
• Nivea Pure Skin Cleansing Gel
• Nivea sun Crème Visage Solaire Anti-Rides UV Q10 FPS 50
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze 50
• Nivea Nivea lait démaquillant
• Beiersdorf Nivea Ansiktsmaske Urban Skin Radience 1stk
• nivea hand cream 3 in 1 repaircare
• Eucerin Oil control
• Nivea nivea bronze efect
• Schaebens Feuchtigkeits Maske