Alcohol in shampoo
Alcohol in shampoo and conditioner doesn't sound good. But did you know that there are different types of alcohol? There is also good alcohol that actually cares for your hair. In this blog we explain it to you.
Bad alcohol
Bad alcohol, also called short chain alcohol, dries out your hair. This alcohol is added to make your hair dry faster. It is is found in hairspray, for example. It makes the lacquer come out of the spray bottle. The strengthening ingredients dissolve in the alcohol. On the hair, the alcohol quickly evaporates so that the hair does not stay wet, but the strengthening ingredients remain and keep the hair in shape. However, the active ingredients are often only present in small doses. Therefore, only a small amount of alcohol is needed to dissolve them. So small that it is often insignificant and you don't have to worry about it.
The bad alcohol in one view:
- SD Alcohol 40
- Alcohol Denat
- Ethanol
- Propyl
- Porpanol
- Isopropyl
They dry out the hair and make the colour of the hair dull. And of course you don't want that! Better to avoid these types of alcohol.
Good types of alcohol
Fatty or long chain alcohols are actually good types of alcohol. They are extracted from coconut oil, for example, and have a fatty substance.
These good alcohols are known by these names:
- Behenyl alcohol
- Cetearyl alcohol
- Stearyl alcohol
- Cetyl alcohol
- Lauryl alcohol
- Myristyl alcohol
The good kind attracts water into the hair, makes it smooth so it is easy to comb, and thickens it a little. It makes hair shiny and healthy. Unlike the bad alcohol, it does not dry out the hair. On the contrary, it nourishes. And that is exactly what you want.
Neutral
Besides good and bad alcohol, there is also a neutral type. These neutral types act as a preservative (benzyl alcohol) and ensure that your hair keeps moisture (propylene glycol). These types have no negative effects on your hair.
Did you know that alcohol in shampoos, for example, has a substance added to it that makes it taste disgusting? This is supposed to discourage people from drinking the product. A true story!
When alcohol is added to a product, it is not to make the hair dry. It is needed so that a shampoo or hairspray, for example, can do its job properly. Alcohol in shampoo and other products therefore ensures that a product does its job better and provides care. An example of this is cetearyl alcohol. This type of alcohol is an emollient, emulsifier and thickener that gives formulas a creamy substance and prevents the separation of oil and water. You will find this form of alcohol in our hair dye, for example. WECOLOUR Shampoo contains the neutral type of benzyl alcohol. Its function is to preserve the shampoo.
Avoid the bad types in products and choose shampoo with good or neutral alcohol.
