Question:
Arbonne’s product formulation
philosophy states “no alcohol” so why do I see Cetyl Alcohol and Cetearyl
Alcohol on the ingredient lists?
What It Is
The word “Alcohol” simply
describes an oxygen-hydrogen group attached to a carbon. There are
many types of alcohols used in cosmetic formulations ?some beneficial fatty
alcohols ? which include Cetyl and Cetearyl, and some non-beneficial, which
include ethyl alcohol or ethanol.
Ethyl alcohol, commonly known
as rubbing alcohol, is medicinally used as a topical antiseptic, astringent
and antibacterial and is considered by Arbonne to be too strong and too
drying for application on the skin.
Why are “fatty alcohols”
included?
Arbonne does use complex
alcohols such as Cetyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Alcohol, which are known as
“fatty alcohols”. The word “alcohol” simply describes a complex molecular
chain attached to a carbon molecule. These alcohols do not have the
drying effects of ethanol and are safely used as emollients and emulsifiers.
The Facts
The non-drying alcohols
Arbonne uses in its formulations are safe and effective emollients, emulsifiers
and moisturizers. Emollients provide conditioning and moisturizing while
emulsifiers are safely used for thickening and giving body to a formulation.
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