What are alcohols?
Alcohols are organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl (OH) groups (an oxygen and hydrogen atom) bound to carbon atoms. On ingredient labels, an alcohol usually ends with “ol” (ethanol, methanol, panthenol). Alcohols are characterized by their solubility in both water and oil, which is determined by the length of the molecule’s carbon chain. With a short carbon chain, an alcohol has greater solubility in water, which means it will evaporate quickly, taking water with it, while an alcohol with a long carbon chain will hinder evaporation and hold water down. Under a few specialized circumstances, such as unique chemical configuration, some short carbon chains alcohols actually display moisturizing properties instead of the drying characteristic common to small alcohols. How Do They Function? In our day-to-day lives, alcohols are found in products with a variety of functions ranging from lipstick to hairsprays. There are hundreds of different alcohols that can function as antiox
