Alcohol in hairproducts: good or bad for the hair?

Maybe you have heard that alcohol dries your hair out? And that is not entirely wrong, but can you tell the difference between the bad and the good kind of alcohol - the one that actually takes care of your hair?

There are thousands of different alcohols. Some are solid, some are liquid, some can be eaten and some you can even die from drinking them. Alcohol is not just one chemical, but a series of chemicals, and this very fact is crucial to the properties of each type of alcohol.

When it comes to hair products, alcohol is added for several different reasons based on their properties. The alcohols that can cause the product to dry faster or evaporate are not good for the hair (or the skin for that matter).

On the other hand, there are a number of good alcohols, which are largely derived from plants, e.g. from coconut oil. These types of alcohol contribute to a number of nourishing properties and help the product to penetrate the hair. 

The good kind of alcohol

If you want to check your conditioner for alcohol, then these 6 types of alcohol are the good kind of alcohol, also called fatty alcohols.

• Cetearyl alcohol
• Lauryl alcohol
• Cetyl alcohol
• Myristyl alcohol
• Stearyl alcohol
• Behenyl alcohol

They help keep the hair hydrated and healthy. Their properties make it easier to distribute the product in the hair and can, in addition to retaining moisture, give more shine and softness.

At ZENZ Organic, we only use the good kind of alcohol that does not dry out your hair.