Ingredient guide
The word alcohol on a cosmetic label is doing several jobs. Some alcohols are light, fast-evaporating solvents. Some are waxy fatty alcohols that thicken a cream. GlowCheck does not flag every line that contains the letters a-l-c-o-h-o-l. It separates drying alcohols from the rest, then applies that flag only where the profile is dry, sensitive, or combination and chasing hydration.
Alcohol denat, alcohol denatured, SD alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol are the drying alcohols in this scan. They pull the score down on dry and sensitive skin, and a little on combination skin when the goal is hydration. A plain oily profile does not take that penalty.
No. Cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, and stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols. They are not in the drying-alcohol list. Oleyl alcohol is treated as occlusive, not as a drying alcohol. Benzyl alcohol sits with fragrance. Glycols such as butylene glycol are humectants.
| Name on the INCI | How GlowCheck treats it |
|---|---|
| Alcohol denat, SD alcohol, isopropyl alcohol | Drying alcohol |
| Cetyl, cetearyl, stearyl alcohol | Fatty alcohol, not this check |
| Oleyl alcohol | Occlusive, not drying |
| Benzyl alcohol | Fragrance group |
| Butylene glycol, propanediol, pentylene glycol | Humectant |
The harsh-alcohol check looks for these names:
On a dry or sensitive profile, a hit is tagged watch and pulls the score down. On combination skin with a hydration goal, the pull is smaller. On an oily profile that is not asking for hydration, these names do not take that alcohol penalty. A mattifying toner can use alcohol denat on purpose. If that is the profile you set, the scan will not pretend the toner is a barrier cream.
High on the INCI, alcohol denat is a large part of the formula. That is common in sprays, fresheners, and some sunscreens. Low on the list, it may be a solvent for an extract. The scan sees the name either way. Position is something you can see in the photo even when the score treats the name as present or absent.
Cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, and stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols. They are not in the drying-alcohol list, so a moisturizer is not punished for them under the alcohol rule. People search “alcohol in skincare,” see cetyl alcohol, and assume the cream is stripping. For this app, that assumption is wrong.
Oleyl alcohol is the exception inside the name. It sits with the heavier, occlusive ingredients, not with alcohol denat. Read it on the comedogenic ingredients page. Benzyl alcohol is grouped with fragrance allergens, not with alcohol denat. Read that on the fragrance page.
Butylene glycol, propanediol, and pentylene glycol are in the humectant group. On dry and sensitive profiles they can support the score. They are not a sneaky version of SD alcohol. If a blog tells you to avoid every ingredient with “glycol” or “alcohol” in the name, it is collapsing three different jobs into one scare word.
Alcohol denat is common in watery toners, setting sprays, some gel sunscreens, and a few “mattifying” moisturizers that want a fast dry-down. It is less common as the first ingredient in a cream that is supposed to feel rich. If it is first or second on the INCI, treat it as a solvent base, not a trace preservative. If it is near the end, it may only be there to dissolve a plant extract. The scan still records the name. Your eyes on the photo tell you the position.
The score will not tell you the percentage, whether the stinging you feel is alcohol or fragrance or an acid, or whether a short-contact sunscreen is acceptable for your day. Those are use questions. The app answers a narrower one: for the profile you set, is this name in the drying-alcohol group, and does that group count against this profile?
Photograph the INCI in the INCI checker and set the profile you actually want judged. A dry or sensitive profile will surface alcohol denat as a watch. An oily profile will spend its caution on heavier oils instead, which is covered in the oily skin guide. None of this is a safety certificate. If a product stings, stop using it, whatever the score says. The first scan is free.