Alcohol Denat: What is denatured alcohol?

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You can find denatured alcohol in the composition of some pharmaceutical chemicals under the name alcohol denat. So what are denatured alcohols and their common effects.

1. What is denatured alcohol?

Denatured alcohol (denatured alcohol or alcohol denat) is ethanol mixed with different ingredients. Ethanol also known as grain alcohol, ethyl alcohol, is the most basic alcohol.
Ethanols are very dangerous if taken in excessive amounts, so they are "denatured" with added ingredients to encourage people not to drink regularly.
You can find denatured alcohol in the ingredient lists of pharmaceutical chemicals such as household cleaners, paint removers. They kill germs, so they are used in hand sanitizers and other cleaning products. At the same time, alcohol is also a flammable substance, so it should be carried and used when camping.

2. Is denatured alcohol drinkable, is it safe?

Ethanol itself is not immediately toxic, it is just a byproduct of fermentation. You can find alcohol in stores and supermarkets and find ethanol in it. However, if you drink only ethanol, it is very dangerous, because it is much stronger than other types of alcohol to drink.
Wines for drinking have an average alcohol content of about 40%, while the average alcohol content of ethanol ranges from 60% - 90%. If you drink ethanol, you can experience immediate alcohol poisoning, even death.
So denatured alcohol is produced to prevent people from drinking, then it has a very unpleasant taste. In the denaturation process, some other compounds are introduced, such as methanol (another simple form of alcohol, usually removed during distillation). Methanol is an alcohol that is even more toxic than ethanol, because if taken, it can cause paralysis and death.
While ethanol has an unpleasant odor, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and denatonium are often added to remove this unpleasant odor. That is also why these substances are added to dyes,

3. Is denatured alcohol bad for skin and hair?

Denatured alcohol is used in the manufacture of cosmetics and skin care products such as toners to quickly dry, neutralize oil and smooth the skin. There is only a small amount of denatured alcohol in cosmetics, so it usually does not pose a problem to the skin and health, unless it is mixed with methanol, which can penetrate the skin.
Although denatured alcohol in cosmetics is not toxic, it can cause excessive dryness of the skin and disrupt the function of the skin barrier. Some studies show that denatured alcohol can also cause acne, skin irritation, and redness.
However, that doesn't mean eliminating all skin care products that contain ethanol. Some skin care products contain fatty alcohol, which is a plant-based substance that is good for the skin, such as stearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, and cetyl alcohol.
With moisturizing or emollient properties, these substances are often added to some skin care products. With some alcohol-based hand sanitizers, the addition of fatty alcohol can help soften the skin of your hands and reduce skin irritation.
So if worried about skin care products with denatured alcohol, look for a product that includes water, glycerin, or fatty alcohol.

4. Denatured alcohol in hand sanitizer

If you look at the product information printed on the labels of many hand sanitizers sold in stores and supermarkets, you can see alcohol denat in the ingredients.
When the Covid-19 epidemic occurred, many types of hand sanitizer were urgently produced to meet the needs of epidemic prevention. This has led to a competition for input materials, which are hand sanitizers.
Skin care experts advise caution with disinfectant products manufactured during these difficult times, as it is likely that denatured alcohol will be produced in the wrong proportions with other ingredients. and may cause consumers to use an unsafe amount of product.
In particular, denatured alcohol in hand sanitizers and homemade hand sanitizers may contain methanol, which is toxic if absorbed through the skin. On the other hand, if the homemade recipe uses too little denatured alcohol, it will not provide enough amount to properly disinfect and wash hands.
Experts agree that the best way to disinfect hands is to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Otherwise, use FDA-approved hand sanitizers.
Denatured alcohol is added during the manufacturing of some household products, as it is a germ killer. Although denatured alcohol is dangerous to swallow, it is relatively safe when used in household products, even skin care products.
Once you understand what denatured alcohol is, you should pay attention and consider using it to ensure your health, to avoid poisoning and serious health effects.
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Reference source: healthline.com