Alcohol in skincare: Shaheen Bhatt busts health myths

Shaheen, author by profession, busted a few health myths regarding alcohol and wrote that alcohol indeed can be good for the health – precisely for the skin.

Alcohol has a very bad reputation when it comes to its contribution to human health. Alcohol, for obvious reasons, is asked to be avoided by healthcare professionals. Overconsumption of alcohol leads to severe illnesses and can also be fatal, if not limited. However, it has a brighter side which often gets overshadowed by its cons.

Shaheen Bhatt, sister of Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt, took to her Instagram profile a day back and shared a few health-related information about alcohol. Shaheen, author by profession, busted a few health myths regarding alcohol and wrote that alcohol indeed can be good for the health – precisely for the skin.

Shaheen shared a set of pictures which are summarisation of her conversation with dermatologist Jaishree Sharad. Shaheen wrote that there are two types of alcohol – the good type and the harmful type. Often, alcohol is used in skincare products for its benefits. It helps the actives present in the skincare product to penetrate the skin more effectively. Alcohol also has anti-microbial properties which prove to be beneficial for the skin. Due to its preservative properties, it helps the skincare product to have a longer shelf life. Alcohol also provides a weightless finish to a thick product. We are talking of the good alcohol here, as pointed out by Shaheen - cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, etc.

" Alcohol is one of the most misunderstood components of skincare. Many people claim it’s the devil, but, there’s a lot more to this (sk)ingredient," read an excerpt of her post. Take a look:

Shaheen further added that alcohol in skincare products is primarily used to dissolve the key ingredients. It should be present in small amounts and should be listed towards the bottom of the ingredients list. However, alcohol can be harmful for the skin if it is listed as one of the first few ingredients.