Is the benzyl alcohol in cosmetics safe? Is it bad for your skin?

What is Benzyl Alcohol?

Benzyl alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with a slightly sweet scent. It is mainly used as a preservative in cosmetics because it prevents the excessive proliferation of microorganisms.

A colorless liquid extracted from fruits such as cranberries and apricots. Due to its sweet scent, it is sometimes used as a flavoring .

It is a multifunctional ingredient that is used in a variety of products, including moisturizers such as lotions and milks, lip balms, facial cleansers, and cosmetics.

Alternative preservatives to parabens

Parabens are often used as preservatives in cosmetics.
However, parabens have long been the subject of debate regarding their safety and health risks. While there have been reports of them having endocrine disrupting effects and causing allergies, some people say that they are completely ok within the prescribed amounts.

The debate has yet to end, and it is true that many consumers are avoiding parabens due to their unclear risks. As a result, an increasing number of cosmetic manufacturers are incorporating alternative preservatives to parabens.

Benzyl alcohol is one of them.
It is especially prevalent in organic skin care products and products that claim to use natural ingredients. The reason is that benzyl alcohol is found in nature, so it can be sold as a natural product.

Effects of benzyl alcohol

• Antiseptic effect: Has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Prevents the growth of bacteria and enables long-term storage of cosmetics.
• Antioxidant: It acts as an antioxidant and protects against the damage caused by free radicals.
• Dissolves ingredients: It acts as a solvent to dissolve other products that are added to the cosmetic product.
• Reduce viscosity: Reducing the viscosity (hardness/stickiness) of cosmetics makes the product softer and easier to apply.
• Fragrance: It has a sweet, floral scent because it is an aromatic alcohol. It is also found in essential oils such as ylang-ylang and jasmine.

Side effects of benzyl alcohol

Benzyl alcohol is often considered a safe ingredient.

For example, in a patch test conducted on more than 70,000 people, only 0.21% of the total had a positive reaction, and most of these reactions were weak.

However, there is a possibility that some people may experience allergic dermatitis, inflammation, or itchy skin. It is also said to have a weak sensitizing effect . There have been cases of delayed allergic reactions as well as immediate, urticarial, and systemic reactions.

Just to be on the safe side, people with weak or sensitive skin should use it with caution.

Benzyl alcohol kills 16 newborns

It was in the 1980s that warnings about the handling of benzyl alcohol began to be issued.
It all started after 16 newborns died at a medical center in the United States where benzyl alcohol was being used as a preservative.

The deaths were premature newborns weighing less than 2500g and occurred at two facilities: one reported 10 deaths over a six-month period, and the other reported six deaths over a 16-month period.

The cause was the daily cleaning of catheters with saline solution containing benzyl alcohol, which led to the deaths of babies using these catheters, many of whom also developed central nervous system dysfunction, including seizures and intracranial hemorrhages.

This tragic incident led to benzyl alcohol being highlighted as a dangerous ingredient.

Mostly safe

When used in cosmetics, high concentrations of benzyl alcohol do not enter the body, so unless an allergic reaction occurs, most people can use it without any problems.

However, it is true that there are risks as mentioned above.

It's important to know what risks are involved, understand the advantages and disadvantages, and then choose the right cosmetics for you.