Denatured versus Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol?

[MarkB1986]

Well it maybe the same stuff but one would have to buy perfumers alcohol which has to be ordered online and regular alcohol which comes in large quantities unless you buy the rotgut kind on the bottom shelf or go to a liquor store.

 

[jollytim]

Well it maybe the same stuff but one would have to buy perfumers alcohol which has to be ordered online and regular alcohol which comes in large quantities unless you buy the rotgut kind on the bottom shelf or go to a liquor store.

You can get smaller bottles of everclear and they sell many kinds of spirits in single serving bottles at the liquor store, the kind they serve on airlines. Maybe I'm just dense, but I'm failing to understand the point you are trying to make.

 

[weizemanner]

Or buy a bottle of good vodka. Make a little aftershave and if you decide perfumery isn't for you, at least you have vodka worth drinking.

 

[captaincaveman]

I see no reason to brush aside any of these suggestions...

How come no one has mentioned Ethyl Alcohol? Most after shaves I have seen just use simple ethanol which you should easily be able to find at any drug store.

...so can you elaborate on what to look for at the drug store? i.e. what kind/size of bottle, what stuff it's likely to be near, etc? I imagine it would be in with the first aid stuff. Perhaps post a photo of a common bottle of it?

 

[rushchairman]

the best you can hope for is grain alcohol like Everclear. hopefully you live in a state that permits its sale and use.

 

[weizemanner]

The problem is that ethyl alcohol can't be sold without either being in the liquor section or being denatured. Hence we recommend either getting pure ethanol (everclear), watered down ethanol (vodka), or denatured alcohol (the stuff in the first aid section).

But be careful with denatured alcohol. Some of it can be really dangerous stuff for industrial uses.

 

[rxonmymind]

Good stuff. Learning something new here. Hmm, might try making some myself.

 

[Musikmann]

How come no one has mentioned Ethyl Alcohol? Most after shaves I have seen just use simple ethanol which you should easily be able to find at any drug store.

Good question because I have seen ethyl alcohol (can't remember the concentration) in a drugstore first aid section that I think was a Walgreen's. I'm used to seeing only 70% isopropyl. Anyway, that made me wonder how do ethanol and ethyl alcohol differ? I suspect there is something in the ethyl, and a label warning to that effect, to prevent people from drinking it?

 

[jollytim]

Good question because I have seen ethyl alcohol (can't remember the concentration) in a drugstore first aid section that I think was a Walgreen's. I'm used to seeing only 70% isopropyl. Anyway, that made me wonder how do ethanol and ethyl alcohol differ? I suspect there is something in the ethyl, and a label warning to that effect, to prevent people from drinking it?

Ethyl alcohol and ethanol are two names for the same thing, grain alcohol. Unless you purchase it through a liquor store of some kind it will be denatured. What they are denatured with is what makes them differ as it can be anything from a non toxic bittering agent, like in mouthwash, to something quite poisonous as is quite probable in the rubbing alcohol version. Though they could all be used in an aftershave, if you are rolling your own, why use an adulterated ingredient?

 

[Musikmann]

Ethyl alcohol and ethanol are two names for the same thing, grain alcohol. Unless you purchase it through a liquor store of some kind it will be denatured. What they are denatured with is what makes them differ as it can be anything from a non toxic bittering agent, like in mouthwash, to something quite poisonous as is quite probable in the rubbing alcohol version. Though they could all be used in an aftershave, if you are rolling your own, why use an adulterated ingredient?

Thanks jollytim. I guess I should have asked how is something denatured or what is the process? I found what is called "SD alcohol" in one of my AS and I asked the pharmacist about it. She though that stood for "standard dilution" but I think I read on B&B somewhere that it actually means "denatured". Does that sound right?

 

[jollytim]

Thanks jollytim. I guess I should have asked how is something denatured or what is the process? I found what is called "SD alcohol" in one of my AS and I asked the pharmacist about it. She though that stood for "standard dilution" but I think I read on B&B somewhere that it actually means "denatured". Does that sound right?

You are correct, it stands for Specially Denatured and is usually followed by a number that denotes what the denaturing ingredient is.

 

[dwLost]

I was under the impression "denatured alcohol" is 100% (200 proof) grain alcohol. Then denatured (so you can't drink it - IE tax free) I guess some methanol is added. Other wise it would be really good vodka at 200 proof!

Me Thinks!

 

[fuzzydoesit]

Denatured alcohol has methanol in it, as well as probably some acetone an maybe benzene. I used it as a solvent for shellac, but would never dream of putting it on my face. I use isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) in my AS concoctions. I buy it from the pharmacy and it is intended for topical use. I add a bit to some witch hazel and then add some drops of bergamot EO.

 

[jollytim]

Denatured alcohol has methanol in it, as well as probably some acetone an maybe benzene. I used it as a solvent for shellac, but would never dream of putting it on my face. I use isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) in my AS concoctions. I buy it from the pharmacy and it is intended for topical use. I add a bit to some witch hazel and then add some drops of bergamot EO.

Not all denatured alcohols are poisonous, some are non toxic like that used in mouthwash (38b) where some incidental ingestion is expected, but I agree the commonly available varieties I wouldnt put on my face either for the reasons you mentioned. Isopropyl is made for topical use but at tbe amount needed for use in AS I would be concerned about because it can be poisonous through absorption. But that's just me.It is noteworthy that all rubbing alcohols produced in the US, both isopropyl and ethyl, are by Federal regulation denatured and toxic.

There seems to be confustion about what is denatured alcohol and what isn't. In a nutshell ALL alcohol legally sold in the U.S. is denatured UNLESS it is purchased through a legal liquor retailer, even if it isn't conspicuously labelled as denatured. This includes rubbing alcohols.

But other than the type of alcohol used, that recipe sounds very nice and citrus-y.

 

[Musikmann]

You are correct, it stands for Specially Denatured and is usually followed by a number that denotes what the denaturing ingredient is.

Great, thanks for clearing that up. I think I've noticed the number you're talking about so I'll keep my eye on those.

 

[fuzzydoesit]

Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) does not need to be denatured. It is poisonous by itself. In Canada we cannot easily get ethanol that is high proof. I even had to bring denatured ethanol from the U.S. I have access to lab grade stuff, but it has benzene to help keep it from absorbing water. I have no problem diluting rubbing alcohol for topical use. It evaporates before it has much of a chance to absorb. If I had an easy way to get high proof grain ethanol I would use that for sure. Some for the skin and some for my mouth.

 

[Jinx18]

I have just started dabbling in making my own aftershave since I like basic ingredients and some aftershaves have tons of chemicals and here is what I have found. Some has already been stated here and keep in mind I am in the US. Canada and other countries may differ.

Alcohol is a taxed item in the US when used for drinking. When needed for uses that are not for drinking (aftershave, cologne, etc) you don't want to obviously pay unnecessary taxes so the alcohol is denatured (made so you can't drink it). There are many ways to denature alcohol. Some are more harsh than others. Things from the hardware store will be denatured harshly and not be suitable for putting on your face. The two best options and the only two I think people should use is perfumers alcohol which is a little hard to find and expensive. It is the closest thing to pure alcohol 200 proof except it is denatured. From there the next best thing is Everclear. It is 95% alcohol 190 proof and is obviously suitable for drinking. It is not legal for sale in all states though. You can google what states it is legal in.

I personally have been using Everclear. I figure it is very very close to pure alcohol and suitable for drinking so is safe to splash on your face. I got a bottle that's 375ml for about $10 from a liquor store. I then picked up a gallon of distilled water for $1.50 from the supermarket and a bag of menthol crystals from amazon. At cvs I bought some pure vegetable glycerin. Also I purchased some fragrance oils and have been experimenting. I like the results and it is fun. You can go as crazy or simple as you want. Still working out ratios of each.

 

[Nickypoo]

You could try here, they sell a whole bunch of cosmetic, perfumery and soap making stuff.

http://www.saffireblue.ca/shop/perfumery/perfumery-alcohol#.U7mZPLRzZhE

$50.00 hazmat fee if shipping to US though...

 

[the_shave_nerd]

Thanks to all who responded to my thread here. Very useful info. I'm going to give the Everclear a shot. I live in Louisiana and we're pretty lax on alcohol laws here.