DRYING ALCOHOL
Alcohol Denat.
- drying alcohol
Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.
- products in our library
- 936
- of researched products
- 14%
- on the label, in our styling hairsprays
- usually #1
- most common in
- Styler: hairspray
- in water
- Volatile
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
How fast it leaves after the product is applied.
What is still on the hair once it has evaporated.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | None left behind | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses clean | 5 of 5 |
| Drying speed | Fast | 5 of 5 |
| Residue | None | 1 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Alcohol Denat. does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Lets a spray dry quickly; it does not stay on the hair.
What everything else is dissolved in before it reaches your hair.
It carries the formula onto the hair and then leaves.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Evaporates after application rather than staying on the hair, so it leaves nothing behind to remove.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: hairspray
207 products
In hairspray, denatured alcohol acts as a fast-evaporating solvent that carries the styling polymers and helps distribute them in a fine spray. As it evaporates, the polymers remain on the hair to form the hold film. Cosmetic Ingredient Review
|
leading · #1 | |
Dry shampoo
100 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Conditioner
84 products
|
secondary · #23 | |
Shampoo
62 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Styler: texture spray
55 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Finisher: shine spray
51 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Scalp treatment
51 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: volumizer
51 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Heat protectant
43 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Leave-in
42 products
|
secondary · #11 |
14 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Mask / treatment
41 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: paste
32 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: curl cream
24 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: gel
24 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Finisher: oil
18 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Finisher: serum
17 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: mousse
11 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
8 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: refresh spray
4 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Co-wash
3 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
3 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: lotion
3 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Finisher: end oil
1 product
|
secondary · #32 | |
Lightener
1 product
|
secondary · #17 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Styler: hairspray | 207 | 85% | 1 | 1 | leading |
| Dry shampoo | 100 | 77% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Conditioner | 84 | 7% | 23 | 1 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 62 | 4% | 19 | 1 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 55 | 56% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Finisher: shine spray | 51 | 50% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Scalp treatment | 51 | 18% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Styler: volumizer | 51 | 35% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Heat protectant | 43 | 21% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Leave-in | 42 | 6% | 11 | 1 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 41 | 7% | 8 | 1 | supporting |
| Styler: paste | 32 | 16% | 10 | 1 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 24 | 11% | 13 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 24 | 9% | 4 | 1 | supporting |
| Finisher: oil | 18 | 7% | 4 | 2 | supporting |
| Finisher: serum | 17 | 12% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Styler: mousse | 11 | 5% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 8 | 10% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Styler: refresh spray | 4 | 11% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Co-wash | 3 | 3% | 18 | 15 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 3 | 9% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: lotion | 3 | 8% | 7 | 1 | supporting |
| Finisher: end oil | 1 | 13% | 32 | 32 | secondary |
| Lightener | 1 | 33% | 17 | 17 | secondary |
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 597 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 101 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 69 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 72 |
| 26+ | Trace | 97 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Who should pay attention
Formulation guidance for specific hair conditions, limited to the label positions where it applies. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, or about you.
May suit hair that needs a fast-drying, lightweight spray base rather than an oil- or wax-led finish.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8. Researched in our styling hairsprays.Consider if hair is very dry or highly damaged: when alcohol is this prominent, the fast-evaporating base may leave the hair feeling drier.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8. Researched in our styling hairsprays.Porous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8.Rows marked “researched” were read for this ingredient and cited below; the rest are read from its chemical class.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- a spray that dries almost instantly
- a light, fast-drying formula
- nothing left on the hair
- body without weight on fine hair
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a primary volatile alcohol near the top of the ingredient list in our styling hairsprays
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- it is a carrier, not something left on the hair
- damage, since this class evaporates instead of staying on hair
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Why some people avoid it
A fast-evaporating solvent. It thins a formula so it sprays, and it makes a styling product set quickly instead of staying wet.
It evaporates fast, and it can take water with it. On hair that is already dry or damaged, a product built on a lot of it can leave the strand drier than it started.
Where regulators stand: Permitted and unrestricted. The fatty alcohols (cetyl, cetearyl, stearyl) share the word but do the opposite job. They condition, and this reading does not count them.
A formulation preference, not a regulatory finding
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Hydrofluorocarbon 152a · 333
- Aminomethyl Propanol · 255
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 253
- Citronellol · 233
- Benzyl Alcohol · 221
- Butylene Glycol · 200
- Geraniol · 198
- Tocopherol · 198
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 189
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 182
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to carry the formula and let it dry, keep the formula stable, and give it a scent.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Alterna · Finisher
Caviar Anti-Aging Rapid Repair Spray
#1 on the label · $8.12/oz
Alterna · Styler
Caviar Anti-Aging Working Hairspray
#1 on the label · $3.78/oz
American Crew · Styler
Alternator Finishing Spray
#1 on the label · $5.76/oz
American Crew · Styler
Grooming Spray
#1 on the label · $2.10/oz
Andrew Fitzsimons · Finisher
Prism Shine Invisible Shine Hair Spray
#1 on the label · $2.94/oz
Aussie · Styler
Instant Freeze Hairspray Aerosol-Free
#1 on the label · $0.59/oz
Aussie · Styler
Sprunch Hairspray
#1 on the label · $0.71/oz
Aveda · Styler
Air Control Light Hold Hair Spray
#1 on the label · $3.17/oz
Aveda · Styler
brilliant™ medium hold hair spray
#1 on the label · $3.53/oz
Aveda · Styler
control force™ firm hold hair spray
#1 on the label · $4.40/oz
Aveda · Styler
firmata™ firm hold hair spray
#1 on the label · $3.53/oz
Aveda · Scalp treatment
Invati Ultra Advanced Revitalizing Scalp Serum
#1 on the label · $20.00/oz
See all 936 products in the library that list Alcohol Denat.
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Alcohol Denat.
- CAS 64-17-5
- PubChem 702
- solvent
- alcohol
- alcohol (sda 38b)
- alcohol denat
- alcohol denat. (sd alcohol 40-b)
- alcohol denat. (sd alcohol 40)
- alcohol denatured
- denatured alcohol
- denatured alcohol (sd alcohol-40)
- ethanol
- ethanol (sd alcohol 40b)
- ethanol sda 40 b (dervived from corn)
- ethyl alcohol
- organic alcohol
- sc alcohol 40-b
- sd 40b alcohol
- sd alcohol 40
- sd alcohol 40 (alcohol denat.)
- sd alcohol 40-b
- sd alcohol 40-b (alcohol denat.)
- sd alcohol 40-b/alcohol denat
- sd alcohol 40b
- sd alcohol40-b(alcohol denat.)
For your hair?
Whether Alcohol Denat. matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 5th most-listed solvent or propellant in our libraryWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem : Compound identity: CID 702, CAS 64-17-5, C2H6O · accessed 2026-08-28
By product type
- Manufacturer or regulatory Cosmetic Ingredient Review : Identity, volatility, and cosmetic use of denatured alcohol, including hair-care products. · accessed 2026-08-27
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 936 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
