Is benzyl alcohol bad for you?

If there’s one thing people love to argue about, it’s the safety of common ingredients in household products. Once upon a time, people thought smoking was good for them! Nowadays we know better, but what about benzyl alcohol? Is this ubiquitous ingredient doing more damage than good?

Let’s dive deep and find out why “benzylicious” might not be as innocent as it looks.

What is Benzyl Alcohol?

Put simply, benzyl alcohol is an organic compound with the formula C6H5CH2OH. Yep, that’s just what I’m looking for in my skincare – a big bunch of letters and numbers that are impossible to pronounce!

It has been used in cosmetic products like lotions and moisturizers since forever ago because of its antibacterial properties that keep everything nice and sterile. More recently though (in fact very very very recently), some people (ahem The WitchTok community ahem) have started warning us away from things like fairy-themed lip scrubs or unicorn-shaped bubble baths because they contain Benzoyl Alcohol.

So What’s all the Fuss About?

Well first off let me ask you: do YOU enjoy headaches, rashes or hives? No??? Then dodge any product containing Benzoyl at all costs! This eerie sounding liquid has earned itself quite the rep among beauty enthusiasts who shun anything with long-winded chemical names ending in “alcohol”, seeing as many such substances can excessively dry out their skin over time leading to flaky redness.

And while we’re talking danger zones here: did you also know benzoic acid can cause allergic reaction too?? “But surely if those symptoms were true everybody would already know” I hear you say – Usually yes!! But thanks to viral Tiktok warnings right across lately saying otherwise…people still wanna jump on trends no matter what!

Give it to Me Straight: Is Benzyl Alcohol Safe?

Look, here’s a real answer for you from somebody who doesn’t want to scare you just for the sake of it: Benzyl alcohol is safe when used in low concentrations.

So why has this ingredient been triggered as #dangerous? It’s all based on “dose-dependent manner”, meaning whether or not benzylicious ingredients cause any problems depends entirely and absolutely how much of them are actually present. In larger amounts (over 1%) they can be more threatening but usually companies don’t try to get unnecessarily risky with their products – that stuff costs $$ after all!

No need worry even if we wanted lip scrubs end-of-times panic purchases- there’s still a slim possibility that ‘if’ we have ever covered ourselves top-to-toe with our favorite unicorn soap bars so many times throughout one day which contains oodles OF benzoyl…definitely would be bad news bears because cue dramatic music : high exposure will increase the risk…of irritation?? OH MY GOSH 🙄

What Products Contain High Levels of Benzoyl Alcohol?

While most skincare formulas containing benzoyl alcohol opt for lower percentages like <1%, household cleaning products could contain up to 10%! Especially disinfectants which oh-so-funny enough work by reaaallly overcompensating- absolutely annihilating anything anywhere by releasing allll their killing power at once, consequently causing coughing-gasping-teary eyed customers anxiously running around while trying crazy hard not inhale-inhaling. Everything else though generally plays nice and according the EWG database-a non-profit researching group- categorized benzyl relatively low on hazard scale.

If you already reacted bristly towards something that contained above range(though very unlikely), maybe stick safe only getting cosmetic supplies instead right now until deciding if can be reintroduced into your life.

The Bottom Line

So, is benzyl alcohol bad for you? Like many things in chemistry, it’s a little complicated! In low concentrations, benzyl alcohol is perfectly safe and even beneficial due to its antibacterial properties.

However – and this should go without saying – if you’re using a product with high levels of benzyl or have had an allergy to it in the past, it may be worth steering clear. There are plenty of other ingredients out there that can offer similar benefits without posing any risks.

At the end of the day though …let’s all remember our #selfcare routines are essential but absolutely not forgetting just having clean hands will make a difference!!

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