Can rubbing alcohol have long-term negative effects on the skin?!
Question: Can rubbing alcohol have long-term negative effects on the skin!?
I've been using rubbing alcohol every day, applied to a washrag, to clean my face for about four years now, I hardly ever have pimples, and have observed no bad effects on my skin!. But my mother says that it is "very bad" for skin when used in such a way, and could damage my skin later!. Is this probable!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Constant exposure of any irritant to the skin such as alcohol gel can cause something called irritant dermatitis!. This causes a severely itchy, red rash and pain in the areas exposed to the irritant!. It resolves once the irritant use has been stopped for a few days!.
It occurs because the irritant is damaging to the skin!. Alcohol gel is very drying and removes the oily protective layer of the skin, leaving it exposed to surfaces and the elements making it more prone to breaking down!. The chemicals will also be damaging to skin cells causing them to break down and die and triggering an inflammatory reaction to the irritant!.
Everyone has the potential to develop irritant dermatitis with alcohol gel products- but everyone is an individual and will have a set 'tolerance level' to exposure!. For example, you are washing your face a few times a day with alcohol gel with no problems for four years- you are more tolerant than someone who say has eczema and couldnt wash their face like this more than twice without developing irritant dermatitis!.
Just because you have been fine all these years doesnt mean you will continue to be fine!. You may develop irritant dermatitis at any time, as soon as your skin has had too much exposure it will develop a reaction to the gel!.
The best way to protect your skin is to moisturise the exposed areas immediately after each wash!. This will add back the protective layer, keep your skin hydrated and protect it from the elements!. If you do develop an itchy red rash, stop using the gel for a few weeks until it calms down!. You then should be alright to start using it again but once it's happened once it will happen ever more frequently!.
I do suggest you stop using the alcohol rub and switch to a more pH friendly soap instead to prevent this from happening!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
It occurs because the irritant is damaging to the skin!. Alcohol gel is very drying and removes the oily protective layer of the skin, leaving it exposed to surfaces and the elements making it more prone to breaking down!. The chemicals will also be damaging to skin cells causing them to break down and die and triggering an inflammatory reaction to the irritant!.
Everyone has the potential to develop irritant dermatitis with alcohol gel products- but everyone is an individual and will have a set 'tolerance level' to exposure!. For example, you are washing your face a few times a day with alcohol gel with no problems for four years- you are more tolerant than someone who say has eczema and couldnt wash their face like this more than twice without developing irritant dermatitis!.
Just because you have been fine all these years doesnt mean you will continue to be fine!. You may develop irritant dermatitis at any time, as soon as your skin has had too much exposure it will develop a reaction to the gel!.
The best way to protect your skin is to moisturise the exposed areas immediately after each wash!. This will add back the protective layer, keep your skin hydrated and protect it from the elements!. If you do develop an itchy red rash, stop using the gel for a few weeks until it calms down!. You then should be alright to start using it again but once it's happened once it will happen ever more frequently!.
I do suggest you stop using the alcohol rub and switch to a more pH friendly soap instead to prevent this from happening!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Here's the best astringent I have ever used:
One part water,
one part rubbing alcohol,
and a bunch of squirts of that light aloe vera lotion that won't make your skin oily shake them up in a bottle!. use it with cotton balls until you are no longer seeing dirt on the cotton!. This can be used to effectively clean and moistureize your face at the same time, if you don't have time to wash!.
You should be able to smell and slightly feel the alcohol on your skin, but the lotion and water will dilute its potency and drying affects!. I would suggest using a cleanser beforehand and a light lotion atferward!. I use Neutrogena cream cleanser!. This combination seems to keep my skin really nice! I used to have terrible redness and huge pores!. Now I can have zits, but my complection is so nice that no one notices them and they aren;t that bad or red!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
One part water,
one part rubbing alcohol,
and a bunch of squirts of that light aloe vera lotion that won't make your skin oily shake them up in a bottle!. use it with cotton balls until you are no longer seeing dirt on the cotton!. This can be used to effectively clean and moistureize your face at the same time, if you don't have time to wash!.
You should be able to smell and slightly feel the alcohol on your skin, but the lotion and water will dilute its potency and drying affects!. I would suggest using a cleanser beforehand and a light lotion atferward!. I use Neutrogena cream cleanser!. This combination seems to keep my skin really nice! I used to have terrible redness and huge pores!. Now I can have zits, but my complection is so nice that no one notices them and they aren;t that bad or red!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I think you need to talk to a dermatologist to be certain!. I've heard that it isn't healthy either, I don't know what damage it does though!. A daily regimen for cleaning your face alone may be one of the reasons along with diet and genes that you don't have pimples!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
It will cause your skin to be dry and could lead to some sensitivity to the sunlight!. Dry skin has a tendency to gain wrinkles easier than other skin types in the future!. You should maybe switch to a toner of some sort or try witch hazel!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
rubbing alcohol as well as any alcohol-based product has a drying effect on the skin!. As long as you use moisturizers regularly you should be fine!.
Also make sure to use the rubbing alcohol in a well-ventilated areaWww@Answer-Health@Com
Also make sure to use the rubbing alcohol in a well-ventilated areaWww@Answer-Health@Com
Rubbing alcohol severely dries your skin, and can form irreversible effects onto zit-spots!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
it will dry your skin outWww@Answer-Health@Com
yes u may have dryness and chronic irrritationWww@Answer-Health@Com
I could be wrong!.!.!. but it think witch hazel would be a safer alternative!.Www@Answer-Health@Com