Drying Alcohols and Curly/Wavy Hair Guide

This is the category that CurlsBot puts short-chain alcohols in. Short-chain alcohols are transparent fluids that evaporate quickly.

Their role in hair products is primarily as a solvent, to help things mix together/dissolve. They also can help products like hair spray dry fasting after application.

Should people with curly/wavy hair worry about drying alcohols?

Drying alcohols are a complex issue and as always, much depends on the formulation. There are a few products that CurlsBot recommends that contain small amounts of alcohol.

The cosmetic chemists at Beauty Brains explain that in products like conditioners, the alcohol is likely part of the manufacturing process and only present in small amounts.

Lorraine Massey particularly says to avoid short-chain alcohols in gels and shampoos in Curly Girl: The Handbook.

The right gel will leave your hair frizz-free and touchable, and all you’ll hear is how curlicious you look! Certain alcohols, like cetyl alcohol, are okay if they’re in a cleanser, but those used in gels can be extremely drying for hair and cause frizz. Plus, unlike cleansers, which get rinsed out quickly, gel lives in a curly girl’s locks for a day or more. If the gel contains alcohol, it will spend those days sucking up your strands’ moisture and will prevent new hydration from getting in.

When I mention “cleanser” I always mean a sulfate-free cleanser, by “conditioner” I mean a botanical conditioner, and by “gel” I mean one that’s free of harsh ingredients such as alcohol and silicone.

Teri Lafesh of Tightly Curly, author of Curly Like Me says

[alcohol is] not as bad if it appears near the bottom of the ingredient list, because there is very little of it in the product to cause problems, but avoid if near the top of the list. Also, they aren't as bad if you have them in a product you will rinse out quickly.

What about alcohol in hairspray?

It's pretty difficult to find a hairspray without alcohol, and if you do find one, you may find it doesn't work as well as a regular hairspray. So is it OK to use a hairspray with alcohol?

One expert I trust is the scientist who authors Science-y Hairblog. She says:

The key seems to be to use hairspray sparingly so it does not take much time to dry and to include emollients in the formula (or on the hair as oils or conditioners) to protect the hair by forming a barrier to the alcohol. Those emollients also reduce the shellac feeling of hairspray.

That said, if you have damaged, high porosity hair it might be worth avoiding altogether. Instead, you can use a gel for hold.