9 Sneaky Ingredients to Watch Out for in Skin Care Products

You'll often find alcohol or ethanol in toners and other skin care products that tout de-greasing and oil-zapping benefits.

"While alcohol and ethanol can degrease the skin, they can be very irritating and drying, stripping your skin of its protective barrier," says Dr. Charlotte Birnbaum, a board-certified dermatologist at Spring Street Dermatology. "It does little to improve skin and the dryness it causes prevents tolerability of more proven anti-aging and anti-acne ingredients, like retinols."

In general, she says to avoid products with ethanol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, SD alcohol, or benzyl alcohol.

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