Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is a volatile solvent/antimicrobial typically used at meaningful levels in hand sanitizers (often 60–70%) and as a fast-drying solvent in some topical products, where it can strip lipids and disrupt the stratum corneum. Clinical experience and patch/irritation data consistently show it can cause stinging, dryness, and irritant contact dermatitis, with markedly higher risk in eczema, barrier-impaired, or post-procedure skin and when layered with other actives. Given its well-established barrier-disruptive effect and common real-world exposures, it warrants a significant irritancy score for patient safety. Safety Notes: In mainstream skincare, isopropyl alcohol is often used at very low levels (~0.05–5%) as a solvent, quick-dry carrier, or to aid solubilization of actives/fragrance, with higher use more common in rinse-off or fast-evaporating leave-on formats. At the high end, consumer-available antiseptic rubbing alcohol and alcohol-based skin prep products are typically 70% and are also widely sold up to 91–99% isopropyl alcohol (near-neat), which represents the practical maximum in OTC retail even though these are treated as antiseptic/skin prep rather than conventional facial skincare.

Suitability