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Best Alcohol for perfume
Hi, I want to know if there is really influence in the quality of perfume by using pharmaceutical alcohol compared by what some called “perfume’s alcohol”?
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8 Replies
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Define ‘pharmaceutical alcohol’.Common alcohol used in perfumes aka ARO alcohol is cheap and odourless = denaturated with non-volatile compound such as bitter tasting rosemary extract. Other denaturanting agents such as camphor (commonly used to denaturate pharmaceutical ethanol), isopropanol or ketones may affect flavour profile or destroy fabrics whilst denatonium benzoate is too bitter to be used in cosmetics.The ‘perfect’ ethanol would be pure ethanol which you can not buy in pharmaceutical quality (it has no alcohol tax on it and therefore can only be used for pharmaceutical products) unless it’s sold as drinking alcohol. Here in Switzerland, the two versions used/sold in pharmacies are actually the same, just taxing and hence pricing are very different. Therefore, ARO ethanol is used for cosmetic products and perfumes. -
Pharma said:Define ‘pharmaceutical alcohol’.Common alcohol used in perfumes aka ARO alcohol is cheap and odourless = denaturated with non-volatile compound such as bitter tasting rosemary extract. Other denaturanting agents such as camphor (commonly used to denaturate pharmaceutical ethanol), isopropanol or ketones may affect flavour profile or destroy fabrics whilst denatonium benzoate is too bitter to be used in cosmetics.The ‘perfect’ ethanol would be pure ethanol which you can not buy in pharmaceutical quality (it has no alcohol tax on it and therefore can only be used for pharmaceutical products) unless it’s sold as drinking alcohol. Here in Switzerland, the two versions used/sold in pharmacies are actually the same, just taxing and hence pricing are very different. Therefore, ARO ethanol is used for cosmetic products and perfumes.Similar here in UK - there’s TSDA1 which is suitable for cosmetics, containing a minute portion of tBuOH and Bitrex (denatonium benzoate). There’s also TSDA5 which is more specifically for toiletries/perfumes, containing 95% ethanol and 5% benzyl benzoate*.
Perfumers alcohol, as found on sites such as eBay/Amazon/etc. is typically an undisclosed ethanol blend (such as TSDA1, or not) and isopropyl myristate and/or monopropylene glycol. The idea is to have the iPr Myr. or Prop Glycol as fixatives, so enhancing the longevity of your resulting perfume.
*the benzyl benzoate acts as the fixative in this formulation.
The TSDA’s would require an Excise licence from HMRC, buying small portions off eBay wouldn’t, though there’s no guarantee they’re shipping it correctly in-line with dangerous goods transport regs, or that the ethanol used is fit for purpose. -
@Pharma thanks for the answer about my definition of pharmaceutical Ethanol is Ethanol found in pharmacy and perfume’s Ethanol is Ethanol found in Cosmetics suppliers which is solding with very high cost,supposed contain fixative but actually I don’t really belive that.
And why many think that using isopropanol is bad idea to make perfume as I read? -
Well, you’ll find more or less EVERY type in pharmacies, in some countries even moonshine and the like
. We sell pure ethanol for drinking purposes and for pharmaceutical preparations, with camphor, with ketones, ARO, ‘methylated spirit’, and
many different elixirs, essences, and tinctures which may be considered
alcohol. During the first pandemic wave, schnapps-like ethanol qualities were also on the menu.Another definition of pharmaceutical ethanol is ethanol as described in pharmacopoeias but again, huge differences between countries. If I’m not mistaken, the European Pharmacopoeia lists 0.1% camphor which is utterly useless for perfumes and pure ethanol which can not be sold, both as 70% and 96% and the latter as anhydrous too. Pharma quality does not necessarily relate to denaturation and I (but not you) could buy said ethanols with a broad set of other denaturants from the Swiss alcohol producer . -
Fekher said:supposed contain fixative but actually I don’t really belive that.
And why many think that using isopropanol is bad idea to make perfume as I read?Why don’t you believe it? If they state that it contains isopropyl myristate, benzyl benzoate or propylene glycol then it is more fixative than ‘pure’ ethanol.
Have a look at the SDS for isopropanol. It’s is more narcotic (with respect to drowsiness/dizziness) than ethanol for the most part. -
@Fekher As I recall, it´s fragrance oils the ones that contain fixatives. Alcohol for cosmetic products as @Pharma mentioned, should comply with many parameters of purity (like the ones mentioned in the European Pharmacopaeia), since there are many sources and processes to obtain Ethanol (and because of that, many contaminants can be present, not to be mistaken with denaturants). In the case of Isopropanol, I believe it’s due to its higher toxicity than Ethanol the main reason for it not to be used in cosmetics.
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@Benz3ne I did not believe suppliers for cosmetic Ethanol because when I ask about the other ingredients they did not know exactly and about IPM and MPG by experience they did not have significant fixative effect.
@ketchito about IPA i’don’t think that toxicity because it is used with high level 75 % (v/v) as sanitizer. -
Alcohol-based sanitizer is not cosmetics.
Temporary Policy for Preparation of Certain Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Products During the Public Health Emergency (COVID-19) – Enabling entities that are not currently registered drug manufacturers the ability to temporarily register as over-the-counter (OTC) drug manufacturers and prepare alcohol-based hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Typically IPA was used in hospital and other industries.
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