5 Products You Can Make from Ethanol

Ethanol is one of the oldest and most versatile solvents known to man. Since it is produced naturally during fermentation of sugar, it was primed for early discovery.

Compared to water, ethanol is less polar, making it the ideal solvent for botanical extraction of mid-polarity bioactive compounds. It has inherent preservative properties and can function as an antimicrobial agent or disinfectant in product formulations.

Ethanol has a favorable safety profile, since it is easily metabolized by humans in small quantities, making it a suitable preservative for food and cosmetic use. It is also one of the greenest solvents in terms of environmental impact, as bioethanol can be produced via fermentation of crops like corn and sugarcane.

Here are just five products you can make from this versatile solvent:

1. Skin care products
2. Hand sanitizers
3. Herbal tinctures
4. Food packaging systems
5. Perfumes

Skin care formulations

Ethanol is an incredibly useful ingredient in skin care formulations, thanks to four key functions:

• Preservative/antimicrobial agent: Due to its inherent antimicrobial properties, small amounts of ethanol can function to preserve the shelf life of skincare products, improving both safety and efficacy.

• Solvent/solubilizing agent: Ethanol readily solubilizes bioactive compounds that occur naturally in plants. Consumers with a preference for naturally-derived ingredients will gravitate towards natural extracts solubilized in a safe, non-toxic solvent. For example, alpha-hydroxy acids and beta-hydroxy acids are naturally occurring in fruits, and can be extracted for use in skin care formulations to exfoliate the skin, improve texture, treat acne, and minimize signs of aging.

• Cleaning agent/ skin preparation: Small concentrations of ethanol in skin care formulations can help with removal of dirt and make-up.

•  Improves application, texture, and skin penetration: As a solvent, ethanol can help improve the homogeneity and overall texture of skin care formulations. Ethanol may also enhance skin penetration of active ingredients to improve the efficacy of the product.

Although the use of ethanol in skincare products is controversial, it is unlikely that the low concentrations of ethanol used in formulations will compromise the skin barrier.

Hand sanitizers

Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol are the two alcohols commonly used in hand sanitizer formulations. Both of these alcohols work to sanitize hands by denaturing the proteins of microbes. Ethanol is generally preferred to isopropyl alcohol as the less noxious ingredient. It is most effective in concentrations between 60-90%, as this allows for maximum protein denaturation.

Contrary to popular belief, hand sanitizers are actually less disruptive to the skin barrier compared to hand washing detergents. Ethanol-based hand sanitizers offer a safe and convenient way to mitigate the spread of germs in the absence of hand-washing facilities.

Herbal tinctures

Traditional herbal medicine practices are still alive and well today. In fact, modern pharmaceutical research often uses traditional herbal formulas as a pharmacopeia for drug discovery.

In herbal medicine, it is common practice to extract the bioactive herbal compounds using either a water decoction (a tea) or ethanol (a tincture). Ethanol-based tinctures may offer advantages over water decoctions in certain circumstances. For example, ethanol-based tinctures are more convenient to store and consume, since the ethanol functions as a natural preservative and the tinctures can be prepared ahead of time. Tinctures are more concentrated, and readily available in emergency situations. Additionally, small quantities of ethanol itself are often seen as medicinal for some conditions.

Innovative food packaging and preservation

As a food-safe preservative, ethanol is often used as a food additive, or to create innovative food packaging systems. For example, ethanol emitters are a type of active food packaging in which little sachets are engineered to slowly release ethanol. The slow release of ethanol inhibits microbial growth, and can preserve the shelf-life of bread and bakery products.

Basically, ethanol is adsorbed onto a carrier material and encapsulated in an inedible sachet. This sachet allows for slow release of ethanol during product storage. The presence of ethanol inhibits the growth of microorganisms by acting on the cell wall, cell membrane, or disrupting protein configurations. This can increase the shelf-life of bakery products by several weeks, preserving the sensory quality and safety.

Perfumes

Perfumes are expertly formulated using volatile organic compounds, or aromatic compounds that humans can smell. These types of compounds are often insoluble in water, which is relatively too polar. Ethanol, on the other hand, is less polar than water and makes a perfect base to dissolve these pleasant-smelling aromas.

Ethanol also has the perfect level of volatility to easily evaporate and leave the aromatic essence for us to experience. In fact, ethanol itself can enhance the aroma of other aromatic compounds, while having a relatively neutral odor itself. As we’ve discussed before, ethanol is also a natural preservative, helping to improve the shelf life and microbial safety of perfumes.

Where to buy ethanol

When you’re ready to start formulating, Lab Alley has all types of ethanol in-stock and ready to ship. From food grade, to pharmaceutical grade, kosher, halal, vegan, corn-based, and sugarcane-based, we pride ourselves on our collection of ethanol products.