ALCOHOL HAIR PRODUCTS

Many hair care products contain alcohol. Alcohol acts as a preservative, helping products last longer on store shelves. While alcohol has some benefits, it also damages hair, making it appear dry, flaky, dull and lifeless. Longer shelf life is among the many reasons manufacturers add alcohol to hair care products. Alcohol is used as a preservative because it evaporates quickly. The problem is that when it evaporates, it takes a bit of your hair's moisture with it. Alcohol is also added to thicken hair products, keep them from foaming and protect them from microbes.

SHORT CHAIN ALCOHOL
Short-chain alcohols include ethanol, propyl and isopropyl alcohol. Ethanol is typically found in hair sprays. Due to a low molecule weight, these alcohols evaporate quickly and are used in hair care products to decrease the time it takes for hair to dry. You have approximately 100,000 hairs on your head. Each hair is protected by a cuticle, or outside layer, which protects the inner layers. When the cuticle gets dry, it causes the inner hair fibres to fray, making your hair appear dry and frizzy. Not all alcohols are bad for your hair.

FATTY ALCOHOLS
Fatty alcohols, or long-chain alcohols, such as stearyl and cetyl actually help to hydrate hair. Fatty alcohols are added as a moisturiser in hair care products. Hair looks smoother and softer because the cuticles are weighed down. If used in excess, these fatty alcohols combine with the natural sebum on the scalp, forming a sticky substance that makes hair appear greasy.No matter the products you are using, give your hair a chance to breathe. Avoid washing your hair a couple days a week. This helps to keep your hair shiny, bright and moisturised. When hair is wet, it stretches, making it more vulnerable to cuticle damage and breakage. If you need to wash your hair every day, try using a mild shampoo. If you have curly or dry hair, avoid washing your hair every day, as washing causes it to appear even more dried out.

Sorry for blabbing on so much, but FINALLY below I have listed which hair shampoos contain which particular alcohol.I have explained everything in the most simple way possible, feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Head and shoulders shampoo - benzyl alcohol.
Pantene shampoo - Cetyl Alcohol, high alcohol content and panethol. Pantene has actually been proven to make women lose their hair faster.