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Personally I don't drink. I used to drink a bit but it has never agreed with me and I don't particularly like effect it has on my body - I go from feeling fine to instantly hung-over after a few sips - and as such abstaining is not a problem. But as a chemist I don't abstain from alcohol (ethanol in this case), I use it in a number of formulations, not always but often enough to appreciate the benefits it can bring to a formula. But do these benefits come with risks? Does alcohol damage the skin? I have had enough clients turn their nose up at an INCI listing that includes 'alcohol' to know that it is an issue and have even had people wish to add alcohol to their 'free from' list, sometimes for religious reasons but mainly not. The main reason customers give is because of underlying concerns that topically applied alcohol will somehow damage the skin. I think it is about time that we investigated whether this really is the case.