What is Rubbing Alcohol?

Rubbing alcohol is a liquid used topically for disinfection or to soothe, cool, or warm the skin. It is made from 70 to 95 percent ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, along with water, acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and additives to give it a bitter taste. Some rubbing alcohol includes perfumes or artificial coloring.

Rubbing alcohol is a type of denatured alcohol, an alcohol product rendered unfit for human consumption by the addition of poisons and bitter-tasting ingredients. Denaturing allows an alcohol product to be sold without the taxes placed on drinking alcohol, so that it can be used for its other benefits. Rubbing alcohol can cause permanent injury or death if consumed.

Rubbing alcohol is most often used to disinfect medical instruments and human skin, especially in the case of minor injury or to prepare the skin for an injection. If left on the skin for two minutes, 70% ethyl alcohol will reduce the bacterial count by five percent. As an antiseptic, rubbing alcohol is ineffective against spores and fair against viruses and fungi, though it does well against vegetative bacteria.

Rubbing alcohol is also a mild rubifacient or counterirritant, which creates inflammation in one area in order to reduce inflammation in another area. Rubbing alcohol can have a cooling effect is left to evaporate off the skin, but it has a warming effect when rubbed in. However, one should be careful when applying rubbing alcohol to the skin, as it can be toxic if used over large areas. Inhalation poisoning is also a risk, so be sure to use rubbing alcohol only in well ventilated areas.

In addition to standard rubbing alcohol, isopropyl rubbing alcohol, which consists mainly of isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol, is also available. the two should not be confused, however, as isopropyl rubbing alcohol is mainly used as a solvent or cleaner, rather than for therapeutic uses.

Written by Niki Foster