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What is Rubbing Alcohol?

Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster

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

A type of denatured alcohol, it has been 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. Alcohol in this form can cause permanent injury or death if consumed.

A bottle of rubbing alcohol.
A bottle of rubbing alcohol.

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 5%. As an antiseptic, it is ineffective against spores and fair against viruses and fungi, though it does well against vegetative bacteria.

Medical wipes soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Medical wipes soaked in rubbing alcohol.

This type of alcohol is also a mild rubifacient or counterirritant, which means that it creates inflammation in one area in order to reduce inflammation in another. It can have a cooling effect is left to evaporate off the skin, but it has a warming effect when rubbed in. People should be careful when applying rubbing alcohol to the skin, as it can be toxic if used over large parts of the body. It can be poisonous if inhaled, so people should only use it in well ventilated areas.

In addition to being used as an antiseptic to clean wounds, alcohol is a common ingredient used in household disinfecting products.
In addition to being used as an antiseptic to clean wounds, alcohol is a common ingredient used in household disinfecting products.

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

Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a TheHealthBoard editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Learn more...
Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a TheHealthBoard editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon112579

You can purchase a gallon of 99 percent isopropyl alcohol for only $20.50 online.

Yeah I know it's a pet website, but it's in their animal health section. Much cheaper than finding it in a pharmacy.

Alchemy

As a curious side note, flex fuel vehicles can use 99% denatured or isopropyl alcohol as a fuel additive. Seventy percent solution denatured alcohol will probably work, but your vehicle will run horribly because of the water content. I do not recommend running denatured alcohol in non flex-fuel vehicles because alcohol degrades rubber.

Adding 99% denatured alcohol to gasoline would be nearly the same as running gasohol in a vehicle. Flex fuel vehicles in the U.S. can run up to an 85%/15% solution of anhydrous ethanol to gasoline. Some European and South American vehicles can run even higher percentages.

The purpose of adding denatured alcohol or ethanol to gasoline is to oxygenate fuel. Although oxygenated fuel will sacrifice fuel economy, the vehicle will burn fuel cleaner.

surreallife

Rubbing alcohol is great for disinfecting medical instruments or for cleaning skin that is being prepared for injection.

However, rubbing alcohol also has a drying effect on the skin, and can even cause damage, therefore it should not be used on wounds.

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    • A bottle of rubbing alcohol.
      By: Gordana Sermek
      A bottle of rubbing alcohol.
    • Medical wipes soaked in rubbing alcohol.
      By: Haris Rauf
      Medical wipes soaked in rubbing alcohol.
    • In addition to being used as an antiseptic to clean wounds, alcohol is a common ingredient used in household disinfecting products.
      By: Lisa F. Young
      In addition to being used as an antiseptic to clean wounds, alcohol is a common ingredient used in household disinfecting products.
    • Rubbing alcohol can be used as an antiseptic on minor scrapes.
      By: soupstock
      Rubbing alcohol can be used as an antiseptic on minor scrapes.
    • Rubbing alcohol may help keep a wound clean while a person awaits medical attention.
      By: MarcoBagnoli Elflaco
      Rubbing alcohol may help keep a wound clean while a person awaits medical attention.