How can it be moisturizing if it contains alcohol?

[jera]

After reading good things about Pantene Moisture renewal conditioner on these boards, I broke down today and bought some because it was on sale at the drugstore.
I was in a hurry, and didn't bother to read the ingredients list while in the store. I know, I know. I was stupid. :o
The second ingredient is Stearyl alcohol and the third is Cetyl alcohol. There's also Benzyl alcohol in it.

How can this stuff be s hydrating if it's loaded with alcohol? What are your favorite alcohol free ( and cone free ) conditioners? In your opinions? :confused:

Though I can get away with cones sometimes, daily use would make my hair crispy.

[HairColoredHair]

Stearyl and cetyl alcohol are conditioning ingredients. They aren't drying. Benzyl alcohol is probably part of the fragrance and could be drying, if I remember right.

[manderly]

Here's the wiki on cetyl & benzyl alcohol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetyl_alcohol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzyl_alcohol

Interestingly enough, benzyl alcohol is found in some essential oils!

You're freaking because of the word "alcohol", but in reality it's not like someone is pouring rubbing alcohol into your conditioner :)

[Xandergrammy]

jera, that conditioner should be fine. The type of alcohol I avoid is SD Alcohol 40. I can usually tell when anything has that in it because it smells like a martini to me. :bigeyes:

[jera]

Thanks guys for your helpful responses. I'll feel better about using it now.:)

[embee]

I'm glad you asked that question. It's one that often puzzled me in the past, as I found alcohols in hand lotion and so forth. It just makes no sense! Plainly I am not a chemist, and when I think alcohol I think drinks or rubbing alcohol, neither of which I would use on my skin or hair! ;)