What is it?
Ethanol, the same alcohol found in beer, wine and spirits. On cosmetic labels, “alcohol” means undenatured ethanol, while “alcohol denat.” is ethanol made undrinkable with an added denaturant. It dissolves other ingredients, evaporates quickly and kills germs, so it is used in perfumes, toners, hair sprays, deodorants, hand sanitizers, mouthwashes, medicines and household products.
Key information
- IARC classifies drinking alcoholic beverages, and the ethanol in them, as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1); that evaluation is about drinking, not skin products.
- After hand disinfection, blood ethanol levels were at least 10 to 20 times below levels that cause acute toxicity.
- It can dry or irritate skin in some people, it is flammable, and swallowing even a small amount of hand sanitizer can poison a child.
- In February 2026 an EU expert committee backed ethanol for hand sanitizers without deciding whether to classify it as carcinogenic or toxic to reproduction.
More information
Ethanol’s alarming reputation comes from IARC, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency. In 1987 IARC classified alcoholic beverages as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), for cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus and liver; colorectal and female breast cancer were added later. It also placed ethanol in alcoholic beverages, and the acetaldehyde associated with drinking them, in Group 1. These evaluations are about drinking. They reflect the strength of evidence that drinking causes cancer, not a finding about the far smaller amounts that reach the body through skin.
Ethanol does pass through skin, but not much. A 2008 review of topical ethanol found that after hand disinfection, the highest median blood levels were about 21 mg per liter, at least 10 to 20 times below levels that cause acute toxicity, and found no evidence linking topical use to skin cancer. It did flag mouthwash: limited studies linked higher-alcohol rinses to oral cancer risk, and alcohol-free rinses work as well. It also described skin dryness and irritation in some users and reported cases of allergic reactions.
The FDA warns that hand sanitizer is flammable and that drinking even a small amount can cause alcohol poisoning in children. In February 2026 the European Chemicals Agency’s Biocidal Products Committee supported approving ethanol for hand sanitizers and other disinfectants. It did not reach a conclusion on carcinogenicity or reproductive toxicity, noting that most of that evidence comes from drinking. The European Commission makes the final decision.
Reality check: the Group 1 classification is about drinking alcohol. In products applied to skin, ethanol is considered low risk for most people, though it can be drying. Keep alcohol-based products away from children, flames and the eyes. See also SD Alcohol 40-B; fatty alcohols such as cetyl and stearyl alcohol are different ingredients.
Sources: IARC: Handbooks of Cancer Prevention volume 20A, reduction or cessation of alcohol consumption (questions and answers, 2024); Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology (2008): Safety evaluation of topical applications of ethanol on the skin and inside the oral cavity; CIRS Group regulatory news: EU Biocidal Products Committee supports approval of ethanol for disinfectants (February 2026); FDA: Safely using hand sanitizer
