Ethanol is among the oldest solvents, and cannabis is among the oldest cultivated plants. Interestingly, ethanol is still a top choice for cannabis extraction, even today.
If you are a business that creates and sells skincare products, you may be curious about the pros and cons of adding ethanol to your formulations. And if you try to research it, you might end up a bit confused. On the one hand, there are several reasons you may wish to include ethanol in skincare formulations.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the most important biologically-active compounds present in hemp and cannabis. Ethanol extraction is one of the oldest, yet still common, methods used to extract CBD from hemp.
Ethanol precipitation is a simple, efficient process that allows for the purification of traditional medicine herbal formulas. This technology operates on the principal that most bioactive compounds are increasingly soluble in higher ethanol concentrations, while compounds that are irrelevant or unsafe are usually less soluble. Increasing the ethanol concentration allows for impurities to precipitate out of solution while bioactive compounds remain. The result is a potent, bioactive concentrate that can be used to make tablets or granules in place of the less convenient, traditional decoction.
Ethanol is an important ingredient in the manufacture of hand sanitizers, thanks to the ability of ethanol to act as a disinfectant. Ethanol concentration is perhaps the most critical parameter for ethanol-based hand sanitizers, with 60-95% ethanol being the most effective disinfectant. Higher concentrations of ethanol are actually less effective, since water is required for protein denaturation and to slow down evaporation. Ethanol-based hand sanitizers are more effective than alcohol-free sanitizers, and even offer many advantages over hand washing with regular detergents.
Ethanol emitters are a type of active packaging designed to release ethanol during storage, in order to extend the shelf-life and quality of foods. Ethanol is an excellent choice for a preservative because it has a long history of use, proven efficacy, and safety. Food grade ethanol is essential for these applications to ensure consumer-safety.
Technically, ethanol can only be one thing: a 2-carbon alcohol with the formula CH3CH2OH. And yet, not all ethanol is created equal. Ethanol can be sourced, produced, and purified in multiple different ways. As it turns out, what goes on behind the scenes really does matter.
Ethosomes are an innovative way to improve the delivery of skincare ingredients across the powerful skin barrier. Ethosomes are comprised of phospholipids and high concentrations of ethanol. The presence of ethanol gives the ethosome unique properties that allow it to penetrate deeper into the dermal layers. The result is improved availability and efficacy of active compounds, which can help treat and prevent conditions like hair loss, acne, and hyperpigmentation.
Herbal tinctures are a still widely used for medicinal purposes around the world. Ethanol is often the best solvent for extraction of bioactive phytochemicals, thanks to improved extraction efficiency, preservation capabilities, and the purported medicinal effects of the ethanol itself. Although long-held traditions have dictated the best preparation method for various medicinal plants, modern technology has enabled us to identify the bioactive compounds that are the driving force behind the therapeutic benefits of some plants. And since medicine is only as good as the quality of its ingredients, it is imperative that herbal tinctures are made from the highest quality, food grade and organic ethanol.
Because ethanol is the second-most abundant chemical in wine, second only to water, it is an essential tool for enology research experiments. Real wine is incredibly complicated and can be difficult to study. Scientists often perform experiments in model wine instead. Model wine is a simplified chemical solution, consisting of just the major components, like water, ethanol, and a few other organic compounds like tartaric acid and sugars. For example, model wine is used to perform sensory and kinetic studies in wine. The same goes for other alcoholic beverages. Ethanol can also be used to make model whisky, model tequila, and so on.
