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T-Butyl Alcohol

What T-Butyl Alcohol is & what it does

T-Butyl Alcohol is a small solvent and denaturant used in tiny amounts to help dissolve ingredients and, often, to make the alcohol in a formula undrinkable. It is not the same as the simple drying alcohol people worry about, and at the trace levels used it does not strip or dehydrate skin. It mostly evaporates as the product dries down.

What is T-Butyl Alcohol and what does it do in sunscreen?

T-Butyl Alcohol is a small solvent and denaturant. In a sunscreen it helps dissolve other ingredients and is frequently used to denature the alcohol in a formula, meaning it makes that alcohol bitter and undrinkable. It is used in small amounts and largely evaporates as the product dries.

Is T-Butyl Alcohol safe?

Yes, at the small amounts used in cosmetics it is considered safe and non-irritating for most people. It is a standard solvent and denaturant rather than an active ingredient. As with any volatile solvent, the trace levels in a finished sunscreen are well below any level of concern.

Is T-Butyl Alcohol drying like alcohol?

Not in the way people fear. It is used in trace amounts and is not the simple ethanol or rubbing alcohol blamed for drying skin. At these levels it acts as a solvent and denaturant and is not present in enough quantity to strip or dehydrate the skin.

Does T-Butyl Alcohol clog pores?

No. It is a small, volatile solvent rather than a heavy oil or wax, and it is not flagged as comedogenic. Much of it evaporates as the product dries, so it has no role in clogging pores.

Is T-Butyl Alcohol natural?

No, it is a synthetic solvent made in a lab and not found in nature. It is used in tiny amounts as a processing aid and denaturant, not as an active skincare ingredient.

Sunscreens with T-Butyl Alcohol

We rate 269 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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