Excipients · Alcohol, Alcohol Denat. · CAS 64-17-5

Alcohol (Ethanol)

The sense that 'it works because it stings' is misleading. Ethanol in a mouthwash is more often a solvent and preservative than an active component, and it has specific downsides.

QDRO position

We avoid it

Avoided in QDRO mouthwashes. A high ethanol content dries the mucosa and disrupts the microbiome without providing a therapeutic effect on its own; alcohol-free is the modern standard.

Many people read the sharp sting of a mouthwash as "so it works." That sensation is created by the alcohol — and it has nothing to do with a therapeutic effect. Ethanol in a formula more often plays the role of solvent and preservative than that of an active component.

Why It Is There

In mouthwashes, ethanol (INCI: Alcohol, Alcohol Denat.) solves technical tasks:

it dissolves essential oils and active substances that are poorly soluble in water;
it works as a preservative;
it produces that "fresh sting" the consumer associates with effectiveness.

The concentration in traditional formulas reaches 20–26%. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory work is done by other components (essential oils, cetylpyridinium chloride, and the like), not by the alcohol itself.

What the Downsides Are

Ethanol is a drying agent. Regular use of an alcohol-containing mouthwash:

dries the mucosa and reduces saliva flow, and saliva is the natural protective buffer of the mouth;
can disrupt the balance of the oral microbiome by acting non-selectively;
is contraindicated in xerostomia (dry mouth) — the ADA recommends precisely the alcohol-free forms for such patients.

Separately — about cancer, where it is important not to overstate. The link between alcohol-containing mouthwashes and oral cancer has been discussed for a long time but is not established: the large meta-analysis by Gandini (2012) did not confirm a statistically significant association after adjusting for smoking and alcohol, and a 2020 systematic review found the data inconclusive. The correct position is therefore not "causes cancer," but "there is an unresolved question, and when an alcohol-free alternative exists there is no reason to test it on yourself."

This is exactly why the entire premium segment moved to alcohol-free long ago as its flagship format.

What to Use Instead

A modern mouthwash does not need alcohol. Essential oils can be introduced through mild solubilizers; preservation can be provided by other systems; and the active work is done by evidence-based components — cetylpyridinium chloride, zinc compounds, fluorides.

QDRO designs mouthwashes without ethanol: the same sensation of freshness is achieved through the formulation rather than through stinging, and without the drying effect. That is why there is no alcohol as a functional component in our mouthwashes.