What are the ingredients in rubbing alcohol?

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The ingredients will be listed on the bottle. There are two standard kinds of rubbing alcohol: (1) one made with isopropryl alcohol, which has a certain toxicity but is more pleasant or neutral smelling; and (2) one made with ethyl alcohol with an added denaturing agent to make it inedible. The ethyl alcohol (ethanol) variety has a bitter or sour or unpleasant smell, and is therefore much less popular than the isopropryl alcohol variety. This is why even though the pharmaceutical definition for "rubbing alcohol" is denatured ethyl alcohol, isopropryl alcohol is far more available commercially and is also labeled as "rubbing" alcohol. The uses of both varieties are the same, although isopropryl alcohol, because of its inherant toxicity, carries warnings about overuse and safe handling.

According to Wikipedia.org¹:

Common, over the counter "Rubbing Alcohol" in pads or in fluid form is generally 60-70% solution of isopropanol in water. Although Isopropanol is sometimes sold as "Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, 70%" and "Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, 99%" (harder to find but generally more useful for experimenters & cleaning uses), there is no isopropyl alcohol in the United States Pharmacopeia formula for Rubbing alcohol, U.S.P.. It is used as a disinfectant, and is a common solvent.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol

First answer by ID1168901795. Last edit by Softlavender. Contributor trust: 3 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 300 [recommend question]

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