SD-40 high-grade purified grain alcohol
SD-40 is a high-grade purified grain alcohol, not synthetically produced. So pure is this alcohol that it would actually be drinkable, except that it has been mixed with a Denatonium salt, a colorless and odorless bittering agent not known to pose any health risks. By law, any cosmetic product sold in the United States using alcohol must also include a bittering agent, making it too bitter for internal consumption, taking it out of the liquor category.
Please note that SD-40 alcohol is not the same as the much harsher ethyl or isopropyl alcohol (both forms of rubbing alcohol). SD-40 begins evaporating instantly and evaporates completely just a very few minutes after you apply my scalp tonic.
The primary function of the alcohol is as a vehicle to transport the active ingredients to the scalp's surface and to allow them them to penetrate. There is no good, practical alternative for this alcohol. Without it, the product would lose most of its functionality and effectiveness. Moreover, some of the ingredients in the tonic are alcohol-soluble. Without alcohol, these would have to be eliminated. To avoid an alcohol smell, I added a natural peppermint flavor (not a fragrance), which gives the product a pleasant scent and, along with the alcohol itself, evaporates in minutes.
Scalp Tonic
Now with ginseng!
Alcohol aids in delivering the stimulating herbs such as Cayenne pepper and rosemary. The alcohol also, in the short-term, opens up the scalp's pores so the stimulating herbs may enter. Without this alcohol, most of the herbal solution would stay on the surface of your scalp without effective saturation and remain there until the next time you washed your hair.
Almost no one will be bothered by the trivial absorption of the alcohol in my scalp tonic, but if you absolutely cannot tolerate alcohol, I recommend you look for a pure jojoba oil, which also yields positive (though less effective) results.
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