Drying Alcohols
Alcohol is one skincare ingredient that is smart to stay away from, especially if you are worried about wrinkles.
However, not all alcohols are the same. Paula's Choice explains the difference between drying alcohols (that you should avoid) and fatty alcohols (that are okay). Specifically, avoiding SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol is important--especially if it is one of the top ingredients on the bottle. However, you don't need to worry about fatty alcohols (like cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol).
According to Paula's Choice, "Consequences [of using skincare with alcohol] include dryness, erosion of the surface of skin (that’s really bad for skin), and a strain on how skin replenishes, renews, and rejuvenates itself. Alcohol just weakens everything about skin."
When fighting signs of aging, you want to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized. Plus, you want your skin to be able to rejuvenate itself. Alcohol makes both more difficult, which can contribute to premature aging, fine lines, and wrinkles.
With that in mind, if you are hoping to create an anti-aging skincare routine, avoiding theses alcohols is an important first step.