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View Full Version : Substitution for alcohol?


acorn elf
August 2nd, 2006, 03:38 PM
In a lot of toner recipes and other creams, or scents- they call for vodka. Being 15, I have no access to this and I'm guessing vinegar would be a cheaper astringent anyway. My question: can you switch vinegar for vodka and have it work the same way or am I thinking they're the similar when they aren't...?
dragoncrone
August 2nd, 2006, 03:58 PM
...would be a better substitute than vinegar, I would think...
Ivyrose
August 2nd, 2006, 04:14 PM
what about witchazel? thats a good astringet too and smells better than vodka or vinegar!
Bryony
August 3rd, 2006, 12:03 AM
Just use witchhazel. You won't smell like a salad dressing after you use it.
Astara Seague
August 3rd, 2006, 12:24 PM
I have to agree use witch hazel
Sev
August 3rd, 2006, 02:03 PM
In a lot of toner recipes and other creams, or scents- they call for vodka. Being 15, I have no access to this and I'm guessing vinegar would be a cheaper astringent anyway. My question: can you switch vinegar for vodka and have it work the same way or am I thinking they're the similar when they aren't...?

Well, you can use light oils for many things, but they have different properties than alcohol. I'm unsure as to whether these would be suitable for your purposes.

If your parents know about this, you could ask them to get the vodka for you, assuming they can trust you not to drink it. Barring that, you could get metholated spirits -- ethyl alcohol with enough methyl alcohol added to it that it's poisonous to drink. Isopropyl alcohol -- rubbing alcohol -- should also work.
Sev
August 3rd, 2006, 02:06 PM
Just use witchhazel. You won't smell like a salad dressing after you use it.

Unless you're using corn oil, you wouldn't wind up smelling like salad oil. ;) If you desire to use a vegetable oil in such products as a carrier or base, the really, really crappy grades of olive oil -- the ones that've been chemically extracted from what's left after they've made the 'good stuff' -- work great. It's called Pomace Oil or Pomace Grade, IIRC. These are virtually clear and practically scentless, making them poor olive oil but great for cosmetics and soaps.
acorn elf
August 4th, 2006, 09:37 AM
Well thanks everyone witch hazel or rubbing alcohol is sounding like the way to go. I'm not sure when oils came into the equation :) but I have some of those for other things.

I guess I could ask my parents to buy me vodka, I'm not an alcohol fan anyway, but we have some of these other things at the house already.