Which statement about alcohol is false?

• A. It dries the skin
• B. It moisturizes the skin pre-procedure
• C. It can act as an antiseptic
• D. It evaporates quickly

Answer: (B)

Alcohol dries the skin because it rapidly evaporates and strips away the skin’s natural oils and water. It works as an antiseptic by denaturing proteins and disrupting the lipids in microbial cell membranes, which is why it’s used to clean and sanitize skin. Its quick evaporation comes from a low boiling point, so the product dries fast and leaves the area dry. It does not moisturize; true moisturization requires emollients or humectants to add or retain water in the skin, which alcohol does not provide. So the statement claiming it moisturizes the skin before a procedure is false. The other properties—drying the skin, functioning as an antiseptic, and evaporating quickly—are accurate.