How can mouthwash be alcohol free but have benzyl alcohol?

Hmm... I wrote to ACT, and this is the response I got: ACT Fluoride Rinse, while the label states it contains “Benzyl Alcohol,” doesn't contain “Alcohol” as defined by the US Food & Drug Administration and therefore the product is considered to be “alcohol free. read more

Benzyl alcohol used in our ACT Rinse products is in the product in a very small percentage and is used as a preservative for the product (such as certain ingredients added to foods to keep them from spoiling - BHT in bread for instance) and has very different properties than Ethyl alcohol. read more

It is always better to use alcohol free and chemical free mouthwash as these contents in the mouthwash may cause adverse effects like dryness of the mouth, vomiting, allergic reactions, stains on the teeth and gums, irritation to tongue etc. Use mouthwash 10-20 mins after brushing. Use intermittently, avoid long term use. read more

In normal conversation (and on the front of this bottle) it is usually used to refer to ethanol (the alcohol compound found in liquor), which some people can have allergic reations to - or want to avoid, if they are recovering alcoholics. read more