system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: why do most lotions contain alcohol when alcohol is very drying for skin?
gpt
Alcohol is a big word that contains a lot of different types of chemicals.  Some of them are dry but others are called "emollients" and they partially consist of fatty substances which help hold in moisture.

Putting them on your skin has a moisturizing and protective effect, and they also help in making the lotion because they hold some of the other chemicals together when their normal behavior would be to separate.

Note for adults: the FDA considers the common types of these emollients to be very safe.