now it has been found that hydroalcoholic cosmetic compositions utilizing ethyl alcohol denatured with menthol promotes shrinkage of skin pores when applied to the skin . ordinarily the ethyl alcohol will be sda 38b grade which has been denatured with menthol or a menthol containing mixture such as peppermint oil . amounts of the denatured ethyl alcohol may range from about 1 to about 60 %, preferably from about 10 to about 40 %, optimally from about 12 to about 20 % by weight of the composition . denaturizing amounts of menthol in the ethyl alcohol will range from about 0 . 3 to about 3 %, preferably from about 1 to about 2 . 5 %, and optimally from about 1 . 3 to about 2 % by weight of the denatured ethyl alcohol . water will be present in compositions of this invention . amounts of water may range from about 5 to about 95 %, preferably from about 20 to about 85 %, more preferably from about 30 to about 75 %, and optimally from about 40 % to about 70 % by weight of the composition . humectants are another element of the present invention . this category is represented by polyhydric alcohol - type materials . illustrative are glycerol ( also known as glycerin ), propylene glycol , dipropylene glycol , polypropylene glycol , polyethylene glycol , sorbitol , hydroxypropyl sorbitol , hexylene glycol , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol , 1 , 2 , 6 - hexane triol , ethoxylated glycerol , propoxylated glycerol , maltitol , isoprene glycol and mixtures thereof . preservatives are components of the present invention . particularly preferred preservatives are phenoxyethanol , methyl paraben , propyl paraben , imidazolidinyl urea , dimethyloldimethylhydantoin , ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid salts ( edta ), sodium dehydroacetate , methylchloroisothiazolinone , methylisothiazolinone , iodopropynbutylcarbamate and benzyl alcohol . the preservatives should be selected having regard for the use of the composition and possible incompatibilities between the preservatives and other ingredients . preservatives are preferably employed in amounts ranging from about 0 . 00001 to about 3 %, preferably from about 0 . 01 % to about 2 % by weight of the composition . cosmetic compositions of this invention may be cleansers , toners , creams , gels , serums , masks and lotions . the term “ cosmetic ” means any composition which provides a benefit to the skin , and excludes compositions such as toothpaste and mouthwash used in the oral cavity . most particularly , the hydroalcoholic compositions of this invention are in toner format . in these compositions it is desirable to have a solubilizer . illustrative solubilizers are polypropylene glycol copolymers with c 8 - c 24 fatty acids or alcohols . a particular example is ppg - 2 isoceteth - 20 acetate . amounts of the solubilizer may range from about 0 . 1 to about 20 %, preferably from about 0 . 5 to about 1 % by weight of the composition . when in toner form , the composition advantageously is a transparent or translucent gel which maintains suspended bubbles through use of the solubilizer . the bubbles have an average diameter ranging from about 0 . 001 to about 2 mm and range in amount from about 1 to about 1 , 000 per cc 3 . viscosity of the gel ranges from about 2 , 000 to about 15 , 000 , preferably from about 5 to about 8 , 000 cp as measured on a brookfield rvf viscometer at 10 rpm using spindle 5 at 25 ° c . the bubbles of gas ( e . g . air , nitrogen or carbon dioxide ) in the gel are stable at 25 ° c . for at least 7 days . compositions of this invention may include a variety of other functional ingredients . these include emollients , fatty acids , fatty alcohols , thickeners and combinations thereof . emollient materials may be in the form of silicone oils , natural or synthetic esters and hydrocarbons . amounts of the emollients may range anywhere from about 0 . 1 to about 60 %, preferably from about 1 and about 30 % by weight of the composition . silicone oils may be divided into the volatile and nonvolatile variety . the term “ volatile ” as used herein refers to those materials which have a measurable vapor pressure at ambient temperature . volatile silicone oils are preferably chosen from cyclic ( cyclomethicone ) or linear polydimethylsiloxanes containing from 3 to 9 , preferably from 4 to 5 , silicon atoms . nonvolatile silicone oils useful as an emollient material include polyalkyl siloxanes , polyalkylaryl siloxanes and polyether siloxane copolymers . the essentially nonvolatile polyalkyl siloxanes useful herein include , for example , polydimethyl siloxanes with viscosities of from about 5 × 10 6 to 0 . 1 m 2 / s at 25 ° c . among the preferred nonvolatile emollients useful in the present compositions are the polydimethyl siloxanes having viscosities from about 1 × 10 − 5 to about 4 × 10 − 4 m 2 / s at 25 ° c . another class of nonvolatile silicones are emulsifying and non - emulsifying silicone elastomers . representative of this category is dimethiconeninyl dimethicone crosspolymer available as dow corning 9040 , general electric sfe 839 , and shin - etsu ksg - 18 . silicone waxes such as silwax ws - l ( dimethicone copolyol laurate ) may also be useful . a ) alkyl esters of saturated fatty acids having 10 to 24 carbon atoms . examples thereof include behenyl neopentanoate , isononyl isonanonoate , isopropyl myristate and octyl stearate . b ) ether - esters such as fatty acid esters of ethoxylated saturated fatty alcohols . c ) polyhydric alcohol esters . ethylene glycol mono and di - fatty acid esters , diethylene glycol mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polyethylene glycol ( 200 - 6000 ) mono - and di - fatty acid esters , propylene glycol mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polypropylene glycol 2000 monostearate , ethoxylated propylene glycol monostearate , glyceryl mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polyglycerol poly - fatty esters , ethoxylated glyceryl monostearate , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol monostearate , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol distearate , polyoxyethylene polyol fatty acid ester , sorbitan fatty acid esters , and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters are satisfactory polyhydric alcohol esters . particularly useful are pentaerythritol , trimethylolpropane and neopentyl glycol esters of c 1 - c 30 alcohols . d ) wax esters such as beeswax , spermaceti wax and tribehenin wax . e ) sugar ester of fatty acids such as sucrose polybehenate and sucrose polycotton seed ate . natural ester emollients principally are based upon mono -, di - and tri - glycerides . representative glycerides include sunflower seed oil , cottonseed oil , borage oil , borage seed oil , primrose oil , castor and hydrogenated castor oils , rice bran oil , soybean oil , olive oil , safflower oil , shea butter , jojoba oil and combinations thereof . animal derived emollients are represented by lanolin oil and lanolin derivatives . amounts of the natural esters may range from about 0 . 1 to about 20 % by weight of the compositions . hydrocarbons which are suitable include petrolatum , mineral oil , c 11 - c 13 isoparaffins , polybutenes , and especially isohexadecane , available commercially as permethyl 101a from presperse inc . fatty acids having from 10 to 30 carbon atoms may also be present . illustrative of this category are pelargonic , lauric , myristic , palmitic , stearic , isostearic , oleic , linoleic , linolenic , hydroxystearic and behenic acids . fatty alcohols having from 10 to 30 carbon atoms are another useful category of ingredient . illustrative are stearyl alcohol , lauryl alcohol , myristyl alcohol , oleyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol . thickeners can be utilized as part of compositions according to the present invention . typical thickeners include crosslinked acrylates ( e . g . carbopol 982 ®), hydrophobically - modified acrylates ( e . g . carbopol 1382 ®), polyacrylamides ( e . g . sepigel 305 ®), acryloylmethylpropane sulfonic acid / salt polymers and copolymers ( e . g . aristoflex hmb ® and avc ®), cellulosic derivatives and natural gums . among useful cellulosic derivatives are sodium carboxymethylcellulose , hydroxypropyl methocellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose , ethyl cellulose and hydroxymethyl cellulose . natural gums suitable for the present invention include guar , xanthan , sclerotium , carrageenan , pectin and combinations of these gums . inorganics may also be utilized as thickeners , particularly clays such as bentonites and hectorites , fumed silicas , talc , calcium carbonate and silicates such as magnesium aluminum silicate ( veegum ®). amounts of the thickener may range from 0 . 0001 to 10 %, usually from 0 . 001 to 2 %, optimally from 0 . 01 to 1 . 5 % by weight of the composition . surfactants may also be present in compositions of the present invention . total concentration of the surfactant when present may range from about 0 . 1 to about 90 %, preferably from about 1 to about 40 %, optimally from about 1 to about 20 % by weight of the composition , and being highly dependent upon the type of cosmetic product . the surfactant may be selected from the group consisting of anionic , nonionic , cationic and amphoteric actives . particularly preferred nonionic surfactants are those with a c 10 - c 20 fatty alcohol or acid hydrophobe condensed with from 2 to 100 moles of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide per mole of hydrophobe ; c 2 - c 10 alkyl phenols condensed with from 2 to 20 moles of alkylene oxide ; mono - and di - fatty acid esters of ethylene glycol ; fatty acid monoglyceride ; sorbitan , mono - and di - c 8 - c 20 fatty acids ; and polyoxyethylene sorbitan as well as combinations thereof . alkyl polyglycosides and saccharide fatty amides ( e . g . methyl gluconamides ) and trialkylamine oxides are also suitable nonionic surfactants . preferred anionic surfactants include soap , alkyl ether sulfates and sulfonates , alkyl sulfates and sulfonates , alkylbenzene sulfonates , alkyl and dialkyl sulfosuccinates , c 8 - c 20 acyl isethionates , c 8 - c 20 alkyl ether phosphates , c 8 - c 20 sarcosinates , c 8 - c 20 acyl lactylates , sulfoacetates and combinations thereof . useful amphoteric surfactants include cocoamidopropyl betaine , cocoamidopropyl hydroxysultaine , c 12 - c 20 trialkyl betaines , sodium lauroamphoacetate , and sodium laurodiamphoacetate . sunscreen agents may also be included in compositions of the present invention . particularly preferred are such materials as ethylhexyl p - methoxycinnamate , available as parsol mcx ®, avobenzene , available as parsol 1789 ® and benzophenone - 3 , also known as oxybenzone . inorganic sunscreen actives may be employed such as microfine titanium dioxide and zinc oxide . amounts of the sunscreen agents when present may generally range from 0 . 1 to 30 %, preferably from 2 to 20 %, optimally from 4 to 10 % by weight of the composition . antiperspirants and deodorant compositions of the present invention ordinarily will contain astringent actives . examples include aluminum chloride , aluminum chlorhydrex , aluminum - zirconium chlorhydrex glycine , aluminum sulfate , zinc sulfate , zirconium and aluminum chlorohydroglycinate , zirconium hydroxychloride , zirconium and aluminum lactate , zinc phenolsulfonate and combinations thereof . amounts of the astringents may range anywhere from about 0 . 5 to about 50 % by weight of the composition . compositions of the present invention may include vitamins . illustrative vitamins are vitamin a ( retinol ), vitamin b 2 , vitamin b 3 ( niacinamide ), vitamin b 6 , vitamin c , vitamin e , folic acid and biotin . derivatives of the vitamins may also be employed . for instance , vitamin c derivatives include ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate , magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl glycoside . derivatives of vitamin e include tocopheryl acetate , tocopheryl palmitate and tocopheryl linoleate . dl - panthenol and derivatives may also be employed . total amount of vitamins when present in compositions according to the present invention may range from 0 . 001 to 10 %, preferably from 0 . 01 % to 1 %, optimally from 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 % by weight of the composition . another type of useful substance can be that of an enzyme such as amylases , oxidases , proteases , lipases and combinations . particularly preferred is superoxide dismutase , commercially available as biocell sod from the brooks company , usa . skin lightening compounds may be included in the compositions of the invention . illustrative substances are placental extract , lactic acid , niacinamide , arbutin , kojic acid , ferulic acid , resorcinol and derivatives including 4 - substituted resorcinols and combinations thereof . amounts of these agents may range from about 0 . 1 to about 10 %, preferably from about 0 . 5 to about 2 % by weight of the composition . desquamation promoters may be present . illustrative are the alpha - hydroxycarboxylic acids and beta - hydroxycarboxylic acids . the term “ acid ” is meant to include not only the free acid but also salts and c 1 - c 30 alkyl or aryl esters thereof and lactones generated from removal of water to form cyclic or linear lactone structures . representative acids are glycolic , lactic and malic acids . salicylic acid is representative of the beta - hydroxycarboxylic acids . amounts of these materials when present may range from about 0 . 01 to about 15 % by weight of the composition . a variety of herbal extracts may optionally be included in compositions of this invention . the extracts may either be water soluble or water - insoluble carried in a solvent which respectively is hydrophilic or hydrophobic . water and ethanol are the preferred extract solvents . illustrative extracts include those from green tea , chamomile , licorice , aloe vera , grape seed , citrus unshui , willow bark , sage , thyme and rosemary . also included may be such materials as lipoic acid , retinoxytrimethylsilane ( available from clariant corp . under the silcare 1m - 75 trademark ), dehydroepiandrosterone ( dhea ) and combinations thereof . ceramides ( including ceramide 1 , ceramide 3 , ceramide 3b and ceramide 6 ) as well as pseudoceramides may also be useful . amounts of these materials may range from about 0 . 000001 to about 10 %, preferably from about 0 . 0001 to about 1 % by weight of the composition . colorants , opacifiers and abrasives may also be included in compositions of the present invention . each of these substances may range from about 0 . 05 to about 5 %, preferably between 0 . 1 and 3 % by weight of the composition . the compositions of the present invention can also be , optionally , incorporated into an insoluble substrate for application to the skin such as in the form of a treated wipe . a wide variety of packaging can be employed to store and deliver the cosmetic compositions . packaging is often dependent upon the type of personal care end - use . for instance , leave - on skin lotions and creams generally employ plastic containers with an opening at a dispensing end covered by a closure . typical closures are screw - caps , non - aerosol pumps and flip - top hinged lids . packaging for antiperspirants and deodorants involve a container with a roll - on ball on a dispensing end . metallic cans pressurized by a propellant and having a spray nozzle may serve as packaging for antiperspirants and other personal care products . all of the aforementioned are considered packaging within context of the present invention . the term “ comprising ” is meant not to be limiting to any subsequently stated elements but rather to encompass non - specified elements of major or minor functional importance . in other words the listed steps , elements or options need not be exhaustive . whenever the words “ including ” or “ having ” are used , these terms are meant to be equivalent to “ comprising ” as defined above . except in the operating and comparative examples , or where otherwise explicitly indicated , all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material ought to be understood as modified by the word “ about ”. all documents referred to herein , including all patents , patent applications , and printed publications , are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety in this disclosure . the following examples will more fully illustrate the embodiments of this invention . all parts , percentages and proportions referred to herein and in the appended claims are by weight unless otherwise illustrated . this example illustrates a gel - type toner according to the present invention . table i outlines illustrative toners . table i sample ( weight %) ingredient 1a 1b 1c 1d 1e sd alcohol 38b ( menthol 10 15 20 25 30 denatured ) dipropylene glycol 5 5 5 5 5 glycerin 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 witch hazel 1 1 1 1 1 ppg - 2 isoceteth - 20 acetate 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 triethanolamine 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 carbopol ultrez 10 ® 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 methyl paraben 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 dmdm hydantoin 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 fragrance 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 dl panthenol 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 vitamin a palmitate 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 vitamin e acetate 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 water bal . bal . bal . bal . bal . this example illustrates moisturizer creams . table ii reports components of various related moisturizer compositions . table ii sample ( weight %) ingredient 2a 2b 2c 2d 2e cyclopentasiloxane 10 . 75 9 . 50 9 . 50 8 . 25 12 . 50 sd alcohol 38b ( menthol 3 . 00 3 . 00 6 . 00 6 . 00 2 . 00 denatured ) glycerin 2 . 50 3 . 00 2 . 50 3 . 50 1 . 75 butylene glycol 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 shea butter 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 caprylic / capric triglycerides 5 . 70 5 . 70 5 . 70 5 . 70 5 . 70 aristoflex avc ® 1 . 10 1 . 10 1 . 10 1 . 10 1 . 10 linoleic acid 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 stearic acid 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 vitamin e acetate 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 cholesterol 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 aristoflex hmb ® 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 dimethicone 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 sodium lactate 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 glydant plus ® 0 . 20 0 . 20 0 . 20 0 . 20 0 . 20 fragrance 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 sodium citrate 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 dl panthenol 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 disodium edta 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 triethanolamine 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 05 water bal . bal . bal . bal . bal . this example illustrates a five minute moisture mask . table iii illustrates various related formulas . table iii sample ( weight %) ingredient 3a 3b 3c 3d 3e cyclopentasiloxane 12 . 00 9 . 50 6 . 75 5 . 10 10 . 89 sd alcohol 38b ( menthol 6 . 00 3 . 00 3 . 00 8 . 00 4 . 00 denatured ) glycerin 2 . 00 3 . 00 1 . 00 2 . 00 0 . 50 butylene glycol 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 apricot kernel oil 1 . 00 3 . 00 1 . 00 3 . 00 2 . 00 shea butter 0 . 75 1 . 00 0 . 50 0 . 50 1 . 00 cholesterol 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 aristoflex hmb ® 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 dimethicone 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 0 . 25 aristoflex avc ® 1 . 25 1 . 25 1 . 25 1 . 25 1 . 25 glydant plus ® 0 . 20 0 . 20 0 . 20 0 . 20 0 . 20 dl panthenol 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 disodium edta 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 citric acid 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 titanium dioxide 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 aloe vera 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 pentylene glycol 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 phytantriol 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 safflower oil phospholipid 0 . 50 0 . 50 0 . 50 0 . 50 0 . 50 sunflower seed oil 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 linoleic acid 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 stearic acid 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 vitamin e acetate 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 sodium lactate 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 beta glucan 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 oat extract 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 0 . 10 fragrance 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 vitamin a palmitate 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 hyaluronic acid 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 water bal . bal . bal . bal . bal . a clinical study is herein reported which evaluated the effect of formulas of the present invention on reducing the size of facial pores . the study utilized a half face study design in which subjects had two different products applied to each side of their face by a clinician . a trained grader evaluated 22 female panelists . visual evaluation for visible pores on the cheeks was conducted by using a grading scale based on a pore ruler . the pore ruler is a set of 10 images starting at 1 ( very few visibly large pores ) and increasing by whole points to 10 ( many visibly large pores ). the clinical grading scale is identified in the table iv below . in addition to cheek pore grading , visual evaluation for visible pores on the nose was also performed using the following grading scale detailed in the table below . table iv grade description 1 none to very visible pore present 2 slight amount of visible pores present of small size 3 slight to moderate amount of visible pores present and / or small to moderate size 4 moderate amount of visible pores present and / or moderate to large size 5 extreme amount of visible pores present and / or large size panelist portrait close - ups were captured using a nikon d1 camera and 105 mm - macro lens . panelist positioning and repositioning was managed with the canfield positioning system . each panelist had product applied to both sides of their face by a clinician . three cotton rounds were loaded with 1 . 0 cc of test product . the cotton rounds were used to apply product to three sections of the face . one cotton round was used on half the forehead for 5 seconds , a second cotton round was used on half of the nose and upper cheek for 5 seconds and a third cotton round was used on half of the chin and lower cheek for 5 seconds . this study involved a single application of the test products . data was entered on an excel ® spreadsheet . thereupon the mean , standard deviation and student &# 39 ; s t - test were calculated . the level of significance was set prior to the test at 0 . 05 . digital images of the panelists &# 39 ; “ t zone ” were captured with the camera in a horizontal / landscape orientation . image size and quality was set to camera maximum of 2000 pixels wide by 1312 pixels high . the images were analyzed for pore size , visibility and contrast using a idl 6 . 0 macro . the test products were the formulas described in example 1 , sample 1b with 15 % menthol denatured alcohol and sample 1e with 30 % menthol denatured alcohol . results are recorded in the table below . both sample 1e and 1b revealed a significant decrease in cheek pore visibility 30 minutes post treatment . there was no significant differences noted between the two samples . there were no changes in the nose pore size 30 minutes post treatment for either of the samples tested . table v below reports on sebumeter data on changes in sebum levels . table v sebumeter data 30 min . post change from sample baseline treatment baseline p - value 1e 135 . 50 105 . 95 − 29 . 55 0 . 03 * 1b 127 . 27 94 . 05 − 33 . 23 0 . 01 * sample 1e exhibited a significant reduction in sebum levels 30 minutes post treatment . this reflected a 21 . 80 % reduction from baseline . sample 1b also significantly reduced skin surface oil 30 minutes post treatment . there was a 26 . 11 % reduction from baseline for this formula .
a hydroalcoholic cosmetic composition is provided which when topically applied to the face can shrink skin pores . the composition is focused upon denatured ethyl alcohol utilizing menthol as denaturing agent . further included in the composition are humectants , preservatives and water . also described is a method for reducing skin pore size .