Halohydrins may also be prepared from the reaction of an epoxide with a hydrohalic acid, or a metal halide.
This reaction is produced on an industrial scale for the production of chlorohydrin precursors to two important epoxides, epichlorohydrin and propylene oxide.  At one time, 2-chloroethanol was produced on a large scale as a precursor to ethylene oxide, but the latter is now prepared by the direct oxidation of ethylene.