What to Look for in a Hand Sanitizer

These days it is important to keep hands clean. As more research comes out surrounding COVID-19, the one thing that has stayed the same is the recommendation that sanitizing your hands is the best way to stay healthy and fight infection. The easiest and best way to do this is with soap and water, but we know that there are times when that is not an option. The next best thing to use when you cannot wash your hands is hand sanitizer. It is a great choice to use to hold you over until soap and water can be used as it kills germs. With many different hand sanitizer options on the market, it can be tricky to know what to pick. Below are some tips to think about when looking at hand sanitizer.

What Makes a Good Hand Sanitizer

The main ingredient to make sure a hand sanitizer includes is alcohol. To be fully effective, it should be in a concentration between 60 and 95 percent. Alcohol helps to kill different types of microbes, including bacteria and viruses. So if the concentration is less than the stated range, it runs the chance of reducing germs instead of killing them. It is important to look at the label and see what alcohol is being used. This is because not all hand sanitizers are made equal, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently warned against using ones with methanol since it can be toxic.

Alcohol-free hand sanitizers, as the name suggests, does not contain alcohol but rather quaternary ammonium compounds. While these sanitizers work at reducing germs, they are not as good as alcohol-based ones.

Is 100% Alcohol the Best to Use

If a high concentration of alcohol is better, is 100% alcohol-based the best? The simple answer is no, it is not. To help speed up the process of killing germs, alcohol needs to be mixed with some water. Also, 100% alcohol would not effectively kill viruses or bacteria because it would evaporate from your skin too fast. This is especially the case during winter when it is less humid. Not to mention that straight alcohol would dry out and irritate the skin, causing you to not use it as much during the colder months. That is why emollients are included in hand sanitizers to help keep skin soft and moisturized.

Can I Make My Own Hand Sanitizer

While there can be many benefits to making hand sanitizer at home, the FDA advises against it. If it is made incorrectly, it will not be effective at killing germs and will defeat the purpose of using it. Also, making it at home means the sanitizer could become contaminated because a house is not sterile or made for safe manufacturing. It is also hard to get the right consistency at home as thickeners and emollients need to be added but in the right amounts and mixed correctly.

Visit Nectar today to browse from a selection of hand sanitizers they offer to help keep you safe and protected during these times.