Learn the ingredients of hand sanitizer

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Phan Ngoc Toan - Resuscitation - Emergency Doctor - Emergency Department - Vinmec Danang International Hospital

Hand sanitizer is currently being used by many people because of its convenience. However, experts say that quick hand sanitizers should not be used often because they can't really replace soap and clean water.

1. Composition of hand sanitizer

Quick hand sanitizer or hand sanitizer comes in spray or gel form, usually packaged in small bottles with a volume of about 30ml - 70ml, convenient to carry around. On the market today, hand sanitizer for children and adults is also added with many scents such as apple, green tea, lavender, jasmine, ... so you can choose according to your preferences. When using, you just need to put a sufficient amount to clean both hands and fingers, apply evenly within 30 seconds until completely dry and do not need to rinse with water.
The main ingredients of medical hand sanitizer in general and hand sanitizer in particular usually include:
Ethanol (Alcohol); Deionized Water (Pure Water); Sodium Lactate (Hygroscopic); Fragrance (Fragrance / Fragrance Essential Oil); Benzalkonium Chloride (Bactericide). In fact, in order for Ethanol (Alcohol) to have the ability to disinfect, it must reach 60-70 degrees or more, ensuring the criteria issued by the Ministry of Health. Therefore, for the purpose of using hand sanitizer to kill bacteria, you need to review the factors included in the composition, from the type of substance to the concentration. Moreover, antibacterial dry gel cannot contact all the microorganisms that lie under many organic stains on the hands, so it does not have the effect of cleaning the entire hand.

Meanwhile, soap is essentially made up of sodium hydroxide and potash, so it has the ability to bacteriostatic, not allowing bacteria to grow further. Although it is less effective at killing bacteria than strong alcohol, the combination of washing your hands under running water is also a way to wash away a lot of bacteria. Soap works to break down organic structures, while putting your hand under running water helps wash it off. So the water factor is also quite important that the hand sanitizer has ignored. Studies show that washing hands with soap under running water can reduce bacteria by up to 60%, prevent flu, respiratory diseases, leprosy ... effectively.
Currently, the FDA is reviewing the ingredients in hand sanitizers and there is still no evidence that these products are safer than soap and water in preventing infection. In particular, parents should carefully consider the risks of poisoning and not bring health benefits when they want to use hand sanitizer for babies.

2. Note when using hand sanitizer

According to the instructions, hand sanitizer should be used in cases where dirty hands are not clearly visible such as:
Before and after eating; When operating outdoors; After holding the money; After communication; Take the train or go to the hospital; Some types of quick hand sanitizers also treat insect bites: Help disinfect the wound, reduce redness, and feel itchy and uncomfortable. As can be seen, the convenience of medical hand sanitizer makes it easy to disinfect your hands while working outdoors. Experts warn users not to overuse quick hand sanitizers, use dry hand sanitizer as a daily habit even when at home.

Hand sanitizers for babies and adults are recommended to be used only as a temporary alternative when soap and water are not available. The reason is because:
Dry hand sanitizer has an extremely fast disinfecting effect thanks to alcohol, but it does not completely kill all bacteria (can clean cold, sore throat and flu viruses but is not effective against viruses). noroviruses); Hand sanitizer removes all oils from the hands, overuse can lower the skin's defenses and contribute to antibiotic resistance; Baby hand sanitizer has many eye-catching scents and colors, easy to hold, open / close will stimulate children to want to taste or stick to eyes, mouth is very dangerous; Quick hand sanitizers have the potential to cause allergies in some people who are sensitive to any of their ingredients, or cause alcohol poisoning, which can lead to death; There are many types of antibacterial hand sanitizer products advertised and sold on the market, so it is difficult to know their quality, origin and ability to kill bacteria.

Meanwhile, scientists say washing hands with soap and water is both more effective and less harmful. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that people should only use hand sanitizer in the absence of soap and water. In short, it is a good idea for everyone to consciously wash their hands and disinfect their hands to help protect the health of themselves and the community. However, although new types of hand sanitizers are now very convenient and popular, traditional hand washing methods are still the best way to remove bacteria.