Alcohol-based hand sanitizers to kill bacteria
Hand sanitizers are an essential part of your everyday carry, whether you’re packing for a camping trip, keeping clean during a festival or trying to prevent the spread of corona virus. Produced in a viscous form, hand sanitizers feel a little bit like a slippery hair gel or shampoo, only instead of lathering up, they dry on contact with skin.
The best way to use hand sanitizer is to squeeze or spray a coin-sized amount into the palm of your hand and rub your hands together, making sure the product is distributed evenly. We’ve found hand sanitizers that dry quickly and won’t leave a sticky film or residue.
According to manufacturers, the best hand sanitizers are up to 99.99% effective in killing germs. They can also help eliminate odors (say, after chopping an onion). The latest hand sanitizers may also contain natural fragrances and moisturizing ingredients, to keep your hands soft and smelling good.
Isopropyl alcohol 99.8%, Hydrogen peroxide 3%, Glycerol 98%, Sterile distilled or boiled cold water, Essential Oil.
Production and storage Manufacture of WHO-recommended hand rub formulations is feasible in central pharmacies or dispensaries. Whenever possible and according to local policies, governments should encourage local production, support the quality assessment process, and keep production costs as low as possible. Special requirements apply for the production and stock piling of the formulations, as well as for the storage of the raw materials. Because undiluted ethanol is highly flammable and may ignite at temperatures as low as 10°C, production facilities should directly dilute it to the concentrations detailed within this guide. (Refer to Summary table of risks and mitigation measures concerning the use of alcohol-based hand hygiene preparations) WHO is exploring the development of additional guidance on large-scale production to facilitate scale-up. Production facilities and personnel: key learning from around the world (based on feedback from the field)
- Water~ still not sure why this is the first ingredient when it’s more than 60% alcohol?
- Isopropyl Alcohol~ The active ingredient that’s doing all the hard work.
- Caprylyl Glycol~ Skin conditioner
- Glycerine~ Antimicrobial properties, and natural skin conditioner
- Isopropyl Myristate~ Emmoliant that promotes skin absorption (for skin conditioners)
- Tocopheryl Acetate~ Vitamin e for skincare
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer~ “is a synthetic ingredient used as a thickening agent, texture enhancer, film-forming agent, and emulsifier in cosmetics and personal care products.” (Source)
- Aminomethyl Propanol~ Buffer to adjust pH
- Fragrance~ with all that rubbing alcohol, this really helps sell it…
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are best. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. According to the CDC, alcohol helps reduce the number of microbes on your hands. People with skin sensitivities may want to consider an alcohol-free option, which we’ve included in our list below. Keep in mind, the CDC says hand sanitizers without 65-90% alcohol “may merely reduce the growth of germs rather than kill them outright.”
Hand sanitizers won’t completely kill everything. While the CDC says hand sanitizers help to kill bacteria, they won’t be completely effective in removing things like pesticides and heavy metals from hands. And they definitely won’t be effective if you’ve touched a hazardous substance. Seriously, if that happens — go to the hospital.
To prevent you from getting sick or spreading germs to other people, here are the best hand sanitizers to pick up right now.
- Who are the main producers? = Qualified pharmacists.
- How much is produced? 10 litres to 600,000 litres per month was produced in test-sites.
- Where does production occur? Hospital pharmacy & National drug companies.