Hand Sanitisers

Hand Sanitizer or hand antiseptic is a supplement or alternative to hand washing with soap and water. There are various preparations available, including gel, foam, and liquid solutions. The active ingredient in hand sanitizers may be isopropanol, ethanol, n-propanol, or povidone-iodine. Inactive ingredients in alcohol rubs include a thickening agent such as polyacrylic acid for gels, but for rubs humectants such as glycerine are used. They also use essential oils from plants to improve the odour and usability. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are more effective at killing germs than soaps and do not dry out hands as much. Alcohol free hand sanitizers use either small concentrations of nitrogenous cationic surface acting agent benzalkonium chloride or the chlorinated aromatic compound triclosan or povidone iodine. In recent years some brands have started combing alcohol rubs with natural products and essential oils to provide luxury lines for the growing skin care industry. These products contain the 60% necessary to kill germs effectively and safely, but use additional ingredients to moisturise and condition the skin.