There are so many sanitizers out on the market right now it will make your head spin. The main question remains, how do you choose a good one, and what should you know about hand sanitizers in general? Is there a good or bad amount of alcohol? Does a hand sanitizer replace washing hands?
We spoke with Master Herbalist Joel Thuna to find out how to choose the right-hand sanitizer for you and your family.
“Products that are on the market and products that are allowed by law (because there are very distinct laws regarding this) hand sanitizers are covered under the Natural Health Products laws, whether they’re chemical-based or not. There are chemical-based ones. For example, you can get some with a chemical called triclosan in it. There’s a whole mess of chemicals that work, and basically, what they do is they rip apart the germs, the bacteria. Then they’re decimated, for lack of a better phrase.
1. HAND WASHING
Before anyone even talks about sanitizers, the first thing people should talk about is hand wash. If you look at every document put out by Health Canada, by the CDC, The National Institute of Health and the World Health Organization, everyone agrees that washing with soap and water effectively (getting a good lather and doing it a long period of time) for example in my house we do a minute. Washing and rinsing well, that is the best method.
2. SANITIZERS
Sanitizers should be used as a backup when you can’t wash your hands properly. The goal behind sanitizers is to basically obliterate, destroy, rip apart germs (using the broad sense germs). The good news is, there are a ton of things that do it. Most of them are chemical-based and fairly nasty. The good news is, good old fashioned alcohol helps.
3. GOOD COVERAGE
So you’ll find there’s a good chunk of sanitizers out there with alcohol and other things in them. Normally, they’ll have either glycerin, or they’ll have aloe vera, some of them have additional fragrances.
One of the big problems when using hand sanitizers is people don’t use enough of it. They try to conserve. There has to be a good coating on the hands, and you don’t just leave it there. You keep rubbing it in and moving it around until it essentially completely evaporates.
Now it’s very important to understand, you’re ripping apart and destroying the germs, but they’re still there. So when you get a chance still use soap and water properly. Get rid of it.
4. ALCOHOL CONTENT
Now one of the questions people ask is how much alcohol should be in an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The minimum amount that is clinically proven to kill basically 99% and higher of all germs is 60% alcohol. Now you can find ones that are 65%, 70%, 75% 61-62 Etc.
Anything over sixty percent is NOT more efficient. It’s a higher number and normally costs a little more because alcohol is expensive. The other problem is the higher the number the alcohol percentage has the more drying it is to your hand and that’s actually a problem because what ends up happening is when your hands get dry they actually start to crack and when they crack you end up having openings in your skin, which makes it easier for germs to get in.
So getting a high number may sound like it’s a great idea. It may actually prove to be harmful. That’s one of the reasons people also put in aloe vera and glycerin to help keep skin more supple even though it’s going through all the alcohol. So look for the 61% 62% range.
5. FRAGRANCE
I personally prefer not to do things that have added fragrance even if the fragrance is something natural, like an essential oil. Although yes, it smells a little nicer. It could prove to be irritating to the skin. Even if it’s one that people use all the time you love it and you use it all the time, like lavender, the problem is to overcome the smell of alcohol you have to use a fair bit and could become sensitizing to the skin and make it even worse. So you end up running the risk that you could be irritating your skin beyond irritation that alcohol already causes.
That’s why my ideal is alcohol, water and aloe vera. Get as minimal as you can but at the same time make it effective so it’s got to be over 60% but I don’t want to go too high because I don’t want to irritate the skin unnecessarily.
6. STORAGE
I normally have a bottle in my car and a bottle in my backpack. I’m talking like a 30, 35 and I keep 1 litre bottles in my basement because you never know when you’re going to be somewhere where you don’t have soap and water. A big bottle should last you a while.”
