Most recently updated 1/12/21

There are a lot of unknowns in our new, post-COVID world, but one thing is for sure — we have never gone through so much hand sanitizer. Store shelves have been depleted of their once-generous supply and companies that never even thought to manufacture it, including perfume houses and distilleries, are now making the formulas daily. 

Not all hand sanitizers are created equal, though. Here’s what you should consider before buying or applying. 

Hand Sanitizer Doesn’t Replace Handwashing

Hand sanitizer is great in a pinch, but it’s simply not as effective as spending 20 seconds with some good old-fashioned soap and water, and handwashing remains the CDC’s preference for preventing illness and the spread of infection.

Hand sanitizers work by penetrating the bacteria cell walls in order to “kill” microbes, but there are a couple of factors that make them less efficient. 

Most users simply slap the stuff on and go, which naturally hinders their ability to function – that’s why it’s so important to apply the formula carefully and get the less-thought-of areas like your thumbs.

Most importantly: “Hand sanitizers reduce the amount of bacteria on the hands, but they may not eliminate all types of germs,” says Marisa Plescia, NakedPoppy’s research scientist.

Still, Plescia says they’re the best alternative when handwashing just isn’t an option.

It Must Contain One of These Three Ingredients 

Unlike, say, face wash, the FDA considers hand sanitizer to be an over-the-counter drug. As such, it sets strict guidelines. In order for a product to be marketed as hand sanitizer, it must contain one of three active ingredients: ethanol/ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, or benzalkonium chloride.

According to Plescia, the concentration of these ingredients is crucial. In order to be effective, research indicates that the “the level of alcohol must be 60-95%, and the level of isopropyl alcohol must be 70-91.3%,” she notes. This is why your DIY hand sanitizer is likely inadequate – unless you’re a chemist, it would be very difficult to nail those percentages at home in your kitchen. 

The Trouble With Conventional Hand Sanitizer

Unfortunately, two of the approved active ingredients in hand sanitizer are problematic when it comes to human and/or environmental health. According to Plescia, isopropyl alcohol is “often derived from petroleum-based reactants,” and therefore has a high risk of contamination with potential carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Benzalkonium, a quaternary ammonium salt, is a known skin irritant and data indicates it’s also a potential respiratory toxicant. What’s more, the CDC says it’s not even that impactful against coronavirus. 

But it’s not just the active ingredients that pose an issue. In order to make a formula more enjoyable to use, manufacturers often rely on laundry list of harmful synthetics, says Plescia. To increase the sudsiness of a foam, for example, PEGs and other ethoxylates can be added – petrochemicals that can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, a byproduct the EPA considers a probable-carcinogen. To mask the unpleasant odor of alcohol, it can be boosted with fragrance that’s loaded with endocrine-disrupting phthalates. 

How to Find a Clean Version 

For a hand sanitizer that’s equally effective and safe, Plescia says to opt for a formula that relies solely on the active ingredient ethanol alcohol, as it “comes from naturally based sources such as grains.” Instead of traditional gels and foams, Plescia recommends sprays, which are far less likely to have harmful petrochemicals thrown into the mix (we’re partial to Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer). As with everything you use, scan the ingredient list judiciously for red flags. Not sure what you should be avoiding? Consult our handy guide. 

Don’t Forget to Give Hands Extra TLC

If the combo of constant handwashing and sanitizer application has left your hands in a sandpaper-like state, you’re not alone. Surfactants in hand soap can strip your skin of moisture, and “alcohol used in hand sanitizer can start to remove the natural lipid bilayer of skin, leading to a decrease in hydration,” says Plescia. 

This isn’t just a comfort issue. “Compromised skin leads to increased chance of bacteria penetrating into the body, and irritated skin reduces the willingness to continue with proper hand hygiene,” she adds. 

The fix? Start slathering on lotion, like the rich-yet-lightweight Ere Perez Moringa All-Beauty Creme, as often as you’re slathering on the soap or the sanitizer. Just be sure to look for a one that contains humectants (like glycerin) that draw in water, as well as emollients that soften skin and occlusives that seal in moisture (sunflower seed oil does both). 

At the end of the day, we’ve got a lot on our collective minds – at least dry, cracked hands doesn’t have to be one of them. 

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