As the general public seeks to protect themselves from coronavirus and prevent the widespread transmission of the virus, hand sanitiser is flying off the shelves.
Although the primary advice from the NHS, Public Health England (PHE) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is to practice thorough hand hygiene by washing your hands with hot soap and water to help combat the spread of coronavirus, hand sanitiser is a decent alternative when you are nowhere near a water source.
The NHS and Public Health England both agree that to kill most viruses, a hand sanitiser needs to have at least a 60% alcohol content – with most big brand hand gels containing 60-95%.
But is a hand sanitiser with an alcohol content that high bad for your skin?
Is hand sanitiser bad for your skin?
Repeated and frequent use of hand sanitiser has the potential to cause irritation to your hands over time and even minor damage through dryness.
Sara Waterman, who is an aesthetician from leading skincare and beauty destination Young LDN, says that although hand sanitisers are known not to be the best for your hands, in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, it’s a necessary precaution to keep using them:
‘Over time excessively washing your hands and using hand sanitisers will deplete the skin’s natural protective barrier,’ Sara told Metro.co.uk.
‘This in turn, can leave the hands feeling dry and sore. However, in times when excessive risk of infection is present, dry chapped hands are a better choice.’
To counteract the potential negative side-effects that hand sanitiser may have on your hands and skin over time, Sara recommends using a nourishing and reparative hand cream as often as possible:
‘To protect your hands from becoming overly dry and chapped, or to repair hands that are already suffering, it is best to generously apply moisturiser after each time you use hand sanitiser.
‘In addition, for added moisture, I would recommend applying a rich reparative hand cream or mask at night to deeply hydrate the hands.’
The NHS advice on using hand sanitiser regarding the outbreak and spread of coronavirus is currently as follows: ‘use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.’
MORE: Front line battle against coronavirus is NHS campaign about washing hands
MORE: Avoid cash to stop coronavirus spreading, World Health Organisation warns
Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Share your views in the comments below.
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/04/hand-sanitizer-bad-skin-12347019/?ITO=squid
0 Comments