— Ishan Grover, Founder & CEO of Svish On-The-Go
Never has it been more important to be vigilant with our hygiene and that includes sanitizing our hands. You can pump it or pour it; hand sanitizer is now such a fixture in our lives. There’s a lot of brands in the market at the moment and consumers want value for money at the end of the day but first, know about what to look for before buying effective hand sanitizers.
As per CDC, there are studies to suggest that sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60% to 95% are more effective at annihilating germs than those that have lower alcohol concentration.
The active ingredient in hand sanitizer is alcohol and you’re looking for alcohol content for it to actively kill viruses and bacteria and on top of that, besides the alcohol, other ingredients can be added for additional benefits but all hand sanitizers that include alcohol have the tendency to kill viruses and bacteria and that is completely different from cleaning your hands with soap and water.
How? Soap and water is the preferred method to remove viruses and bacteria. What soap and water do so well is that it cleans and disinfects your hands. Now hand sanitizer on the other hand just disinfects so it’s a great option when you’re on the go and you’re not near a sink with soap and water.
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That’s why there has been a visible uptick in usage of sanitizers especially with the presence of this virus that people are out and about and they want to keep their hands clean.
By nature, because of the alcohol content, all hand sanitizers do have the potential to dry out your hands which is why you want to look for some moisturizing properties. For example, brands can use essential oils which have these beautiful moisturizing properties and so your hands won’t dry out over time by using that hand sanitizer.
Each hand sanitizer is a little bit different but what you want to do is follow the recommended dosage on the label. Put that dosage into the palm of your hand spread evenly between your palms and get an even coating across both hands. Frequently missed areas include the backs of your palms.
Lots of people miss those in between your fingers and also your thumbs so those are areas that people often forget about. Rub that in for 30 seconds until all the liquid has completely evaporated and your hands dry.
Another important aspect is to look at the expiry date of the hand sanitizer. Yes, alcohol in the sanitizers tends to evaporate with time which also makes it less effective for your hands to be germ-free. Therefore, to buy the best sanitizer, read the product label, check the information given very carefully and look for the combination of ingredients and take note of the instructions as well.
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Also, you need to check for the storage instructions mentioned on your hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizers are supposed to be stored in a cool place, away from any heat. Once you are acquainted with all of these important factors, you would be able to make an informed decision about buying the best hand sanitizer.
