Hand cleanliness is more important than ever to remove germs from the skin. However, the use of soap can lead to dry and damaged skin. And with autumn’s arrival, your hands will be exposed to even more negative environmental influences. Our health expert Dr. Jim Arbogast recommends alternating washing and sanitising your hands where possible. Hand sanitisers not only keep germs away, they also contain caring ingredients for your hands.
A little science first
Autumn approaches and brings with it colder temperatures. This means our hands will be increasingly exposed to negative environmental influences during the next few weeks and months. Not only can the friction of putting on and pulling off gloves cause damage but the heating systems in most homes and offices will contribute to drying of the skin of your hands.
"The skin on your hands plays an important role in your health”, says our health expert Jim Arbogast. "It consists of skin cells and lipids. When your skin is healthy, the body's own substances are in balance. This keeps moisture inside and pathogens, irritants, allergens and harmful substances stay outside." However, if the skin is damaged by excessive stress in the cold season, more lipids than normal can be rinsed out while washing your hands. Biochemical and physical gaps occur. This allows moisture to escape and skin damage to appear, through which pathogens can enter.
Early warning signals for skin damage are:
- dryness
- itching on the knuckles, the back of the hand and between the fingers
- redness
- swelling
- bubble formation
- cracks (especially around fingernails)
- difficulty making a fist
Alternating washing and sanitising your hands helps.
When to wash your hands
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should wash your hands when they are visibly dirty - especially in these situations:
- Before, during and after food preparation
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for a person suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea at home
- Before and after treatment of an incision or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After nose blowing, coughing or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treats
- After touching rubbish
However, not washing your hands too often with soap and water helps keeping your skin healthy, so consider using a sanitiser if your hands are not visibly dirty.
When should you use a hand sanitiser?
It is indisputable that hand cleanliness is more important than ever to protect your health. That is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend using hand sanitisers as a supplement to handwashing. These products nourish the hands instead of damaging them,because they contain agents that keep the skin in balance. Jim Arbogast, Vice President of Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements at GOJO Industries, the manufacturer of the PURELL hand hygiene solution, confirms this.
"Unfortunately, there is a widespread belief that the frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers dries out and damages the skin of the hands, but that is not the case. In fact, studies show that PURELL® hand sanitisers are more gentle to the hands than soap and water because they do not remove the natural lipids (oils) from the hands."
Formulation counts
However, not every hand sanitiserhas been produced under the same strict quality standards and tested as intensively as the PURELL product range. In the worst cases, the products can be harmful to health, as shown in recent warnings issued by the FDA. Ultimately the formulation of the product determines its effectiveness and safety.
Hand sanitisers are useful in a number of situations, particularly when you are outside the home:
- After visiting your local grocery shop
- Before and after visiting a public place
- After refuelling
- After touching handrails or other surfaces that are frequently touched by others
Our tip: always carry a bottle of hand sanitiser with you when you are out and about. When using it, remember to thoroughly moisten your hands with the product, rub it in until your skin is dry, and don't forget your fingertips, thumbs and the space between your fingers. With a well formulated product this should take about 15-20 seconds.
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