Does Hand Sanitizer *Actually* Work?

By Karla Walsh You probably know a friend or a co-worker—or maybe it’s you!—who has a baby bottle of Purell in her purse and gym bag, a full-size one at her desk and in her car, a truckload stashed in her basement (thanks, Costco!)…and reaches for a hit after every interaction. #guilty #itsme And if you didn’t before, you do now that we’re all trying to protect ourselves from the coronavirus. But does alcohol-based sanitizer really fight germs as well as soap? Keep reading for the dirty deets. RELATED: 4 Ways to Work From Home Without Going Stir Crazy Hand Sanitizer vs. Soap The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes good hand hygiene as one of the best ways to limit infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 (coronavirus), influenza, and the common cold, not to mention foodborne illnesses like salmonella. The latest research suggests that plain ol’ soap and water, combined with a proper scrubbing technique, is the most effective way to fight germs, the CDC reports.  In fact, hand washing counteracted a flu virus in 30 seconds, while it took hand sanitizer about four minutes to accomplish the same task, according to a study published in the American Society of Microbiology’s journal mSphere. Let that sink in.  RELATED: Should I DIY My Hand Sanitizer for a More Natural Option? The rubbing motion and the length of time applied seems to boost soap’s impact, although hand sanitizers made with 60 to 95 percent alcohol can be a solid substitute when a sink, soap, and water aren’t handy. Any less alcohol than that will likely reduce the growth of germs rather than killing them, though, and may only lessen the impact of certain germs, per the CDC.  How to Wash Your Hands Your best bet: Wet your hands, lather with soap, scrub all surfaces for 20 seconds, rinse, and dry with a clean towel. You’ll want to do this… Before and after prepping and eating food Before and after treating someone who is sick or caring for wounds After using the restroom, coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose After touching an animal, garbage, or any time your hands look visibly grimy (obvs) As for the whole hand sanitizer and bacterial resistance thing? Alcohol kills germs “quickly and in a different way than antibiotics,” so they won’t contribute to antibiotic resistance, the CDC says. And the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shared their official stance in 2019, stating that over-the-counter hand sanitizers are a safe alternative to hand washing, when necessary. The main risk with hand sanitizers—besides not being as effective as water + soap—is the risk of poisoning, say, if a little kid were to drink it. When hand sanitizer is your best option available, apply the amount specified on the bottle, rub thoroughly all over every surface of your hands until dry, and don’t wipe it off. But again, you’re still better off with a classic soap-water combo whenever you can swing it.

Should I DIY My Hand Sanitizer for a More Natural Option?

Ask Keri: I’ve been hearing about people making their own hand sanitizer. Is this a good natural option? Keri Says: In light of the coronavirus-sparked hand sanitizer shortage nationwide, many wellness devotees are taking matters into their own hands…literally. People have been DIYing with everything from aloe vera to Tito’s Vodka. (Uhh, cheers?) The hand sanitizer shortage is real, for the record. Take a look at Amazon or your local drugstore and you’ll find many empty shelves. eBay banned the sale of hand sanitizers on March 5 after massive price gouging—to the tune of $100 per 2 ½-ounce bottle of Germ-X. Jeez, talk about kicking us while we’re down, huh? It makes sense that when stores are low on hand sanitizer—say, during this coronavirus outbreak or a local natural disaster—searches for “how to make your own hand sanitizer” skyrocket online. “Hand sanitizer recipe” searches on Google jumped a whopping 1,750 percent the first week of March. RELATED: 4 Ways to Work From Home Without Going Stir Crazy Unfortunately, most homemade hand sanitizers aren’t so great because they need to contain at least 60 percent alcohol, per the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and vodka is 40 percent. Aloe vera contains zero alcohol, naturally.  At 70+ percent alcohol, rubbing or isopropyl alcohol will get the job done. Problem is, the DIY versions rarely contain the emollients of the manufactured varieties that protect your skin from dryness caused by that high level of alcohol. Repeated skin exposure to rubbing alcohol has been linked to redness, burning, cracking, itching, and possibly rashes…so DIY isn’t always better. That said, we definitely had some fun playing around with DIY hand sanitizer at the Nutritious Life office, and it has its place when you’re in a bind. The World Health Organization (WHO) has its own homemade hand sanitizer recipe, designed to be a hand-washing patch for people who don’t have access to clean water and soap. It works in emergency situations, but that dream team of suds, warm water, and a clean towel will always be the safest and most effective solution to kill germs, according to the CDC. RELATED: These Are the Healthy Cleaning Product You Can Trust Still, if you find yourself far from H2O and need to make your own hand sanitizer, follow these guidelines: If you’re using booze, it needs to be 180 proof or more. Otherwise, seek out rubbing alcohol, which may be labeled isopropyl alcohol. Allow your hands to dry as the sanitizer soaks in. Don’t wipe it off. Include enough aloe or other moisturizing ingredients to prevent skin dryness and cracking. Apply a moisturizer after the sanitizer dries. At the end of the day, preventing the spread of this nasty virus is the ultimate goal, so if making your own hand sanitizer is truly your best option, kudos to you for taking control of your health. Stay safe out there. <3 (Photo: Shutterstock)