The Pros and Cons of Using Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer
If you want to keep hygienic — and who doesn't? — one option you may be looking into is alcohol-free hand sanitizer. These formulas are easier on the skin than traditional, alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Hand sanitizer products are designed to kill germs quickly once you apply them to your hands. But are they a good choice for your health and lifestyle? Like many things, the answer isn't always clear. Consider these pros and cons to determine if an alcohol-free hand sanitizer is right for you.
Pro: It's easy to keep on-hand when you don't have water around.
If you work or spend time in a place where there is not any running water, you can still use an alcohol-free hand sanitizer. You can keep a bottle in your pocket or bag, and use it as needed. If you're hiking into the middle of nowhere or spending the day on a boat, and clean water will be in short supply, bringing hand sanitizer is a good choice.
Con: It does not remove dirt.
Although these hand sanitizer products kill germs, they do not remove actual dirt from your hands. So you may still end up ingesting dirt or wiping it all over if you only use the sanitizer and don't wash your hands. Ingesting a little dirt won't kill you, but it does contain certain minerals and toxins that sanitizer can't negate, so you probably don't want to eat it regularly.
Pro: It doesn't dry your hands out.
Since it is non-drying, you can use alcohol-free sanitizer multiple times throughout the day without getting the scratchy irritated hands that you may get from frequent hand washing. If you are currently washing your hands a lot, resulting in irritation, replacing a few of those washing sessions with a squirt of sanitizer may be a good option.
Con: It won't necessarily kill the flu virus.
Hand sanitizers are good at killing bacteria, but they are not always effective at killing viruses. The flu virus, especially, is hard to kill with sanitizer since the virus tends to be immersed in mucous particles, which the sanitizer can't break through. If your goal is to prevent the flu, handwashing is a better option.
Keeping some alcohol-free hand sanitizer handy is never a bad idea. It's not a replacement for handwashing in all situations, but can be a non-irritating way to sanitize your hands in a pinch. For more information, contact alcohol-free hand sanitizer suppliers.