Is it worth spending money on antibacterial gels for hands
'01.11.2018'
Source: Life hacker
Antibacterial agents are popular, because terrible microbes live around, and on various gels in bright bottles it is written that they will save and protect us on 99,9%. Not everything is as cool as we are promised.
In supermarkets and pharmacies is full of jars, on which it is written that they will save us from all the microbes in the world. Life hacker understands whether this is so.
How antibacterial gels work
At the heart of most of these tools - the usual medical alcohol, which is actually effective. It destroys both different bacteria and viruses, most importantly, it does it quickly. A WHO hand hygiene manual in public health. . Chlorhexidine, for example, is much cheaper and retains its effect after drying, but it works more slowly than alcohol.
However, the figure for 99,9% of destroyed microbes is an advertisement. This is how spherical alcohol works in a vacuum, but in real life it is impossible to achieve the death of all germs.
The fact is that alcohol and antiseptics based on it show the best results when there is no visible dirt on the hands. J. Pickering, J. Davis, AB Boehm. Efficacy of alcohol-based hand sanitizer on hands . For example, if you washed your hands and then treated them with a tool. And if the skin remains dust, earth, or something fat, the tool works much worse. Alcohol dries quickly and then ceases to operate, and the microbes that remained on dirty hands multiply briskly.
If you wash your hands with soap and water, the antibacterial agent is not needed. Hand washing with antiseptic after washing is necessary only for professionals: doctors and those who work with products.
Everyone else needs to find a sink and regular soap. C. Todd, BS Michaels, J. Holah, D. Smith, JD Greig, CA Bartleson. Alcohol-based antiseptics for hand disinfection and a comparison of their effectiveness with soaps. Water and foam will wash away both bacteria, and viruses, and all sorts of pollution such as metals, dust, or toxic substances against which antiseptics are powerless.
But what if there is no washbasin nearby?
How to use antibacterial gels
In the case when the hands do not wash at all, and they need to be cleaned urgently, use antibacterial gels in combination with wet wipes: first remove the dirt, then treat the skin.
Not every day we need to wash our hands urgently and urgently, so even a small jar is enough for a long time.
Handle hands too often can not, because:
- This leads to dermatitis - the skin turns red and flakes. In the jars with the means, of course, there are softening and moisturizing ingredients. But still you shouldn't be zealous.
- Bacteria and viruses produce resistance to antiseptics. The more you use antibacterial gels, the stronger the surviving microorganisms.
What are the conclusions? Throw a jar of alcohol in your bag, but use it wisely.
