Natural Alternatives to Hand Sanitisers

Skin Care: Natural Alternatives to Hand Sanitisers

While we all know the current importance of regularly washing our hands and using hand sanitizer, many of us are finding that our hands are becoming dry and cracked.

It’s not the actual act of washing our hands that dries them out that causes irritation. It actually comes down to the harsh soaps and alcohol based products that dehydrate delicate hand skin. Additionally, alcohol also kills the good bacteria we need for skin flora health, which helps our skin to grow and repair itself.

To help you take better care of your hands, we’ve put together everything you need to know about natural alternatives to alcohol based hand sanitisers.

Which is Better: Alcohol-Based or Alcohol-Free?

Despite popular belief, both alcohol based and alcohol free sanitisers do the same job when it comes to killing harmful microbes. Really the choice comes down to your environment, skin, budget, and personal preference.

The reason we see less alcohol-free sanitizing products is because of how they can vary in ingredients and effectiveness. With alcohol-based products, it’s easy for them to be approved by medical professionals, without alcohol it’s down to a case by case basis.

5 Reasons Why You Should Switch to Alcohol-Free Products

1 – Your Skin
Alcohol-free products are better for your skin and general surfaces. They are safer for kids and prevent sanitizers from wearing down your skin into a dry desert.

2 – Lasts Longer
Non-alcoholic sanitizers last longer than alcohol-based products, as once an alcohol-based product’s ability to kill bacteria stops when it dries on the skin but alternatives without alcohol continue to provide protection well after the solutions have rubbed into our skin.

3 – Reduce Strain
A shortage of medical alcohol has caused an international switch to ethanol instead of the traditional type. So we are helping reduce the strain by looking for alternatives.

4 – Support Local
Lots of small soap businesses will produce these natural products, so this gives you a great excuse to seek out your local shop and support them.

5 – Natural Ingredients
You avoid ingredients like Triclosan and unnecessary fragrances.

How To Combat Dried Skin

First of all, you want to moisturize more since you’re washing your hands more which tends to dry them out. Find a natural moisturizer without harsh chemicals or skin irritants like fragrances.

Keep in mind that if you’re using a natural soap without a moisturizer, it’s best to moisturize right away after washing your hands to keep your skin healthy. Also, what dermatologists recommend is using a cream that is more moisturizing than a lotion and has a longer-lasting effect. Of course, you will want to use natural creams that are free of fragrances and chemicals. It’s true, not all skincare products are created equal.

The best alcohol free hand sanitiser products will have some type of natural moisturizers such as aloe, honey, oats, or other plant-based lipids that will help keep the natural balance of fats in your skin that you need. This will keep you from having to also carry a moisturizer in addition to a sanitizer.