In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic many of the supplies we have taken for granted prior to the current worldwide health emergency are becoming difficult to acquire by both the general public and the health care industries.  To better protect ourselves from the threat of the COVID-19 virus, proper hygiene along with social distancing has become a national priority.  While proper hand washing with soap and water remains an effective means of protection from the threat of infection on our hands, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are highly effective when soap and water are unavailable.  We are witnessing an unprecedented shortage of alcohol based hand sanitizer in the United States and across the globe.  But what makes a hand sanitizer effective?  The main active ingredient for hand sanitizers endorsed by the World Health Organization and documented by the FDA is alcohol, however, there are two types currently being used: Isopropyl Alcohol and Ethanol.  While both forms of alcohol are effective at inactivating the fatty lipid membrane of the COVID-19 virus when the concentration of alcohol is between 60-80% Isopropyl Alcohol is superior when it comes to skin application.  The issue of Ethanol with skin application is that it dehydrates to such an extent that it leads to overly drying the skin making the hands dry and may lead to painful cracking.  Adding skin moisturizers to counteract this effect with Ethanol may lead to making the hand sanitizer ineffective.  Isopropyl Alcohol does not overly dry the skin and it is for this reason that hospitals use it as an antiseptic.  Look for Isopropyl Alcohol as the main active ingredient when choosing a hand sanitizer product.  Not only will it be effective at inactivating the COVID-19 virus and certain bacteria but your hands will love you for it. 

 

*An important note here is that for a hand sanitizer to be effective it must be rubbed into the skin.  The rubbing of the hands together after applying the hand sanitizer essentially aids in breaking apart the outer protective membrane of the virus and/or bacteria.      

 

https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html 

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Brandon McCloud

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Brandon McCloud is a graduate of Western Kentucky University *magna cum laude* where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.  He attended The Christ Hospital School of Perfusion Science and has performed extensive research in biochemistry as well as pharmaceutical analytical development. 

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