Alcohol-Based Vs. Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizers

Hand sanitizer is popular now. It assists us in combating infectious bacteria, germs and pathogens, as we all strive to keep ourselves and communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having it on hand when you’re outside of your home gives you a sense of security. Hygiene businesses in Singapore have witnessed a series of rising trends recently as the pandemic was at its peak last year.

Hand sanitizers are the most convenient way to keep our hands clean when soap and water aren’t readily available. Alcohol is the most trusted ingredient in hand sanitizers; it’s been demonstrated to effectively kill germs on skin. Many hygiene businesses are developing non-drying, alcohol-free products as consumer tastes continue to evolve.

Antimicrobials in these alcohol-free hand sanitizers provide long-lasting germ prevention without drying consumers’ hands. However, there’s a lot of confusion when it comes to alcohol-free hand sanitizers; their effectiveness compared to alcohol based ones when combating viruses is yet to be fully understood.

Alcohol-Based vs. Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer

Both alcohol-based and alcohol-free hand sanitizers have persuasive arguments. Most people’s primary consideration when selecting a hand sanitizer is how it feels on their skin. Let’s be clear before we lay down the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of hand sanitizer: Both alcohol-based and non-alcohol hand sanitizers successfully eliminate sickly germs and viruses and eradicate potential infections of the COVID-19 virus.

Most alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill 99.9% of the common germs in as little as 15 seconds, versus the 30 to 60 seconds for alcohol-free products. Many studies have shown that sanitizers with an alcohol concentration of 60 to 95 percent are more effective at eliminating germs than sanitizers with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based sanitizers.

With the support of various reputable and extensive bodies of scientific research, there’s no doubting the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. On the other hand, however, a lack of a standardised ingredient list is the most significant obstacle to determining the efficacy of alcohol-free sanitizers. As a germ-killing agent, alcohol-free sanitizers have undergone significantly less testing than alcohol-based sanitizers.

Photo by Gustavo Fring

One good thing about alcohol-free hand sanitizers is that they don’t dry out your hands, which is why they’re so popular among nurses. They don’t dehydrate your skin because they don’t strip away the oils that keep it moist. They’re also fragrance-free, making them a better choice for people who don’t want their hands to smell like soap. In the case of an accidental oral consumption, they’re not as dangerous as alcohol-based sanitizers that can cause poisoning.

 In a commercial aspect, alcohol-free sanitizers can also aid in strong cost control, especially for large-scale purchasers such as schools and doctors’ offices. Hand sanitizers with no alcohol are less expensive than those with alcohol. Despite the fact that a gallon of each costs the same, foaming hand sanitizers often provide 2,000-3,000 more applications because the dispensing mechanism adds air to the solution during application, enabling the sanitizer to last longer.

Although the efficacy of alcohol-free hand sanitizers is less documented than that of alcohol-based sanitizers, both are excellent germ-killers and swiftly inactivate SARS-Co-V-2. Consider both possibilities to be trustworthy allies for your hands and health in the fight against the most dangerous public health concern of our lifetime.

Never leave home without hand sanitizer; Pick an alcohol-based or non-alcohol hand sanitizer in Singapore based on your needs while at home, at your workplace, during travels or anywhere else. Pair your hand sanitization with social distancing, wearing face-masks or face shields, and you’ll be all set.