How to make sure your hand sanitizer is safe 

Our hands touch many things and surfaces. They are repositories for carrying micro-organisms. You will be surprised to know that 80% of communicable diseases are transferred through touch. The only way to protect yourself from infection is by washing your hands regularly.  

Cleaning hands removes dirt and helps to keep viruses at bay. Washing your hands with soap and water is always the best option to safeguard against coronavirus and other pathogens, but it cannot be accessible everywhere. This is the reason why sanitizers have become a prudent way of protecting your hands from viruses.  

Many medical experts recommend the use of alcohol-based sanitizers for regular use. But experts also continue to warn against hand sanitizers that use toxic substances like methanol, so how can you tell if the sanitizer you’re using is safe? 

Here we’re going to reveal four important things you should check while you buy hand sanitizer online: 

1. Check the percentage of alcohol content : While buying hand sanitizer online or at any store, check for the alcohol percentage mentioned on the bottle’s contents. As per expert recommendation, alcohol concentration should be between 60% and 95%. Whenever you buy a hand sanitizer, you should select the one with at least 60% alcohol presence. Any product with less than 60% of Alcohol will neither kill the germs nor shield you against the virus. An alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) actively reduces the pathogens that may be present on your hands. You should also check the other ingredients, such as ethyl alcohol, ethanol, or isopropanol. It is fine if the sanitizer has these chemicals. 
2. Do not use sanitizer when your hands are visibly dirty: If your hands are visibly soiled, refrain from using a sanitizer. Instead, wash your hands with soap and water. It only help clean your hands and  remove the dirt but also reduces the risk of infection. But, you may not always have access to soap and water, especially when you are outdoors. In such a case, you can use an alcohol-based sanitizer to disinfect your hands. 
3. Avoid making your own sanitizer: With the decreased supply levels of hand sanitizers, many people have started preparing hand sanitizers at home. Firstly, one should make a hand sanitizer at home only when you don’t have access to water and soap. Secondly, it should be made under proper guidance with accurate measurements. Thirdly, it should be used by professional medical practitioners. If there is an improper concentration of ingredients, then the sanitizer may not be effective.  

1. Avoid Alcohol-based sanitizers: There are different hand sanitizers available in the market, and they do have some pros and cons associated with it. Alcohol-based hand rub can be good for cleaning, but it can dry up your skin.  Moreover, we have seen incidents of sanitizers catching fire easily. Hence, it is best to use alcohol-free hand sanitizer like Dr.Rhazes Germ Kill Hand Gel. The gel contains Kanyasara and Nimbuka, which soothes your skin and instantly protects against 99.9% germs. You easily buy the hand sanitizer online. 

To best protect yourself from coronavirus and other pathogens, you should always wash your hands with soap and water. If it is not accessible, then you can opt for alcohol-free hand sanitizer regularly to keep your hands germ-free, and it is gentle on the skin.