There's a lot of talk about alcohol content, whether it's antibacterial, whether it ruins your hands, how to apply it, whether or not you should wash your hands beforehand, how to wash when you get home from work, how to clean yourself, if it has additives, does it lose its "protective power"? When should you use it?
Who knew washing your hands would raise so many questions? Read on to debunk and clarify them all!
Health and Hand Hygiene
Washing your hands is easy and one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop the spread of bacteria from one person to another and also within an entire community—this includes your home, your workplace, childcare facilities, and hospitals.
Most of the time we come into contact with the world through our hands. We touch and learn through them; we write, eat, play; we express affection; and we handle all kinds of objects. But this also makes them prime carriers of germs, which can cause disease.
That's why the habit of washing hands with soap and water should be naturalized and incorporated as a constant need and a good practice for protecting individual and community health. If you're on the street and don't have soap and water available, using alcohol-based hand gel is recommended .
During the current coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is especially important to keep your hands clean to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Key moments to wash your hands
You can help keep yourself and your loved ones healthy by washing your hands frequently, especially during the following key times when you are most likely to catch and spread germs:
- Before, during and after preparing food
- Before eating
- Before and after caring for someone at home who has vomiting or diarrhea
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After going to the bathroom
- After changing diapers or cleaning a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal droppings
- After handling pet food or treats
- After touching the trash
During the COVID-19 pandemic, you should also clean your hands at the following times of day:
- After being in a public place and touching an item or surface that other people might frequently touch, such as door handles, tables, shopping carts, electronic cash registers or displays, etc.
- Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth because that's how germs enter the body.
Five steps to washing your hands the right way
Always follow these steps:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and lather your hands.
- Rub your hands together with the soap until it lathers. Rub the lather over the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds. Need something to keep track of time? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song twice from beginning to end.
- Rinse your hands thoroughly under clean, running water.
- Dry them with a clean towel or air dry.
When soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol . Products with a lower concentration are not effective. The way to tell if a hand sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol is to read the product label.
Hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in many situations. However:
- Disinfectants do not eliminate all types of microbes.
- Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
- Hand sanitizers may not remove harmful chemicals, such as pesticides and heavy metals.
- Caution! Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning if more than two gulps are ingested. Keep out of reach of small children and supervise them during use.
How to use hand sanitizer correctly
- Apply the gel to the palm of one hand.
- Rub your hands together.
- Rub the gel over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until dry. This should take about 20 seconds .
Things to consider: To wear rings or not?
The skin beneath rings is more densely colonized by germs than comparable areas of skin on fingers without rings; therefore, wearing jewelry encourages the presence and survival of bacteria.
The areas above and below the nails attract germs, especially if the nails are long, polished, or artificial.
Any change in the surface layer of the epidermis, as well as deeper damage, also encourages the presence of germs.
That's why we recommend prioritizing hand safety by not wearing jewelry , keeping nails short , and taking care of your skin. These are other aspects of hand hygiene that increase the effectiveness of rubbing your hands with an alcohol-based product and washing with soap and water.
Alcohol dries out the skin because it's dehydrating, and it's not good to use too much alcohol on your skin. Therefore, it's recommended that the gel we choose be formulated with substances to moisturize the skin, ensuring it retains its protective properties.
Hand skin care
Frequent and repeated use of hand hygiene products, particularly soaps and other detergents, can cause severe dehydration and damage the skin, leading to contact dermatitis. This is especially true when hand hygiene is required multiple times a day, as well as during the winter season. Therefore, we recommend adopting a care routine that includes the regular use of high-quality hand creams and adopting appropriate behaviors to prevent skin damage.
Certain hand hygiene practices can increase the risk of skin irritation and should therefore be avoided. For example, washing your hands regularly with soap and water immediately before or after using an alcohol-based product is not only unnecessary but can cause dermatitis. Furthermore, putting on gloves while your hands are still wet after washing or applying alcohol increases the risk of skin irritation.
Skin tolerance should be considered one of the most important criteria for selecting a product.
The following aspects should be taken into consideration to ensure good skin condition:
- Washing your hands with soap and water is harsher on your skin than rubbing them with an alcohol-based product containing a moisturizer;
- Certain detergents and antiseptic soaps cause more irritation than others. It is recommended to perform a tolerance test before introducing them;
- Powdered gloves can cause irritation when used at the same time as alcohol-based products;
- Using a protective hand cream helps improve the condition of the skin.
The following behaviors should be avoided:
- Use soap and water and alcohol-based products simultaneously;
- Use very hot water to wash your hands with soap and water;
- Wear gloves with wet hands, as this may cause irritation;
- Performing hand hygiene outside the framework of the indications;
- Wear gloves outside the scope of the indications.
Did you already know these recommendations? Let us know in the comments!
Biomille SA is a family-owned company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since 2016, it has been offering certified organic and natural products nationwide.
