What makes a hand sanitiser really effective?

The Coronavirus pandemic has taught us the importance of ensuring hand hygiene at all times. Little wonder that instant hand sanitizers have become a must-have in every household and workplace, as it lets you maintain hand hygiene – both indoors and outdoors.

“But, the market is flooded with so many brands! Which one is the best hand sanitizer?”, you ask. “What makes a hand sanitiser really effective?”, you wonder. Well, the simple and scientific answer is – the brand that gets the chemistry right, in accordance with the WHO recommended hand rub formulation i.e. 75% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) – the world’s most preferred alcohol for sanitizers.

It must provide 99.9% protection against germs, including the novel Coronavirus without causing any skin irritation or dryness or breathing issues.

Rule #1: Pick up the right brand of hand sanitizer.

The effectiveness of a hand sanitiser primarily depends on the composition – whether it is alcohol-based or non-alcoholic, which type of alcohol is used, the concentration of the same, and also the manner in which it is applied.

Sanitisers containing no alcohol or below 60% alcohol are not as effective at killing germs. The sanitiser you should choose must have 60-95 percent alcohol, depending on which type of alcohol it is made of. Different sanitizer brands use different types of alcohol, like IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol) and even Methanol (aka ‘Wood Alcohol’). US FDA has warned against using sanitizers containing Methanol, which can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. Isopropyl Alcohol is considered to be more effective compared to Ethanol, and is hence the preferred alcohol for sanitizers, globally. The use of 75% Isopropyl Alcohol based sanitisers has been recommended by reputed institutions like WHO, CDC and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

One Indian brand that ticks all the boxes is Cororid. Cororid is a pharma-grade sanitiser, fortified with 75% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) which is the globally preferred alcohol for sanitiser. Click here to buy Cororid from Amazon now.

Rule #2: Use it in the correct manner.

The correct way of using hand sanitisers is by applying the product on the palm of one hand and rubbing it all over the hands and in between your fingers for 30 seconds until dry.

Cororid comes from the house of DFPCL – the largest manufacturer of isopropyl-alcohol in Asia.