Introduction
Hand sanitizers are easier to use and save more time than washing with soap and water, but how effective and safe are they?
I reviewed how the chemicals found in common household cleaning products can affect your health in my last blog, The Dirty Side of Cleaning Products.
This blog considers how the chemicals found in hand sanitizers and hand soaps can affect your health with a comparison of which options are best to optimize your health and wellness.
Soap and water remove all types of germs while hand sanitizer kills some germs from the skin. I’ll examine why washing your hands with soap and water is far more effective at removing germs that cause illnesses than hand sanitizer.
Hand sanitizer vs hand soap
Hand sanitizers are regulated as over-the-counter (nonprescription) drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are usually alcohol-based using many different types of alcohol. The only acceptable alcohols for hand sanitizers are ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol (known as 2-propanol). Toxic alcohols are methanol and 1- propanol which you should avoid. Inappropriately, these ingredients may not be listed on the label. Many hand sanitizers are contaminated with these toxic types of alcohol without you knowing it.
Pro tip: The FDA regulates hand sanitizers, antiseptic wipes, and antibacterial soaps.
If you’re going to use hand sanitizers, the CDC recommends using alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% ethyl alcohol. To find out if the hand sanitizer you use is safe, check out the hand sanitizers you should not use.
Health tip: Wood alcohol is a common name for methyl and should be avoided.
Hand soaps
All bar soaps are fatty acid-based and use lye (a natural source from clay and limestone also known as sodium or potassium hydroxide) through a process called, saponification. After the curing of making the soap is completed the lye is used up with no leftovers and safe to use on your skin.
Commercial soaps produced in mass quality use synthetic chemicals and poor-quality fragrances that can irritate your skin due to stripping away the natural oils in your skin.
Pro tip: Commercial bar soaps are detergents. Soap is made from natural ingredients and detergents are made from synthetic sources.
Bar soaps have lost their luster since there’s an option to pump liquid soap from a bottle. While washing with a bar is unlikely to transfer bacteria there’s a higher risk to contract disease-causing bacteria from refillable bulk soap dispensers.
Most public restrooms use some type of liquid soap where you don’t have to touch the dispenser but it’s still refilled by a human. Despite the drawbacks, it’s best to wash your hands after using the restroom whether it’s in a public setting or at home.
It’s concerning that many people don’t wash their hands especially when working with food. Signs are posted to remind employees to wash their hands before leaving the restroom, but how many have you seen walk out without washing? I’ve witnessed it more times than I should, and I’ll bet you have too.
Ingredients to avoid in bar soaps.
Liquid (antibacterial soap) vs bar soap
Antibacterial soaps were all the rage over a decade or so ago in the name of being clean. It took 40 years for the FDA to ban the ingredient triclosan in 2016 stating, “manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections.”
The FDA stated in 2017 that antibacterial soap does not clean hands better than regular soap and triclosan has been linked to antibiotic resistance.
Most liquid soaps are antibacterial, and overuse can reduce the healthy bacteria on your skin due to the added chemicals by removing the natural oils. There are some antibacterial bar soaps like Dial and Irish Spring still being sold but they no longer use triclosan. Instead, triclosan has been replaced with another chemical known as benzalkonium chloride which also is resistant to bacteria.
Caution: Some soaps (bar and liquid) contain allergens such as nuts and milk and many others. Always read the labels.
Antibacterial soaps may no longer contain the toxic chemical triclosan but it’s still used in many other products. Other chemicals that are banned in making antibacterial soaps.
Pro tip: Using hand sanitizer is no reason to wash your hands less often.
Wipes
Sanitizing and disinfecting wipes should not be used for your hands or body. They are designed to be used on hard surfaces, but some require the use of gloves. Some wipes contain a chemical group (Quaternary Ammonium Compound Toxicity) referred to as (QACs or “quats”) which have been linked to serious health issues.
Read the directions on how to use any wipe. Many wipes require the hard surface to be rinsed with water and you may have to wash your hands after using them. It seems like soap and water would be easier to use instead of wipes.
Health tip: If you’re going to use antibacterial soaps or wipes be sure they’re fragrance-free.
Homemade soaps
Most homemade soaps are made from glycerin and don’t contain harsh and toxic chemicals. If you have the time and patience you can make homemade bar soap. There are plenty of recipes on the internet with a quick search for more ways to make homemade soaps.
Why is hand hygiene important?
Washing your hands with soap (plain/regular) and water is the most effective way to help prevent the spread of germs including those that are antibiotic-resistant infections.
Friction (rubbing your hands together) is the most important part of hand washing because it removes the pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites) from your skin. The longer you scrub your hands the better! That 20-second birthday song or saying the A B C’s while washing is the length of time recommended to rub. Want cleaner hands? Trim your nails and wash your nailbeds including underneath with a soft brush. The longer the nails the more bacteria are found beneath. More on nail hygiene.
Health tip: Instead of singing a song, take 3 slow long deep breaths to benefit your health. Deep breathing calms and relaxes you with the side benefit of decreasing your heart rate and blood pressure.
Conclusion
In closing, hand washing with soap and water is the optimal option for good hand hygiene and to keep you in ideal health by removing germs and bacteria. It’s often neglected and underutilized but a simple habit to master.
Hand soaps do expire. The reason soap expires is that it contains oil which can go rancid. Commercial soaps usually are good for about 2-3 years. Natural or homemade soaps last about 1 year. If the soap still lathers up when you add water to wash, it’s still effective at removing germs and it doesn’t have to be very sudsy.
Check out your bar soap rating and find alternatives that you don’t have to make at home.
Use hand sanitizers with at least 60% ethyl alcohol when you don’t have access to soap and water. Always read the ingredients and check which ones to avoid.
If you want a safer alternative for wipes, use fragrance-free diaper wipes for babies. Avoid the preservatives (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,2-diol, also known as bronopol) and any fragrances.
Homemade soaps can be time-consuming to make and online ordering or store-bought are expensive. Consider the commercial soap, Dove (Skin sensitive and fragrance-free), or Pure-Castile bar soap from Dr. Bronner (no affiliation) as a good alternative for a reasonable price.
Did you wash your hands today?
In optimal health,
Lisa
A friend of mine makes his own bar soap. I tried it and felt so much cleaner than store bought soap. And no endocrine (hormone) disruptors from fragrances.