Hand Sanitizers: How to Choose The Right One.

What’s the alcohol limit a hand sanitizer can possess and still be shipped UPS or Fed Ex?

What’s the difference between an alcohol-based sanitizer and a Benzalkonium Chloride-based sanitizer?

Is a 40% alcohol hand sanitizer good enough?

Do sanitizers replace hand washing?

Hand sanitizer is on a lot of minds with H1N1, Swine Flu and the regular cold and flu season upon us. According to the Center for Disease Control, hand sanitizers do not replace normal hand washing with soap and water. But it does say that when soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

While alcohol-based hand sanitizers have gotten the lion’s share of the spotlight, there is another type of hand sanitizer available to the promotional market —  Benzalkonium Chloride-based. This article will discuss both types and offer some guidelines to help you make an appropriate choice to suit your promotional marketing objectives. 

Alcohol-Based Sanitizers:
With alcohol-based sanitizers (AB), you need to look at the percentage of alcohol in the sanitizer. Many AB sanitizers contain an alcohol percentage as low as 40% — a percentage deemed ineffective. In a letter posted on the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website from James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mountain Home, Tennessee,

“…40% ethanol is a less effective bacterial antiseptic than 60% ethanol. Consumers should be alerted to check the alcohol concentration in hand sanitizers because substandard products may be marketed to the public.”

Read the letter: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no03/05-0955.htm

Because of flammability, UPS/FedEx can’t ship AB sanitizers with an alcohol percentage in excess of 62%, making 62% the highest concentration commonly available to the promotional market. Higher concentrations, used by hospitals, are available by ground shipment (truck) making them cost effective only in large quantities.

If you choose an alcohol-based sanitizer, make sure it is 60% to 62% alcohol. 

While AB sanitizers are effective at killing germs, there are a couple drawbacks to them.

1) They are flammable;

2) They tend to dry the skin out with prolonged use. Some combat this by mixing in moisturizers that cuts down on the percentage of alcohol.

3) Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective for occasional use. But long-term, frequent use actually increases the skin’s susceptibility to infection because alcohol solubilizes and strips away sebum and lipids that guard against bacterial infections of the skin. (1,2) 

4) Alcohol-based hand sanitizers stop working the instant they dry. Now here’s an interesting insight. It’s common for alcohol-based sanitizer labels to claim that they kill 99.99% of most common germs that may cause disease in as little as 15 seconds. The problem is, alcohol-based hand sanitizers dry in 8-10 seconds.(3) In order for alcohol-based sanitizers to stay on your skin 15 seconds you have to apply quite a bit of it … more than most people usually do.

Now while the CDC says alcohol-based sanitizers are effective, some people may not wish to give an alcohol-based product to children or use a flammable sanitizer or may find that prolonged use has an adverse effect on their hands. Those people may wish to consider a Benzalkonium Chloride-based Sanitizer

Benzalkonium Chloride-Based Sanitizer
Benzalkonium Chloride may be the most common antiseptic in over-the-counter first aid preparations. You’ll find it in such brand names as Bactine®.

Benzalkonium Chloride-based (SAB -Surfactant, Allantoin, Benzalkonium Chloride) sanitizer is not flammable. And while SAB sanitizers dry fast, they dry 10-15 seconds slower than alcohol-based hand sanitizers allowing more than the minimum contact time for complete efficacious coverage, including under fingernails. Additionally, SAB sanitizers deliver 2 to 4 hours of residual protection.

In 1998, David L. Dyer, Kenneth B. Gerenraich, and Peter S. Wadhams published a study in the August issue of the AORN Journal titled, “Testing a new alcohol-free hand sanitizer to combat infection”

In summary, the study showed:

* the SAB hand sanitizer formula had a greater sustained degerming activity than the alcohol-containing hand sanitizer formula,

* the alcohol-containing hand sanitizer became less effective with repeated use and irritated the hands of subjects, and

* the SAB hand sanitizer formula became more effective without irritation after repeated use.

Which Sanitizer To Use?
Which type of hand sanitizer you choose depends a great deal on your specific  application and use for the product. I can’t possibly know that unless we talk and I hope you’ll call me. But I can offer you some guidelines to consider.

First, remember that according to the CDC, washing your hands frequently with soap and water is most effective. Hand sanitizers should supplement regular hand washing.

Consider Alcohol-Based Sanitizers:
If you have access to soap and water and can wash your hands regularly. Or, if you’re thinking of using the sanitizer in a promotion where the end user has frequent access to soap and water ie: your intent is for the end user to use the product in the home.

Consider Benzalkonium Chloride-Based Sanitizers:
If your access to soap and water is limited or if your targeted end-user has limited access to soap and water such as sales people, construction workers and teachers. Also, if you’re faced with issues relating to alcohol or flammability.

If you'd like more help choosing the right hand sanitizer for your application, please give us a call at 425-308-3045.

1)  SC Harvey, “Antiseptics and disinfectants; fungicides; ectoparasiticides,” in Goodman and Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, sixth ed, AG Gilman, LS Goodman, A Gilman eds (New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1980) 964-987;

2) GL Grove, CR Zerweck, JM Heilman (2000). Comparison of skin condition in a 5-day healthcare personnel hand washing using a new ethanol-emollient waterless antiseptic versus Purell or water. Atlanta, GA. Paper presented at the Centers of Disease Control 4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare-associated Infections. Abstracts P-S1-62.

3) Marples, RR, & Towers, AG (1979). A laboratory model for the investigation of contact transfer of microorganisms. The Journal of Hygiene, 82 (2), 237-248