Hand Sanitizers and Why They Dry the Skin

The last time I used a conventional hand sanitizing soap, it tore up my skin.

I was at the hospital and used the soap they had in the bathroom... naturally, it was a strong, hand-sanitizing soap.

Within minutes, my hands felt completely stripped of any natural oils and my skin snagged on my sweater. My hands craved lotion immediately - thankfully I had my lotion bar on hand.

People are stocking up on hand sanitizers like crazy right now... even Ebay is getting in on it. That's fine if you feel the need for a sanitizer, but just be aware of how your skin will react to it.

Why are hand sanitizers so brutal on your skin? Hand sanitizers are made up of about 70 percent rubbing alcohol. The alcohol acts as a microbial agent, so you're pretty much sterilizing your hands. It's fast and effective when you're exposed to germs. But, the constant use of hand sanitizers dries out the skin. It will strip your skin of natural oils.

So what do you do? If using a hand sanitizer is important to you, make sure it has a high enough percentage of alcohol to actually work as a decent sanitizer, and if it has added oils, that's a bonus. Don't rely on DIY sanitizers that only use an oil and essential oils to kill germs. You really need the alcohol base.

If you don't have or want to use a hand sanitizer, you're absolutely fine with the effective stand-by: washing your hands thoroughly with soap. 

Wash with soap, dry well, and then apply your Beesilk bar. You're good to go. 

My friend Melissa of Pioneering Today told me yesterday that she had her trusty hand sanitizer and MadeOn lotion bar both handy when she faced the busy crowds on her errands in her home state of Washington. I asked her to take a pic to show me: