Effect of Hand sanitizers on skin

Hand sanitizers have vanished from the markets due to the sudden rush bought on by the outbreak of COVID-19 around the world. While we are not disputing the effectiveness of hand sanitizers as an emergency is on the way, it’s a necessary precaution to keep using them to clean your hand. However, regular use can actually do more damage than good. Frequent use of hand sanitizer has the potential to cause irritation to your hands over time and even minor damage through dryness.

Ever since their inception in the 1900s hand sanitizers have been increasingly popular in the medical fraternity for banishing germs since frequent hand washing is not always possible. Guaranteed hand sanitizers are a great alternative to clean when there is no access to soap and water. Dr. Rinky Kapoor, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist & Dermato-Surgeon, the Esthetic Clinics, tells you why you should not be overdoing its use because of its adverse effects on the skin:

• Strips the skin of its natural barrier:  Hand sanitizers contain over 60% of alcohol, which breaks down the essential proteins and lipids on the skin, thus weakening its natural ability to fight outside infections.

• Makes the skin dry: Alcohol in hand sanitizers irritates and dries out the skin. This makes it susceptible to cracks and contact dermatitis.

• Prone to sunburn: Too much use of hand sanitizers can make your skin sensitive to UV light. This happens because the alcohol thins the layers of the skin and makes it easier for sun rays to penetrate deep in the skin of your hands.

• Speeds up the ageing process: Dryness, sensitivity to sunlight, lack of natural hydration can lead to increased appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, cracks, and flakiness on hand hands.

• Causes allergies: Hand sanitizers are a mix of alcohol and chemicals and since manufacturers need not dictate what ‘fragrance’ they are using, you don’t know what you are putting on your hands. Some ‘alcohol free’ hand sanitizers use triclosan instead of alcohol. This product is used in cleaning agents and in pesticides. It can penetrate in the skin layers and cause allergic reactions.

• Weakens the immune system:  Use of hand sanitizers decreases the body’s ability to fight the antibodies and outside infections making it exposed to more bacterial infections and diseases

• They don’t clean the food residue: The drying alcohol in hand sanitizers kills the bacterial but it does not break down the greasy and sugary food residue. Therefore, when you touch your hands to the face this residue gets transferred and causes acne and breakouts on the skin.

Nothing beats the good old-fashioned way of washing hands with soap and water. It cleans away the residue and does not over dry the skin. However, with the recent scare it is good to use hand sanitizers especially if you come in contact with many people daily. Our advice is to use it only when necessary and prefer the option of washing and moisturizing wherever necessary. Consult your dermatologist for using options for hand sanitizers before giving up on them completely. Remember its always better to be safe than sorry.

Book Appointment:  Dr. Rinky Kapoor, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist & Dermato-Surgeon, the Esthetic Clinics