There is a debate over the benefits and dangers of the use of hand sanitizer
. This article is meant to demystify the conflicting beliefs on the subject. We'll discuss the pros and cons of using hand sanitizing products in this article in order to help the common consumer determine if it is something they are willing to use.
Generally, hand sanitizer is used to prevent the spread of illness. It is actually the alcohol in the sanitizer that kills germs. It is important that it contains more than 60% alcohol for it to be effective. In heath care settings where hand sanitizer is being used patients and health care providers are less likely to contract germs that lead to illness. However, being that most contains alcohol many people are concerned with the health risks involved. The greatest concern is in regards to children. If the sanitizer is in the reach of an unsupervised child it is possible that they ingest it and become ill or even die. There have been many cases of young adults intentionally ingesting the product in order to become intoxicated. While this is a concern, parents and concerned adults should understand that many products exist that contain alcohol. One things parents and adults can do to avoid this type of catastrophe is explain the harmful effects of ingesting any type of alcohol based product to their children. They should keep alcohol based products out of the reach of children and supervise their child when they are using it.
A less severe negative side effect is that alcohol is drying to the skin. However, this should not be a factor in deciding against using sanitizer because it has been proven that washing your hands frequently is more drying to the skin than using the sanitizing products. Most of these products contain moisturizers to help offset alcohols drying effect on the skin. If yours does not contain moisturizer you can follow up its use with the use of your favorite moisturizer.
The decision of whether or not to use hand sanitizer is something that each individual can make for themselves and their families. However, it should not be overused as our immune systems are meant to grow and evolve to fight off common bacteria.