April 13, 2020

Published Monday, April 13, 2020 with 0 comment

Does Moisturizing Hands Negate The Effect of Sanitizing?


It’s crazy how often we are washing our hands, sanitizing them, yet it’s considered a healthy habit and not an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Washing hands and sanitizing them is a good way of preventing the virus. So, while it’s a healthy practice to prevent germs, the effect of the harsh soap followed by alcohol-based sanitizer is making the skin dry and flaky. A lot of readers wanted to know is it okay to apply hand moisturizer or hand cream after using sanitizer – does hand cream/moisturizer negate the effect of sanitizer?

Before we get into the dry skin and hand cream discussion, we must understand ideal hand hygiene. According to experts, hand sanitizers ( https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=hand%20sanitizer ) should be used when you do not have access to soap and water for washing hands. Hand sanitizers come in handy when you are on the move, or out some place where you do not have access to soap and clean water for washing hands. Hand sanitizers are effective in killing germs, but not all germs. Germs and bacteria such as the highly contagious stomach bug norovirus, some varieties of parasites like Giardia, and the diarrhea-causing bacterium Clostridium difficile are not killed by sanitizers, not even by alcohol-based sanitizers. Whereas, washing hands with soap ( https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=hand%20wash%20antibacterial&typeahead=hand%20wash) and water removes dirt and kills germs, which is comparatively more effective. In either case, the technique is important for it to work. For instance, when you wash hands rub soap lather on the front and back of your hands, in between the fingers, on the tips of your fingers, up to your wrists, all of it for over 20 seconds. Similarly, take the hand sanitizer in your palm and rub it on your hands as though you would wash them, and let the rub last till the hands are dry from the sanitizer.

Sanitizing your hands after washing them doesn’t really contribute to better hand hygiene, you might as well save your skin the trouble.

Is it okay to apply hand cream after washing hands?

Applying hand cream ( https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=hand%20cream ) after washing hands won’t really affect your hand hygiene. But yes, hand creams are greasy and if you touch anything after applying the hand cream, there is a fair chance of dirt, grit and possibly bacteria sticking to your skin. So even if you have washed your hands, try avoiding touching your face.

Is it okay to apply hand cream after sanitizing them?

After you sanitize your hand, alcohol in the sanitizer kills the gems and bacteria, but if the germs and bacteria get another medium to cling to like hand cream, there are chances that they may survive. The good news is, this may not really be the case. Hand sanitizers work on contact, which means as soon as the alcohol comes in contact with the skin, the bacteria and gems sitting on the surface of the skin are killed. Effectively, by the time you apply the hand cream, the sanitizer has mostly done its job.

Like we mentioned earlier, the technique of both, washing hands and sanitizing, is important. If done right, your hands are all hygienic, and you can apply your favorite hand cream to keep your hand soft and gentle.


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