Hand disinfection for sensitive skin – the Bio Hygiene Hand Spray

In times of increased risk of infection, hands are stressed by frequent washing and skin-irritating disinfectants. Experts recommend washing your hands thoroughly several times a day for at least 20 seconds. When out and about, hands should be cleaned with a disinfectant if you have touched potentially contaminated surfaces. However, the alcohol-containing ingredients of common disinfectants with their aggressive additives often lead to dry, cracked and flaky skin with itching when used regularly. Hand eczema is also becoming more common. For hygienic and skin-friendly hand care, there are some ingredients that you should definitely avoid:

Avoid skin-damaging disinfectants

In hygiene-relevant areas, hand disinfectants such as the well-known “Sterillium” or “Sterillium med” are usually used, which are advertised as being particularly skin-friendly. However, questionable additives contained in them have been proven to be harmful to health:

• Propanol (isopropyl alcohol)
  According to the safety data sheet (SDS according to REACH regulation), propanol (isopropyl alcohol) causes irritation of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. The vapors can cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, dizziness and shortness of breath. Repeated or prolonged contact can cause dermatitis.
• MES
  The disinfectant agent mecetronium ethyl sulfate (MES) is one of the quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC). These synthetically produced, cationic surfactants accumulate in the cell membranes of living organisms and can thus impair the function of the cell membrane. QACs have a skin-irritating and sensitizing effect, particularly when used for a long time or continuously (BGW - Professional Association for Health Services and Welfare). They are hardly biodegradable. Even the use of bathroom and toilet cleaners containing QAC is now advised against.
• Ethanol containing, but not declared (!) denaturants (= Alcohol denat.)
  The main ingredient in many hand disinfectants such as “Sterillium med” or “Sagrotan Disinfection Hand Gel” is ethanol (ethyl alcohol). The ethanol used in these and many other disinfectants is denatured alcohol. This means that the alcohol has been made undrinkable with denaturants. Since 2013, the EU regulation for the denaturation of alcohol has required that 100 liters of ethanol must contain 3 liters of isopropyl alcohol (propanol), 3 liters of butan-2-one (methyl ethyl ketone /MEK) and 1g of denodium benzoate as added denaturants. The main topic of discussion is butanone, which is suspected of having a genetic (reprotoxic) effect and of affecting the hormone system (endocrine disruptor). In the context of these concerns, a REACH reassessment of this substance has been taking place since 2018, which has not yet been completed.

In the cosmetics sector, ethanol is declared on the ingredients list as "Alcohol denat." Here, too, the denaturants are not explicitly listed, in accordance with the EU Cosmetics Regulation. Alcohol denat. is used primarily in facial toners, hair tonics, shampoos and hair styling products, but also for enhanced preservation in other skin care products. The alcohol denaturants contained in the products are of acute concern, particularly in view of their potential skin-irritating and sensitizing effects.

Switching to skin-friendly hand disinfection

The myrto Bio Hygiene Hand Spray with over 70% undenatured, vegetable alcohol (spirit) was developed as a skin-friendly alternative to disinfecting hand care without harmful ingredients that reliably kills bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses such as the corona virus. It contains an innovative combination of active ingredients that counteracts drying out in sensitive skin. This hygiene spray for sensitive and stressed hands is based on purely natural ingredients. It contains no chemical additives and is also suitable for children. Powerful antiviral, fungicidal and antibacterial essential oils support the high effectiveness.

Nourishing hand cream without emulsifiers against dry hands

After every cleaning or disinfection of your hands, you should apply a hand cream to prevent cracked skin and to treat dry areas. The hand cream should not leave the skin feeling greasy and should be absorbed well. Above all, make sure that the cream does not contain any unnecessary additives such as artificial fragrances, preservatives or emulsifiers that will dry out your skin further. As a rich hand cream, we recommend the emulsifier-free Organic Hand Cream Argan Palmarosa with beta-glucan, which strengthens the skin barrier. As a fragrance-free hand cream alternative, you can also use a myrto Organic Cleansing Cream.

Why not classic soaps?

Frequent hand washing with traditional soaps dries out your skin and can lead to irritation. Soaps that contain moisturizing oils and no artificial fragrances are at least better. However, soaps generally have the problem that they have a basic pH value of over 7, i.e. they are alkaline. Why is that so bad for our skin? The skin's own protective acid mantle with its slightly acidic pH value is destroyed every time you wash your hands with the basic soap, so that the skin's own fats from the lipid barrier are washed out.

What alternatives are there?

It is better to prefer liquid hand washes that have a slightly acidic, so-called "skin-neutral" pH value between 5.0 and 5.5. Also look for mild washing substances or surfactants made from renewable raw materials that are as gentle on the skin as possible. These are kind to the environment and clean effectively without drying out the skin - even when washing your hands frequently. We recommend the Organic Body Wash Pomegranate or the Organic Body Wash Myrtle Tea Tree as skin-neutral hand soaps for stressed, dry and sensitive skin.