Hand sanitiser is available in every shopping centre and you are requested to use it before entering most shops. Hand sanitiser and COVID are synonymous with how we are living the new normal.
My personal journey:
Many years ago as a young nursing sister I was working in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit.
I was handed a cloth nappy (we regularly used cloth nappies for cleaning) and a jug of what I now know was acid. I was told to pour it into the respirator and swish the nappy around and clean all components separately.
I wasn't told to wear gloves and there was certainly no PPE around at that time.
The first signs that something was wrong:
Not long after my hands started to itch. There were bumps and redness and of course, I was prescribed a Cortisone cream.
This began a 30 year battle with my hands constantly itchy, red, bigger bumps and bleeding. With my nursing background I was and still am an avid cleaner.
Once I began having a family I fully believed that using every chemical on the market was "protecting" my family from bacteria. I cleaned religiously every week without fail.
Every time I cleaned I wore white cotton gloves inside rubber gloves, I really didn't know it was the chemicals that were exacerbating the dermatitis on my hands.
Every night I wore white cotton gloves with Cortisone cream to stop me waking from the scratching.
I was repulsed as I prepared and cooked the family meals, with bleeding hands.
What helped:
13 years ago I was introduced to microfibre cleaning using cold water only. Whaattt?! Seriously?! How could microfibres remove grime and bacteria? My cleaning time was halved, it was so easy and way more effective than using chemicals and my hands completely healed!
Enter COVID-19 and the use of hand sanitiser or wet wipes everywhere. I personally resist using hand sanitiser when I enter a store but it's already on everything you touch. Supermaket trolley handles are the worst. Now every week when I do my grocery shopping, the next day I am back to using Cortisone cream on my hands. They are red, itchy as heck and the bumps are back.
Why do we use hand sanitiser? Because it is recommended when soap and water are not readily available to limit the spread of bacteria/viruses.
It should be noted that if your hands or the surface you want to disinfect are dirty, hand sanitiser will not clean, it will simply move the dirt around.
Take a look at this blog: https://www.enjo.com.au/blog/cleaning-sanitising-disinfecting-everything-you-need-to-know
So what's in Common Hand Sanitisers, let's take a look at some typical ingredients:
1. Ethanol
Ethanol is a clear, colorless alcohol made from a variety of grains and crops with high starch and sugar content such as corn, sorghum, barley, sugar cane, and sugar beets.
2. Isopropanol
Volatile, colorless liquid with a sharp musty odour made by indirect hydration of propylene. It is often isolated from volatile oils of plants by the process of steam distillation.
3. n-propanol
Is a clear, low-viscosity, neutral liquid with a characteristic alcohol odour.
4.Benzalkonium chloride (BAC)
Is an organic salt used in cleaning agents, classified as a quaternary ammonium cationic detergent.
5.Triclosan
Is an antibacterial and antifungal agent used in surgical handwash.
6. Glycerin
Is a form of sugar alcohol and is used as a moisturiser.
7. Water
What is in personal wipes:
Materials such as polyester, polypropylene, cotton, wood pulp, or rayon fibres (which could take 100 years to decompose)
Parabens
Methylisothiazolinone
2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1-2-diol.
Fragrances and phthalates
Phenoxyethanol
Malic Acid
Propylene glycol
Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride
Tocopheryl Acetate
Food Products in the ingredients lists such as goat’s milk, cow’s milk nut oils and oats
A total of up to 132 ingredients make up personal wipes!
Cleaning wipes
Alcohol
Chlorine
Phenol
Ethanol
Quaternary Ammonium compounds
to name just a few
These chemicals are liable to cause skin irritations, bronchial allergies, they are endocrine disruptors and raise the toxicity level of your indoor air quality. You can find most of these chemicals listed as dangerous and poisonous.
Warning: Watch this short video on the dangers of hand sanitiser and an open flame
Alternatives
Eco friendly:
There are many brands to choose from, mostly containing aloe vera, jojoba, Vitamin E, glycerin and essential oils. Some are even Vegan, Sulfate-Free, Paraben-Free, and Cruelty-Free. Some are refillable, eliminating repeat purchases of single use plastic bottles. There's even the option of returning empty cans with some companies offering a recycling program.
Home Made:
Isopropanal alcohol, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerol, aloe vera gel are some of the common ingredients.
Home Made Wipes:
Most contain paper towel unfortunately with water, baby lotion, detergent, soap, tea tree oil and essential oils. Even vinegar is an option especially in cleaning wipes.
As a replacement to paper towel, reusable cloth ones are an option and there are a plethora of ones on the market. You could use any soft material like face washers, microfibre cloths, old t-shirts, flannelette sheeting and baby blankets.
You will also need a container to keep them such as a reusable glass jar or plastic container.
In Summary:
Once the damage was done to my hands all those years ago, any and all chemicals begin my dermatitis all over again.
With the introduction of COVID-19 to the world, Hand sanitiser and wipes, which seem to be the norm now, exacerbate the condition and they are on every surface once you leave the safety of your home.
What alternatives do we have? Eco friendly, low tox and home made hand sanitiser and wipes.
Lastly, good old fashioned hand washing with soap!
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