Not all hand sanitisers are created equal. Some are labelled ‘natural’ when the ingredients list reveals the contents are anything but. Some contain unnecessary ingredients that cause more harm than good. And some couldn’t effectively kill germs even if you poured the entire contents of the bottle onto your hands.
Why choose natural?
Your skin is your largest organ, absorbing anything you put on it. And with natural hand sanitisers just as efficient at banishing germs as conventional ones, slathering yourself with toxic ingredients doesn’t really make sense.
Conventional hand sanitises can potentially be laced with unnecessary, possibly harmful ingredients along with artificial colours and fragrances. Ingredients like Triclosan are not essential for killing bacteria, with more natural antibacterial options such as sugar cane ethanol and essential oils like lavender and tea tree effective and natural alternatives that won’t wreak havoc with your endocrine or immune system.
Choosing a natural hand sanitiser shouldn’t be complicated. Their ingredients list is a clear tell of the quality of what’s inside, if there’s an extensive list of unpronounceable ingredients on there you may be holding a dud. A good rule of thumb is to opt for an organic hand sanitiser.
Should you choose an alcohol-based sanitiser?
Experts say hand sanitisers - even a natural hand sanitiser - need to contain 60 - 80% alcohol to be most effective. Any less and the efficacy is compromised, having little to no result in killing harmful bacteria. So why not more? Sanitiser needs a certain amount of water to make it effective, allowing for the solution to disperse when applied rather than evaporate.
Our Top Pick
With 62% organic fair trade ethyl alcohol, this nourishing organic hand sanitiser is an effective and natural way to banish germs. Dr Bronner’s blends the germ-killing agent with a trio of simple ingredients: pure water, organic glycerin to help keep hands moisturised, and organic fair trade essential oils for a fresh scent you’ll be happy to spritz on your hands. We love that this organic hand sanitiser not only cleans and nourishes hands, it’s got an ethical footprint too.
