Hand Sanitizers: Reviewed!

      

Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer         

Best hand sanitizer

Pros

• Contains 65 percent alcohol
• Gentler on skin than soap
• No dye or heavy scent (regular version)

Cons

• Costs more than store brands
• May dry skin with frequent us                               
  
  Our Take!      Several store brands contain the same ingredients as Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer, but professional testers and everyday users tend to prefer the way Purell smells and feels on their skin. Purell has the right amount of alcohol to kill germs effectively, plus conditioners to keep the alcohol from drying out the skin. Although some users say Purell does eventually dry out their hands, experts point out that soap and water would do more damage if used as often -- and simply using hand lotion regularly can fix this problem. Regular Purell contains no dyes and has a light fragrance that users say they find refreshing. Other Purell versions contain dyes and heavier perfumes. Although skin allergies to hand sanitizers are rare, experts say scented hand sanitizers can aggravate respiratory allergies. There are some unscented hand sanitizers with effective amounts of alcohol, including Nexcare Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer (*Est. $12 for 16.9 oz.) and EO Hand Sanitizing Gel (*Est. $8 for 8 oz.), but both are more expensive and harder to find than Purell.
  An article from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains what a hand sanitizer must include to kill germs. Both the Journal of Hospital Infection and the Ottawa Citizen, a Canadian newspaper, compare Purell with other brands of hand sanitizer to see which one users find most pleasing. Two TV news stations try to find out whether Purell kills more germs than other brands, but their tests are not very rigorous. CosmeticsDatabase.com and GoodGuide.com rank hand sanitizers based on the safety of their ingredients. Epinions.com invites users to review hand sanitizers.