Skin problems due to too much disinfection

Especially since the corona crisis, we increasingly disinfect our hands to kill possible pathogens and also to protect our fellow human beings from infection. But too much disinfectant or excessive hand washing do not necessarily have the desired effect. But how do you use disinfectants correctly, prevent skin problems caused by disinfectants or soothe irritated skin? We have compiled this and much more for you.

Too much and wrong disinfection leads to skin problems

Basically, it is important to use the right amount of disinfectant and not to give your hands and skin too much of a good thing. Because I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: the opposite of good is well-intentioned. Especially in winter, it is difficult to assess how much care and disinfection is necessary, because germs and pathogens like to spread especially in the cold season. Closed rooms and heated air, but also biting cold outside then stress the skin.

Aggressive disinfectant

One of the reasons that disinfectants are aggressive to the skin and can make hands drier and also cause irritation is the high alcohol content that enables effective cleaning. But: the alcohol removes moisture and lipids from the skin, making it brittle. Employees in medical professions, but also hairdressers and cleaners, have to struggle with this in particular. If the skin burns during disinfection, it is a sign that there is already skin damage that can be attributed to frequent disinfection. In the worst case, wear and tear eczema develops and can occur on any part of the hand. Symptoms of skin damage from disinfectants such as excema include severe dryness, redness and itching. If you notice these symptoms, clarification by a doctor is advisable.

Disinfectant and hand washing

One of the most common mistakes when it comes to skin hygiene and disinfection is washing your hands after disinfecting. In fact, you can hardly do more damage to the skin. It occurs because the disinfectant dissolves fats from the skin and they cannot be rubbed back in, but are rinsed off by washing. Also, if the hands are washed first and then disinfected, this does not provide any additional benefit because the effect of the alcohol contained in the disinfectant is impaired. So it’s best to do one or the other. A combination of hand washing and disinfection is unfortunately rather counterproductive.

Too much disinfection – bad for the skin!

Frequent disinfection usually means a sense of security, but this is deceptive. Balanced skin hygiene depends on selective disinfection at the right moments, rather than the quantity of it. Incidentally, intact, healthy skin is also a factor in infection control. This is because pathogens and viruses are not only transmitted by droplet infection, but can also enter the body through damaged areas or open wounds in the skin. And after all, this can be well prevented if you take care of your hands in a planned manner. So what do you need to do to prevent disinfectants from being harmful?

5 tips for relaxed hands despite disinfectant

To ensure that you never get dry hands again and that skin damage from disinfectants doesn’t happen to you in the first place, here are five tips for caring for your hands.

Wash hands no more than 10 times

Studies have shown that people who wash their hands 6 to 10 times a day in winter were less likely to catch a cold. Individuals who washed their hands more often had no advantage in this regard. Rather, washing your hands more often would be too much of a good thing. It is important to make sure that the spaces between the fingers are also soaped well and that the soap is then washed off well. According to the German Federal Center for Health Education(BZGA), hands should be washed in seven situations: after coming home, before and during cooking or other food preparation, before every meal, after going to the toilet, blowing the nose, coughing and sneezing, before and after contact with sick or infectious persons, after contact with animals. By the way, hands should be washed with cold rather than hot water, because hot water is more stressful to the protective layer of the skin.

The right disinfectant

When looking for a suitable and gentle disinfectant, you should pay attention to the ingredients of the product. Natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, which is also often used in natural cosmetics, has a soothing effect on the skin, for example. The formulation of our fragrant disinfectant also makes use of tea tree oil. In addition, we use an exclusive care ingredient that balances the alcohol content. Visit our WIESENBERG online store and test our skin-friendly disinfectant.

Less soap, more disinfection

Did you know that soap can also have a drying effect? If you make sure that the product contains so-called moisturizing ingredients, your hands will thank you. Also to be considered are the fats contained, such as coconut fat, olive oil or palm oil. Stay away from soaps with the ingredient sodium tallowate. Behind this is animal fat produced from slaughterhouse waste. High-quality definitely looks different.

Incidentally, the PH value of liquid soaps, at five, is generally closer to the skin’s natural PH value than that of solid soaps, which ranges between nine and ten. Therefore, we advise liquid soaps, but also here a sparing use. It is better to disinfect infrequently than to wash hands too often.

Remove jewelry

As beautiful as jewelry is – rings in particular are considered to be veritable hotbeds of germs, as they multiply explosively, especially underneath. Moisture fuels this process. Therefore, the same applies to wedding rings: remove and clean them regularly, and also make sure that moisture does not form underneath them when they are worn.

“Clean” hands only disinfect

If you’ve just dug up a bed, dug in the sand with your child, or made some pottery, hand washing is essential. For hands that look clean to the naked eye, a dab of disinfectant will also do. As always, it should not be too much to prevent skin damage from disinfectants.

What does science advise?

In addition to these tips, we have a few preventative measures for you. To prevent skin irritation in the first place, you should wear rubber gloves when cleaning and rinsing, as acids and alkalis attack the skin in equal measure. However, the gloves should also not be used for too long and the hands should be dried thoroughly beforehand. Also, do not wash your hands unnecessarily long.

If there is a persistent burning sensation or even pain, then it is better to go to the doctor once too often, so that an excema or other skin damage can be detected and treated at an early stage.

If you are prone to atopic dermatitis, you should definitely reach for disinfectants with alcohol, but use as little of it as possible. When washing your hands, hot water is not a good choice because the heat can make atopic dermatitis worse.

Best disinfectant for irritated hands

To give our customers not only a good and safe feeling, but also a well-groomed skin, we have developed a hygiene gel that disinfects, brings a fresh scent and soothes the skin at the same time. This means you only need one product to put an end to germs and pathogens. At the same time, our skin-friendly formulation ensures that the skin feels soft. Just try it out for yourself.