Dry skin from disinfection

Disinfectants are increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives. Whether after shopping with a shopping trolley or a ride on public transport - to protect yourself from bacteria and viruses, a disinfectant is a safe and effective means. But conventional disinfectants often have the side effect of drying out your hands. We have compiled the information for you as to why this is and how you can prevent yourself from getting through Disinfectant dry hands to get.

Why does disinfectant dry out the skin?

The fact that disinfectants dry out the skin is due to the ingredients. The active ingredients in most virucidal disinfectants – i.e. preparations that are effective against viruses – are alcohols such as ethanol and isopropanol. These attack the protective layer of the virus and destroy the protein structures inside. But these alcohols also strip water from the skin, causing dryness. And then some people suddenly extremely dry hands due to disinfectants and must try to counteract this.

Disinfectant harmful to hands

Since disinfectants make the skin drier, there is also a risk of irritation and redness, in the worst case cracks or skin diseases. This should definitely be prevented, since the skin is also part of the immune system. And if the skin is damaged and unhealthy, it is again a target for pathogens that can penetrate the body through the skin.

Ingredients disinfectant

The ingredients in a disinfectant are important factors in determining how badly the skin can be damaged - or not. Because disinfectants with a care factor in particular can help you to keep your hands healthy and soft - without having to do without good cleaning. You should pay attention to the following ingredients:

○ Ethanol

This alcohol is less aggressive to the skin than isopropanol, which is also often used. If you want to protect and cleanse your skin, you can make sure to use a sanitizer with a high ethanol content

○ Triclosan

This is a substance that you probably do not want in your sanitizer as it can cause contact allergies. In addition, with regular use of a disinfectant containing triclosan, resistance can develop, so that the product loses its effectiveness over time.

○ natural ingredients

Natural ingredients can support skin health. So it is better to use a disinfectant that may cost a little more but contains, for example, tea tree oil or other soothing natural ingredients, than a cheap competitor's product.

This is how you prevent dry hands from disinfectants

You want to prevent, at all dry hands from disinfectants to get? Then we have a few tips for you here.

○ Less is more: Disinfect your hands less often and wash them better if dirt is visible.

○ Always cream diligently: Use an oily cream to moisturize your skin.

○ pampering moments: Give your hands a break and pamper them with a hand mask.

○ Hand washing instead of disinfection: Wash your hands with cold rather than warm water. This protects the skin's natural protective acid mantle.

Hand cream or the right disinfectant

An alternative to a hodgepodge of cosmetics is choosing the right sanitizer to avoid dry hands. The right product not only provides hygiene, but also counteracts dehydration, so that you only have to fit one bottle in your handbag and the hand cream can be left at home, completely relaxed.

Hand disinfectants contain harmful substances?

Some disinfectants can contain harmful substances, such as the triclosan mentioned above, which is considered an absolute bacteria killer, but can also cause resistance. Aldehydes should also not be present in your hand sanitizer. In detergents, on the other hand, aldehydes are mostly the cleaning chemical that is important for hygiene. In any case, one should not be constantly exposed to the fumes of disinfectants of any kind.  

Are disinfectants generally harmful?

In general, disinfectant is a good helper when it comes to fighting infections and viruses. Disinfectants can only cause skin damage if they are used excessively. That is why it is important to disinfect in a targeted manner and, in particular, to teach schoolchildren how to use disinfectants correctly in order to prevent poisoning or other damage to health.

Disinfectant gel that does not dry out your hands

We have developed a product with which this does not happen. At Wiesenberg, we have developed a disinfecting gel that takes hygiene to a new level. This is due not only to the exclusive care ingredient that pampers and moisturizes your skin, but also to the soothing tea tree oil and the activating Litsea Cubeba oil. So, in addition to hygiene, our formulation provides protection for your hands and a wonderfully fresh scent. Just try it out.