During flu season and other times of sickness, there’s one important thing that everyone should do. Sanitize your hands. Using hand sanitizer won’t stop viruses from getting around but it will drastically reduce the spread of germs.
So, it’s important to always keep a bottle with you. Especially if you work in a medical-related job field.
As crucial as it is to stay clean and germ-free, you can have too much of a good thing. Keep reading to learn the rules for using hand sanitizer and figure out when you should use it and when you should hold off for later.
When to Use Hand Sanitizer?
You can pretty much use hand sanitizer whenever you don’t have access to soap and water. The alcohol quickly kills any bacteria that gathers on your hands when you touch surfaces, rub your face, put on makeup, sneeze, blow your nose, or cough.
As long as you don’t use too much, it can be better for your skin than traditional soap and water as well. This doesn’t mean you can use hand sanitizer to clean dirt and grime off your hands. For that, you’ll need access to a sink.
What Kind of Sanitizer Should You Use?
For the hand sanitizer to work, it should be at least 60% alcohol. If bottles of it are scarce in your area, you can make your own hand sanitizer.
All you’ll need is aloe vera, isopropyl alcohol, and essential oils. Combine 1/3 cup of aloe vera and 2/3 cup of alcohol in a bowl. Mix it together and stir in a few drops of your essential oil.
You can use whatever essential oil you want or none at all. It’s an optional ingredient that simply improves the smell of the finished product.
Store it in an airtight container, pick up an adult masks set, and you’ll be ready for whatever germs your environment may send your way.
How Often Should You Sanitize Your Hands?
You can have too much of a good thing. Don’t go crazy and apply sanitizer every ten minutes. You can limit it to once every hour if you work in the medical field or another job that has a lot of exposure to the public.
Any more than that may pose a problem. Does hand sanitizer weaken your immune system? When used in large amounts, it’s possible.
It will also cause skin irritation. The high alcohol content can make your hands crack and bleed if you use it too much. If you have a skin condition such as psoriasis or eczema, hand sanitizer might make it worse.
Keep Your Hands Clean and Germ-Free
During times of sickness, it’s important that you do whatever you can to keep yourself safe. This means wearing a mask and keeping your hands clean.
If you sanitize your hands too much, you may do harm to your skin but as long as you use it in the proper amount, it’s the perfect thing to stop the spread of germs.
Keeping your hands clean isn’t the only way to stay well during an outbreak. Check out the health section of our blog daily for more articles like this one.