Alcohol Hand Gel

[danchip]

Can your body absorb alcohol for alcohol hand gel and if so does anyone have any idea how much?

[Mamyalynne]

Yes but it is of little significance.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/can-the-body-absorb-the-alcohol-in-hand-sanitiser-gel-through-the-skin/#:~:text=Alcohol%20can%20be%20absorbed%20through,on%20your%20blood%2Dalcohol%20level.&text=Yes%2C%20although%20the%20quantities%20are,or%20propan%2D1%2Dol.

[Bobnunton]

Well I must admit that I'm getting a little bit addicted to the smell of it just lately after I rub it on my hands

[derek-33]

i've used this for 20 years at our hospital ( 70% type)where i work 20/30 times daily,never had any problem walking in a straight line

[Mamyalynne]

I love the smell too, I am hooked on the smell of Hibiscrub as well - strange what grabs us.

[Bobnunton]

Well I'm glad that I'm not the only one

[theprof]

Use of hand sanitisers that contain ethyl alcohol (ethanol) can result in a detectable but insignificant absorption into the body.

In the UK, the hand sanitiser alternative to ethanol is isopropyl alcohol ( aka propan-2-ol ). This is also known as rubbing alcohol in the USA. This alcohol cannot usually be detected within the human body following skin application as absorption is virtually nil through the skin.

The link provided above refers to hand sanitiser gel containing propan-1-ol ( aka propyl alcohol or n-propanol). This alcohol differs in its efficacy against pathogens from the two mentioned above and to be honest, it's pretty rare to find propan-1-ol as the alcohol in UK hand sanitisers for a number of reasons.

Don't forget that any high alcohol product can cause drying of skin and/or irritation to those with sensitive skin especially those with eczema and similar conditions. People with cuts on their hands should avoid them as the high alcohol content stings like the devil.

PHE still advises the use of soap and water in preference to alcohol sanitisers, but they do have their place when there's nothing else around.

[woofgang]

hello prof, how's things?

[theprof]

Never been busier to be honest woofgang. Still advising the great and the good during this crisis and supervising research at their laboratories. I also do a few doctoral student tutorials via Zoom during the week and still find the time to mooch around the uni twice a week. It's all go! Thanks for asking.

[theprof]

Incidentally, all hand sanitisers that contain ethyl alcohol contain a substance called a denaturant which is poisonous if the hand sanitiser is ingested. Some of these denaturants can be deadly so hand sanitisers should not be consumed and they should be kept well away from children in the original container.

Recently, a further key ingredient in hand sanitisers the UK is hydrogen peroxide. This helps to destroy viruses but once again, it is dangerous if ingested.

[woofgang]

also dangerous to pets!

[Bobnunton]

So if I sanitize my hands and then eat a Greggs veggie steak bake am I in danger?

[ABSpareEditor]

I have moved this thread into the category "Body & Soul".