Its cold season, and that means germs are lurking everywhere: door handles, countertops and most especially, hands. Is it really necessary to lather up every time someone sneezes, or is a fruity-scented anti-bacterial hand sanitizer the answer? Skincare-News.com’s latest article, “Anti-bacterial … Good or Bad?” finds that surprisingly, plain old soap and water is still the best, most effective step against germs and bacteria.
http://www.skincare-news.com/articles.php?ArtID=499 Like many things, the fantastical claims of gel-based, anti-bacterial hand sanitizers seem too good to be true: namely, killing 99.9 percent of harmful germs and bacteria without water, anytime, anywhere. A debate has been growing over the past few years, and it turns out that consumers may not be getting all the information when it comes to anti-bacterial products.

Studies have shown that the only truly effective method of sanitizing hands is to wash for 10 seconds using soap and warm water. Those who consistently replace hand washing with sanitizers may end up with perpetually unclean hands, spreading germs to others. For this reason, the FDA recommends that people use hand sanitizers only when soap and water is not available, and not as a replacement for hand-washing.

When someone uses a hand sanitizer, the products strips away the outmost layer of oil on the skin’s surface, removing bacteria from the hand’s surface, and slowing down re-growth of new bacteria, as well. And just as the product claims, most bacteria are killed. However, complete sterilization of all bacteria is not an answer to germs, either. The body plays hosts to numerous forms of bacteria, both good and bad. And this bacteria is responsible for a host of important functions, such as metabolizing food and maintaining the pH of the mouth.

The Soap and Detergent Association reports that about three-quarters of liquid soaps, as well as many other products, contain a chemical called triclosan, an anti-bacterial agent. And one of the biggest problems with this type of cleanser is that it kills all bacteria, both good and bad.

The most serious concern about over-using anti-bacterial products is that germs are smart, and over time, will build up a resistance to these substances, resulting in “super-bacteria”. Because triclosan kills bacteria in a way similar to antibiotics, researchers worry that bacteria will also become resistant to antibiotics, leading to even further health problems down the road.

So instead of stocking up on fancy hand sanitizers this winter, take a few extra seconds to actually wash the hands. It turns out that plain old soap and water will effectively clean and sanitize the hands, with no safety concerns.

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