Hand Hygiene COVID-19

Help Reduce the Spread

Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, we have been urged to pay attention to our hand hygiene — and for good reason.
Handwashing is one of the most important things you can do to help slow or reduce the spread and keep your family safe.¹

"Portrait of a beautiful young woman, isolated on white"

When to wash

Hand hygiene is key. It is important to wash your hands²:

• Whenever you touch something that may be contaminated

• If you touch someone who is sick

• After you use the bathroom

• Before eating, and before, during and after preparing food

• After blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing

• Before and after tending to a sick person, or a baby

Why a cleanser with no added soap? What about soap?

Soap and non-soap based cleansers do exactly the same thing; they clean the skin. A key difference though is the type of ingredient used to do this. Soap is formed through a chemical process known as saponification, which is a reaction between strong bases. This reaction leaves the soap highly alkaline, which means that it usually has a pH of around 9 or 10³. The skin itself has a natural pH of around 5, so an alkaline product like soap can alter the skin's composition⁴ and potentially lead to irritation. Cleansers with no added soap contain synthetic detergents in place of soap. As the process doesn’t need to be highly alkaline, like soap, the pH of these products can be closer to that of the skin. What this means is that cleansers with no added soap will work just as well as soap with a reduced chance of aggravating or irritating the skin.
Why Handwashing is best, then hand sanitiser.

Washing your hands properly with water and soap or a cleanser with no added soap is one of the best ways to help hand hygiene. Soap and cleansers with no added soap work by lifting dirt from the skin. The mechanical action of handwashing also plays a part; the act of rubbing your hands together can help to lift contaminants from the skin. In fact, the mechanical action of washing your hands is a major reason why cleansing with water and soap or a cleanser with no added soap is the preferred method. While hand sanitisers can be effective against germs such as bacteria, they cannot remove dirt and grime from the hands. The best advice is to wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap or a cleanser with no added soap or a cleanser with no added soap for at least 20 seconds whenever you can. When this isn’t an option, keep a hand sanitiser close at hand.

References:

1. WebMD. The Power of Hand-Washing to Prevent Coronavirus. 2020 [internet]. 06/03/2020. Retrieved 18/03/2020. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200306/power-of-hand-washing-to-prevent-coronavirus
2. CDC. Handwashing. When and how to wash your hands. 2019 [internet]. Last reviewed 03/10/2019, retrieved 18/03/2020. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html
3. Tarun J, Susan J, Suria J, Susan VJ, Criton S. Evaluation of pH of bathing soaps and shampoos for skin and hair care. Indian J Dermatol 2014;59(5):442-444
4. Lambers H, Piessens S, Bloem A, Pronk H, Finkel P. Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, which is beneficial for its resident flora. Int J Cosmet Sci 2006;28(5):359-70

This advice is in the interest of public health and is ONLY intended for educational purposes.

Hand Hygiene COVID-19

Help Reduce the Spread

When to wash

Hand hygiene is key. It is important to wash your hands2:

• Whenever you touch something that may be contaminated • If you touch someone who is sick • After you use the bathroom • Before eating, and before, during and after preparing food • After blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing • Before and after tending to a sick person, or a baby

Why a cleanser with no added soap? What about soap?

Why Handwashing is best, then hand sanitiser.

References:

Hand hygiene is key. It is important to wash your hands²: