The New Everyday: The Future of Hand Sanitisers

From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been aware of the importance of hygiene, with this awareness focused on the importance of clean hands as a necessity for curbing the spread of the virus. Now, months into the pandemic, there has been an evolution in how the world approaches hand hygiene.

We cannot responsibly avoid this reality. The thorough and constant maintenance of hand hygiene is essential; when hands are visibly dirty, it is important to wash them thoroughly. University College London estimates that we should also be washing our hands six to ten times a day. There are many charming methods to remind us how long to wash for, from singing the happy birthday song to reciting Lady Macbeth’s ‘Out, damned spot!’ soliloquy.

The high alcohol content prevalent in hand sanitisers kills microbial cells. It does so by breaking apart proteins, splitting cells into pieces or interfering with a cell’s metabolism. With viruses, the alcohol disrupts the virus’s outer layer. With bacterium, the alcohol damages the cell membrane. 

COVID-19 is an enveloped virus. This means that the RNA (nucleic acid – the viral genetic material) is coated in a lipid (fatty) layer. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers break down this lipid layer, causing the virus to fall apart and stopping it from binding to our cells.

Put simply, it is imperative that everyone regularly wash their hands, but it is also essential that we use hand sanitisers to expand handwashing compliance. There are too many occasions when having access to soap and water is not possible. Also, for some people, regular hand washing may cause skin irritation and dryness, depending on their lifestyle or occupation. At these times, a hand sanitiser allows us to move through these areas with not only our personal safety, but the safety of those around us kept secure. 

The number of times we use a hand sanitiser will vary, based on our activities and interactions and it is recommended to use hand sanitiser every hour, as a rule of thumb, when soap and water are not available or when moving from one environment to another. Every shop we approach, every door we go through, now has a disinfection point.

It is a modern reality to have to spray or squeeze a veritable plethora of hand sanitisers on our skin. That is a lot of different scents (some more desirable than others) to build up, and more importantly, it’s a lot of chemicals, also of varying levels of quality.
A bombardment of variable and random qualities of products will eventually take its toll on the skin, especially on your hands. Most of the sanitiser stations we stop at are some form of a sticky gel that rapidly dries the skin.

The efficiency of both gel and hand sanitisers is on par, however, we feel there is a clear winner. Gels are often unpleasant to use, and they have a much harsher effect on the skin.

The English Soap Company sprays are gentle, and hold a fragrance beautifully, allowing you to customise them with your soap and with your cream, creating a harmonious and sophisticated overall scent. Spray sanitisers are also much more versatile, as they can be sprayed on to many different surfaces, which can be a real lifesaver when out and about. Often, with the use of alcohol gels, you end up with excessive amounts on the skin whilst a spray is more controlled 

We must consider the environmental impact of the number of plastic bottles being purchased and discarded, with the rise of the use of hand sanitising products. Our Kew Gardens hand sanitiser sprays are packaged in 100% PCR bottles. PCR (Post Consumer Resin) bottles are made from recycled plastic, and can, in turn, be recycled after use.  As such, they are an eco-friendly packaging solution. By reusing plastic that is already available, PCR packaging reduces plastic waste to landfill.

PCR packaging has a lower carbon footprint than other plastic alternatives, as the manufacturing process for PCR plastics is extremely energy efficient. In fact, the carbon footprint of manufacturing 100% PCR PET is 60% lower than virgin PET, even when taking into account the energy used to collect, recycle, and then repurpose the plastic.

The best way to protect your hands from vigilant sanitation is by choosing the best possible products to use on them. That’s why people are becoming aware of a need to carry around a personal hand sanitiser crafted with ingredients they can trust.

Having continuity of care with high-quality ingredients will go a long way to keeping your skin smooth and allowing it to retain its supple moisturised appearance. A product like Kew Gardens luxury hand sanitiser is infused with aloe vera and vitamin E to keep skin moisturised, and is produced using the same stringent methods of sourcing and quality ingredients that you would expect. Having one always to hand ensures you can control the ingredients you use on your skin.