Pure HOCl as a Hand Sanitizer

Research indicates HOCl-based hand sanitizers have the potential to be as good or better than alcohol-based hand sanitizers in sanitizing human skin and hands. Hand sanitizers can generally be categorized as either alcohol-based or alcohol-free. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers include ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, and hydrogen peroxide and normally include 60 to 95% alcohol concentration of total volume of the product (v/v). The World Health Organization, a global health agency, recommends alcohol-based hand cleansers (ABHS) as they are very fast acting and kill a broad range of germs. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have traditionally been used in many settings because of their simplicity encourage their adoption. 

An in-vitro study was performed which compared HOCl 0.01% against isopropyl alcohol 70% in killing common germs found on the skin. For all germ types measured, HOCl’s ability to kill was immediate, whereas isopropyl alcohol, for some germ types, took as long as 1 minute to take effect. In this study, HOCl 0.01% was found to be as effective – or more effective – than isopropyl alcohol in killing the germs. Another study compared HOCl 0.01% against isopropyl alcohol 70% in its ability to kill germs on human facial skin. This study found no significant difference between HOCl 0.01% and isopropyl alcohol 70% in its ability to kills germs found on the face.

Research has validated HOCl as a non-toxic, non-irritating, and eco-friendly disinfectant and antiseptic that can be used in many different industries. Ideas for this blog were gathered from here.