What to look for in a clean, safe hand sanitizer—and why it matters.

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How to Choose a Safe Hand Sanitizer—And What Ingredients to Avoid

Hand sanitizer has quickly become a coveted, sometimes hard-to-find essential for staying safe this season. It's a handy (pun intended) way to help prevent the spread of COVID while also alleviating some of the anxiety around trips to the grocery store or a socially distanced gathering.

With its rise in demand also comes a wide range of ingredients, some of which are higher in quality and safer than others. Searching for a safe, clean hand sanitizer shouldn't be a chore (you've got enough of those to manage right now), so we've compiled a list of ingredients to avoid when choosing what's best for you and your family:

Synthetic Fragrance: As one of the scariest toxins in our products today, synthetic fragrance is top of our list to avoid. It's typically made of petrochemicals, which can have a range of harmful effects on the body.
Artificial Colors: The green color you see in many popular hand sanitizers isn't from a natural source—and the artificial colorants can be made up of dozens of potentially hazardous chemicals that have been linked to skin sensitivities and allergies.
Methanol: A type of wood alcohol, methanol has been linked to poisonings through skin absorption or ingestion. Both the FDA and CDC have cautioned against its use. The catch is that it may be an unlisted ingredient, so choosing safer options that clearly label their ingredients is key.

Clean, Safe Hand Sanitizer Options

Erbaviva Hand Sanitizer

Organic Bath Co. Hand Sanitizer

Is Non-Antibacterial Soap As Effective As Antibacterial Soap? Why Choose Organic

The short answer? Yes, soaps that don't contain hazardous antibacterial ingredients like triclosan can be just as effective at removing germs and keeping your family safe.

How? It's a matter of chemical vs. manual removal of germs. You know how the CDC recommends scrubbing your hands with soap for 30 seconds before rinsing? That's to create friction on your hands and loosen up germs, so that when you rinse with clean water, the germs get washed down the drain.

Organic soap utilizes this friction and rinsing method, on top of ingredients like coconut oil and essential oils that have anti-fungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, to get rid of germs and safely disinfect your hands.

Kosmatology is one of our favorite brands for clean, organic, and sudsy soap. It's safe (full of healthy, good-for-you-and-the-planet ingredients) and it's effective.

Shop Kosmatology Hand Soap

Q: How do you keep your hands from getting cracked and dry with all of this hand cleansing?

A: Start by using cleansers or sanitizers with clean ingredients, like the ones we've talked about above! Choosing ingredients with less harsh (but still effective) ingredients helps keep your skin from getting its protective acid mantle stripped, which can lead to dry, cracked skin. Hand soaps that are pH balanced won't disrupt the acid mantle, and will help keep skin calm and happy. You can also choose hand sanitizers that have glycerin in their blends, which can help balance the drying effect of alcohol (the disinfectant) on your skin.