By Carey Rossi on January 16, 2011 in
We’ve seen a lot of commercials for Gold Bond’s Ultimate Hand Sanitizer Moisturizer lately. And guess what? They piqued our curiosity: Can this lotion-based hand sanitizer work as well as its gel counterpart?
As our updated hand sanitizer report can attest, no. Here’s why. It doesn’t contain alcohol. Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Sanitizer Moisturizer (*Est. $9 for 12 oz.) contains five essential vitamins (including vitamins E and C) and seven hydrating moisturizers (such as jojoba, aloe vera, glycerin and shea butter), all of which can keep your hands soft. However, when it comes to killing germs, it relies on Benzethonium Chloride (BAC), an antimicrobial that has been shown to be effective at killing some germs, but it hasn’t been studied as thoroughly as alcohol and has only been tested in lab settings.
BAC is known to work against many viruses and bacteria, including flu viruses. However, experts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say BAC isn't very effective against E. coli and salmonella bacteria, to the point where these sanitizers are prone to becoming contaminated themselves. In the past, people have used BAC products thinking they're killing germs, only to later learn the sanitizer has spread the bacteria around. These types of occurrences have led to "several outbreaks of infection," CDC experts say, which is why BAC has historically not been used as a hand sanitizer in the United States.
As for the lowdown on the importance of alcohol in hand sanitizers, it is a necessary germ-killing ingredient says the CDC. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers eliminate the widest scope of microbes, they're gentler on skin than soap, and when used under supervision they're even safe for kids. As long as a hand sanitizer contains at least 60 percent alcohol, health experts say it will kill most bacteria.
Find out which is the best hand sanitizer for you by checking out our updated hand sanitizer report here.