Hydroalcoholic hand sanitisers in the COVID era

Since March 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and kicked off a global health emergency, our lifestyle and our behaviour have changed profoundly. Among many other things, there has been a drastic modification of our traditional concept of social life, accompanied by an urgent need for social distancing and attention to hygienic behaviour, in particular for the hands.

The WHO has emphasised hand hygiene on many occasions, reminding us that washing our hands for at least 20 seconds with water and soap could help reduce the spread of the virus. Otherwise, in the absence of water and soap, a valid alternative is the use of hydroalcoholic preparations, to be rubbed on for at least 60 seconds until completely dry.

As a consequence of this ‘new normal’, the use of hydroalcoholic hand sanitisers has turned into a necessary part of our personal care routine and our daily life. They and a face mask have become as much a part of our musthave kit when leaving home as house keys and a coat