How to Choose an Effective Hand Gel

With so many choices available, how do you decide which hand gel will protect you most effectively? Here are some tips to help you identify a good quality anti-bacterial alcohol hand gel:

1. Appearance

A good quality hand gel should be clear and translucent. Cloudiness, due to impurities, can indicate that cheap raw materials, of insufficient quality, were used in the production process. 

2. Scent

A good quality hand gel should have a light, pure scent. An unpleasant or strong-smelling odour can also suggest the presence of poor-quality ingredients.

3. Sensation

A good quality hand gel should leave your skin feeling fresh and hydrated, without any sticky residue.

4. Ingredients: Alcohol

A good quality hand gel should contain at least 75% alcohol. Avoid denatured or industrial alcohol which contains impurities and has an unpleasant odour, and alcohol containing methanol which is harmful to humans. Ideally choose a plant-based alcohol which is brewed from sugarcane or grains.

5. Ingredients: Carbomer

A good quality hand gel should contain a good quality carbomer (thickening and moisturising agent) such as Lubrizol, rather than a cheaper carbomer which is likely to have used carcinogenic benzene in its manufacturing process. 

6. Ingredients: Water

A good quality hand gel should use distilled water, rather than filtered water, which is kind on your skin and easily absorbed.

7. Verification

A good quality hand gel should be tested by an authoritative third-party organisation recognised by the European Union, and should comply with the following industry standards:

  • EU Antibacterial Standards Tests EN1276 and EN1500
  • Alcohol Content Test (The most effective anti-bacterial and anti-viral gels comprise at least 75% alcohol.)
  • Free from Methanol (Exposure to methanol may cause the following: nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system and even death.)
  • Free from Carcinogenic Benzene (Many of the carbomer production processes use benzene to create the chemical reaction that produces the carbomer.)
  • Free from Heavy Metals (If heavy metal levels exceed the limit that the human body can tolerate, they will cause acute, subacute, and chronic poisoning.)
  • pH Value Test (If the pH value is outside of the range suitable for human skin, it may cause skin damage.)
  • Microbiological test (To test the product without bacteria.)
  • Product Toxicological Risk Assessment Report (To assess product safety.)
  • Product Safety Data Report (A data guide on safe operation for production, sales and users.)
  • PeppyPure Test Reports