Generally, hand disinfectants based on alcohols possess good skin tolerability. A burning sensation and reddened skin upon contact with alcohol-based hand disinfectants are signs of pre-damaged skin. In these cases, the alcohol can easily reach the living cells of the epidermis and cause such disorders.
In contrast to cleansing agents that need to be rinsed off, alcohol-based rubs have the advantage that the horny layer's skin lipids are indeed released from their structural order by the alcohol-based disinfectant, but substantially remain on the skin.
Many experimental findings and application studies have proven the superior skin tolerability of alcohol-based rubs compared to soaps. Precondition for good skin compatibility are alcohol-based hand disinfectants that also contain emollients which should be imperatively considered when selecting products.
