This article snippet was first featured on DBS Livemore. More tips below. Skin irritation is one of the Most Common symptom when you used an unsuitable sanitizer. Here are three tips to keep in mind when choosing a hand sanitizer. With the illness on-going, it’s important we continue to keep safe by practising good hygiene. One simple precautionary measure: using hand sanitizers when out and about. What should you look out for when buying hand sanitizers? Here’s a quick guide. 1. Ingredient List. Avoid Toxic Ingredients and Unknown Substances Ingredients such as Sulphates, Chorine, EDTA & Parabens are widely known in the skincare industry to be harmful to the human body. Prolonged usage can cause irritation and a host of long-term health problems, which is why you need to read the label when selecting your hand sanitizers. On the other hand, food-grade Ethyl Alcohol or food-grade Isopropyl Alcohol make excellent choices. When in doubt, always look up questionable ingredients online or enquire with your supplier. Better yet, choose hand sanitizers with only food-grade ingredients to have a peace of mind, for those with children, elderly or pets at home. Find out more about the difference between food grade and industrial grade sanitizers. 2. 60% Alcohol For a hand sanitizer to be truly effective, get one with an alcohol concentration of at least 60%. Many studies have shown how sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60-95% are much more effective at killing viruses and bacteria than those with lower alcohol concentration or are non-alcohol based1. Even the type of alcohol plays a difference, as Isopropyl Alcohol (“Rubbing Alcohol”) is more commonly known as industrial alcohol, whereas Ethyl Alcohol (Ethanol) is widely consumed in the beverages industry and regarded as safer. 3. Traceability and Legitimacy We cannot stress this enough. Knowing where your hand sanitizers come from and its ingredient source is extremely important. With demand for hand sanitizers soaring, we worry about scalpers trying to pull a fast one on ignorant buyers. Hand sanitizers with unknown labels may be produced using dubious ingredients or made in facilities that do not adhere to proper procedures and standards. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, always look out for products with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and ensure that the manufacturing source of your hand sanitizer is legitimate. SimplyGood’s hand sanitizers, for instance, are made of food-grade ingredients, with an organic Ethyl alcohol concentration of 70%, and are also free of toxic ingredients like sulfates, chlorine, EDTA & parabens. Lastly, they are made in Singapore (in a licensed food handling facility) and compliant to local industry food standards! Bonus: Make it Sustainable – For Your Wallets and the Planet Do you have existing hand sanitizer bottles lying around at home? Then you should consider purchasing hand sanitizers in larger refill packs. With refill packs, there will be plenty to go around, so you can share them with your family and friends. On the other hand, buying new bottles each time could be more expensive and such a practice also creates unnecessary packaging waste. Check out SimplyGood’s hand sanitizers, available in 1-litre, 5-litre refill packs and 50ml small bottles! If you’re looking to bulk order, drop us a message at team@uglygood.com.sg.