- Hello everyone, how is life in quarantine?
As you can see,
I thought I'd ditch the green screen this week
and chill out on my coffee table for today's video
because hanging out in my living room
is pretty much what I've been doing off camera anyway.
We're in the middle of a pandemic right now
and everyone is trying to get their mitts on hand sanitizer.
I've been seeing some of the stuff you guys are using
on your hands and I'm like, uh-uh, don't use that.
So today, what we're gonna do
is talk about some hand sanitizer fails,
what doesn't work and why.
Hand sanitizer fail number one:
using Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on hands.
Yes, I know it's difficult to find hand sanitizer
in stores right now, but that's no reason
to use Clorox or Lysol Disinfectant Wipes on your hands.
Not all surface cleaners and disinfectants kill SARS-CoV-2,
the virus that causes COVID-19.
But even the wipes that do,
like Clorox and Lysol Disinfectant Wipes
were never meant to be used on skin.
They can cause irritation and that can be a bad thing.
Although coronavirus gets into the body
mainly through the respiratory system,
cracked and bleeding hands
can make you more susceptible to infection
because open cuts allow other germs like bacteria to get in.
Also, for the record, the cleaners used in these wipes
have to remain on surfaces
anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes
without being wiped off to actually work.
Wiping them off too soon might only clean the surface
without actually disinfecting it.
Hand sanitizer fail number two:
using some alcohols like vodka or whiskey
to sanitize your hands.
Like this person who is planning to use Tito's Vodka
to sanitize their hands.
Hey, not only is that a waste of good hoot,
but some alcohols like whiskey or vodka
don't meet the minimum requirements listed by the CDC,
one of the organizations tasked with fighting the outbreak.
Alcohols like Tito's Vodka are only 40% alcohol by volume
and per the CDC, hand sanitizers
need to contain at least 60% alcohol
to be effective at killing germs.
As an aside, while we can't make hand sanitizer with vodka,
Tito's distillery is getting the go ahead
from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau,
whew, that's a long word to say,
to make ethanol-based hand sanitizer
by adjusting their formulation
to fit the CDC's requirements and to meet the shortage.
I totally wanna support them,
so I'll probably be buying some Tito's
so I can spread the love.
Hand sanitizer fail number three:
using non-alcohol based hand sanitizer.
These non-alcohol based hand sanitizers
contain ingredients like benzalkonium chloride,
which according to the CDC
is less reliable against coronavirus
compared to alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus.
This means it's enclosed in a protective fatty coating
that can be resolved with alcohol-based products.
Certain concentrations of alcohol
are effective at killing both viruses and bacteria
by unfolding or inactivating their proteins
in a process called denaturation.
The pro tip: for any hand sanitizer to be effective,
you have to read the label and use the correct amount.
Also, don't forget to rub the product
all over your hands until they're dry.
That's a key piece of information.
If you wipe the hand sanitizer off on your pants
before it fully dries, nice job,
but you just made it less effective.
Hand sanitizer fail number four:
using antiviral essential oils.
People are using essential oils,
like tea tree, lavender, clove bud,
lemon, and eucalyptus oil as an antiviral in the air
or directly on skin.
Now, there is no such thing as antiviral essential oils,
period, full stop.
If you wanna call something antiviral,
it needs to have a randomized control trial
conducted on humans,
and it takes some time to get to that point.
There have been some fascinating studies
on the antiviral qualities of essential oils in labs
and I've included those in the description of this video
just in case you're curious, but that's a long, long way
from saying an essential oil is an antiviral,
which means they've undergone rigorous testing
and approval like the drugs you see at your local pharmacy.
If you've got a lot of time to waste,
and who doesn't right now?
We are in self-quarantine after all,
check out all the work it takes
to say something is antiviral.
Hand sanitizer fail number five
comes from a lot of wellness bloggers
that are making alcohol-free recipes
that include witch hazel and aloe vera.
Some are billing this as nature's antiviral spray,
but witch hazel only contains 14% alcohol.
Wait a minute, didn't I already mentioned this problem?
(soft screeches)
And per the CDC, hand sanitizers
need to contain at least 60% alcohol
to be effective at killing germs.
Yep, that is not enough
to effectively protect yourself from germs.
Despite all this talk about hand sanitizer,
the CDC says the most effective way
to protect yourself is to simply wash your hands
with plain old soap and water.
Yes, I know you were hoping
for something a little bit more modern and sophisticated
but this low-tech option is really kick-ass.
If you wanna know why soap is better than hand sanitizer,
subscribe so you can catch the next video,
but I'll leave you with one little hint.
In addition to coronavirus,
there are just some types of viruses
hand sanitizers can't destroy, like norovirus,
aka, the stomach flu, and Clostridium difficile,
which can give you a case of the poop so server,
it will make you wish you stockpiled more of these.
I decided to make this video because hey,
you're doing this hand sanitizer thing
because you wanna protect yourself and others, right?
Wouldn't it be great
if the hand sanitizer you use actually worked?
I didn't know a lot of this myself
until I started doing the research for this video,
and there was this time early on
when I wasn't even applying hand sanitizer right.
I feel so guilty about that now.
So coronavirus, thank you for the lesson
in hand sanitizers, I guess.
Actually, you know what?
(beep) you, coronavirus.
Have questions?
Let me know and I'll answer them
in the comments or an upcoming vid.
Hey guys, I just wanted to leave a final note
before I close out this video.
The quarantine has been really tough for a lot of people
and I just wanted to reach out
and say if you ever wanted to talk to someone
about cosmetics, beauty, or honestly, just chat,
let me now, I feel like this is a time
that we should all be here for each other.
You can find me online.
Just know that I'm thinking about you guys
and I wanna see you all safe, healthy, and happy, okay?
Take care.