As fears of a serious coronavirus outbreak in the UK spread, many of us are taking appropriate precautions by stocking up on hand sanitiser and applying it liberally throughout the day.
There have now been at least 39 confirmed cases of the disease – known as Covid 19 – in the UK, including a secondary school pupil in Devon, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said a serious outbreak in the spring was ‘highly likely’.
Government advice is to wash your hands regularly with soap and hot water, but there’s been a surge in hand sanitisers sales, with people using it as a back-up when they’re on the move.
OCADO has sold out of its anti-bacterial gels, with increasing numbers of people putting in large orders, while some Boots shops are limiting customers to buying two bottles each and have empty shelves.
The NHS says that to kill most viruses, a hand sanitiser requires at least 60 per cent alcohol content. Viruses are tougher to kill than bacteria, however coronavirus is more susceptible to alcohol than norovirus.
In addition to not being the perfect solution, is the repeated use of harsh formulas containing alcohol having an impact on your skin?
Emma Coleman, a dermatology practitioner and nurse with 20 years experience in the NHS, warns the harsh ingredients in some hand gels can alter the skin’s barrier function and trigger allergic reactions.
Here Emma, who now works out of Kent and at 10 Harley Street in London, and two other dermatology experts share their advice for keeping your hands both healthy and clean with FEMAIL.
As fears of a serious coronavirus outbreak in the UK spread, many of us are taking appropriate precautions by stocking up on hand sanitiser and applying it liberally throughout the day – but what impact does repeated use have on our skin?
Risk of allergic dermatitis
If someone is run down and their skin is a bit sensitive anyway, there’s normally a number of factors that will lead to this, but sometimes the use of the alcohol hand gel can push skin over the edge.
A lot of the ingredients in standard alcohol sanitiser that we buy off the shelves can be quite astringent.
‘Most of them contain ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or something similar, which is obviously going to kill the bacteria on the surface of the hands,’ Emma says.
‘There’s always a risk of allergic dermatitis forming – which is a red prickly-looking rash. This is because the use of the hand gel is going to change the surface microflora of the skin in some way, and in some people that could lead to an allergic reaction. It may just lead to outbreaks of eczema as well.’
Emma Coleman, a dermatology practitioner and nurse with 20 years experience in the NHS, warns the harsh ingredients in some hand gels can alter the skin’s barrier function and trigger allergic reactions
Dr Anne Wetter, a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of SNA-based skincare ALLÉL, explains: ‘The alcohols used in hand sanitiser dries out the skin, by reducing the skin of its own natural oils.
‘This will in the long run lead to a a compromised skin barrier if the skin is not remoisturised sufficiently. The skin will be irritated, easier infected and have a higher risk of developing contact dermatitis.’
Alter the skin’s barrier function
Emma explains: ‘The skin barrier has a certain permeability when it’s balanced, and part of its structure is oil, ceramides, which are kind of fat, which maintains skin integrity.
‘If that’s compromised with a dermatitis break out, or if the skin starts to become cracked with the use of the hand gel, that would mean that in some way, the structure or permeability has been compromised, or put under stress.
‘In that way it will become extremely reactive to the product being put on it, and it wouldn’t be advised that you continue using it.’
Dr Ismat Nasiruddin, a dermatologist at www.pulselightclinic.co.uk, adds: ‘Alcohol is known to be a skin irritant and very drying for skin, especially sensitive, damaged or fragile skin such as eczema. Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition causing itch, dryness and sensitivity.
‘It means skin can react to things that would not irritate normal skin, and we know that this is due to the ‘skin barrier’ being damaged and more permeable.
‘This allows easier passage of irritants and infection and difficulty retaining moisture, as well as disrupting the natural skin bacteria.’
Emma added that some hand gels contain triclosan, an antibacterial compound for added protection. ‘They also often contain artificial fragrance – it could be a combination of any of those things which compromises the skin,’ she said.
Accelerates visible ageing
Dr Anne says: ‘A long-term usage of alcohol based sanitiser can upset the skin’s natural defenses, making the skin of the hands dehydrated. As a result, the hands can then develop wrinkles and flakiness giving the skin a thin, dry and aged look.
‘An overuse of sanitiser will effect the skin barrier, leading to dry, cracked skin.’
‘The darker Fitzpatrick skin types on the scale can tolerate a lot more because they have more melanin in them naturally, they generally age better anyway,’ Emma adds.
‘But very pale skins are always going to struggle a bit more with the effects of these products.’
Emma advises nourishing the skin with hand cream as much as you’re using the hand sanitiser, especially before you go to bed at night.
‘Put on a really good, hydrating hand cream after you’ve washed hands; that will help to heal the skin overnight and rejuvenate it,’ she says.
Bad for your nails
If the nails were already quite brittle and in poor condition – perhaps due to diet or undergoing a period of stress, or an autoimmune dermatological disease, whereby in some cases nails are affected – then Emma says using the hand gel could have an impact and make things worse.
‘Generally speaking, people are rubbing it into their skin, so I would imagine the skin would be more affected, unless they’re actively massaging it into their nails, which I imagine some people will do,’ she adds.
Disruptive to hormones
Just like with any product we put onto our skin, the skin is highly porous and pretty much everything we put in can have an effect. It will go into our blood, and all humans are highly hormonal creatures.
Emma explains: ‘There is some data around – I don’t think the studies are large scale or long term – but it’s like anything in cosmetics; there are certain trials to show that ethanol, which is in the hand gel and other products we put on our skin, can affect oestrogen receptor (ER), which can lead to certain types of cancer, breast cancer for example. But definitely more studies need to be done.
‘I wouldn’t say that it’s absolutely going to happen to you, but there is evidence behind it. Also animal studies have shown that ethanol can affect liver function as well. It’s like anything, our bodies try to excrete these kind of things and one of the pathways is through the liver.’
Dr Ismat adds: ‘The US FDA (food and drug administration) banned the use of triclosan in personal hygiene products in 2017 as there was evidence that showed it could impact negatively on the body’s hormonal (endocrine) system.
‘The EU has restricted use of triclosan in personal hygiene products too, and there are also wider environmental concerns from its impact on the environment and antibiotic resistance.
‘Washing hands with soap and water remains the favoured option, and studies have confirmed that using running water and soap to wash your hands is more effective than a dab of gel that hasn’t been well absorbed or rubbed in.’
For more information about Emma’s work, visit emmacolemanskin.com