It's important to remember that hand sanitiser isn't the be all and end all of hygiene (if you're one of the millions of Brits now mostly staying at home anyway, hand washing is the best option).
But does it matter what kind of hand gel or soap you buy? And what can you do if you're struggling to get hold of these products? You should also exercise caution when using online marketplaces - previous Which? investigations have uncovered a high number of products that don't pass safety standardsIf you have a Cuticura product, you might notice that on the label it says it contains 57.6% ethanol. Cuticura told us that this is the value by weight and it converts to 66% ethanol by volume (the important measure), which is above the 60% minimum requirement.
COVID-19 is an enveloped virus. This means that the RNA (nucleic acid - the viral genetic material) is coated in a lipid (fatty) layer. Soap is able to dissolve this lipid layer, causing the virus to fall apart and stopping it from binding to our cells.Repeated use of alcohol-based hand sanitiser can irritate your skin, too, despite many containing moisturising agents. Coronavirus latest: get the latest specialist news and advice from our money, travel and health experts You've probably seen that you need at least 60% alcohol content for hand sanitiser to work properly.
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Joined in 2023 
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