# News & Current Events > Coronavirus SARS-CoV2 >  Is using hand sanitiser to beat coronavirus RUINING your skin?

## donnay

> *Is using hand sanitiser to beat coronavirus RUINING your skin?* 
> 
> Dermatologist reveals alcohol-based gel damages the natural barrier and accelerates ageing - but adding a natural product to your regime can help reduce damage
> 
> By Hayley Richardson 
> 
> 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'.
> ...


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...=1490&ito=1490

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## donnay

> Homemade Hand Sanitizer: A Natural DIY Recipe
> 
> Yield 9 ounces
> 
> Arm yourself with this softly-scented natural homemade hand sanitizer.
> Ingredients
> 
>     5-10 drops lavender essential oil (where to buy 100% pure lavender EO)
>     30 drops tea tree essential oil - this is a 0.5% concentration (find 100% pure tea tree EO here)
> ...


https://www.diynatural.com/homemade-hand-sanitizer/

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## Suzanimal

> There's always a risk of allergic dermatitis forming – which is a red prickly-looking rash.


Happened to me. I was using wipes. It was miserable. My hands looked like I had dunked them in hot oil and it took a course of steroids to get some relief. I think not being a pig and just washing your damn hands does a better job.

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## donnay

> Happened to me. I was using wipes. It was miserable. My hands looked like I had dunked them in hot oil and it took a course of steroids to get some relief. I think not being a pig and just washing your damn hands does a better job.


Exactly!  Soap and warm water is much better for the skin than alcohol.  Excessive alcohol use will dry out your hands and they will crack and if your worried about a virus, you just opened up the door to let it in when you touch something the virus is on.

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## Suzanimal

> Exactly!  Soap and warm water is much better for the skin than alcohol.  Excessive alcohol use will dry out your hands and they will crack and if your worried about a virus, you just opened up the door to let it in when you touch something the virus is on.


Not to mention, if you have to go on steroids like I had to, you have the side effect of immune suppression.

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## donnay

> Not to mention, if you have to go on steroids like I had to, you have the side effect of immune suppression.


Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Ugh.

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## euphemia

I worked through a norovirus outbreak.  My job venue was customer driven and not super close to a restroom.  I hated using so much hand sanitizer.  It was very hard on my skin.

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## Valli6

I never use hand sanitizer - I can't stand it! Alcohol is a skin irritant. It flushes away the oils in your skin and I don't care how much aloe you add to it - it's a solvent for cryin out loud! It dissolves paint and varnish. No way am I putting that on my skin intentionally. I can't even use "antibacterial" soaps in the winter time - they make my hands super-chapped. Plain soap and water is better for washing away germs.

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## jmdrake

Here's an idea.  Wear latex gloves and disinfect them.  You don't have to use hand sanitizer (hard to come by).  You can use any disinfectant spray or bleach.  (I can still find both).  And while you can't find "hospital gloves", you can still find kitchen gloves.

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