If you are like most people, you have probably stocked up on numerous hand sanitizer bottles to help you get through the COVID-19 pandemic. You may have also stepped up your hand washing routine. Sanitizing and washing your hands is crucial for stopping the spread of germs, but it can also lead to dry, cracked hands.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to choose between clean, germ-free hands and soft, moisturized hands. Instead, try switching to a hand sanitizer containing hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally made in the body. It’s main purpose is to keep your tissues hydrated and moist. Check out some of the benefits of using hand sanitizer with hyaluronic acid now!
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Information on the substance and its usage
For some people, the word “hyaluronic acid” may sound like a scary or unusual scientific chemical made in a lab. However, hyaluronic acid is a naturally-occuring substance in the body that is produced to help maintain its moisture levels.
You can typically find hyaluronic acid in the fluids of your eyes and joints. However, the type of hyaluronic acid that is used in medication comes from rooster combs. Scientists have also created it in the laboratory using bacteria.
Hyaluronic acid can be used for a number of different purposes, such as:
- Cataract removal
- Corneal transplantation
- Treatment for knee arthritis
- Dry eye relief
- Aging skin
- Wound healing
- Muscle soreness from exercise
For many of these procedures, hyaluronic acid cushions and lubricates joints. This can be helpful in helping your body heal from an injury. When applied to the skin, hyaluronic acid can attract moisture and keep your skin health hydrated and plump.
Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
How hyaluronic acid makes your skin smooth and supple
Hyaluronic acid can be applied to any skin type. Many skin care companies include this substance in their products for its moisturizing and anti-oxidant properties. Because of their tendency to dry out a user’s hands, a growing number of hand sanitizers with hyaluronic acid have also been offered to consumers.
This substance offers a number of other surprising benefits, including:
- Relieving pain and speeding up the wound healing process
- Combating gum disease and getting rid of uncomfortable ulcers
- Soothing and lubricating joints to prevent them from grinding against each other
- Treating symptoms of acid reflux
- Fixing dry eye and improving overall eye health
- Preventing bladder pain from interstitial cystitis, also known as painful bladder symptom
Popular Products That Contain Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is contained in a number of skincare products
If you look closely enough, you will find hyaluronic acid in a number of different beauty products like:
- Anti-wrinkling skin creams
- Moisturizer
- Hydration serums
Hyaluronic acid serums have risen in popularity within the past several years. Unlike other moisturizers, hyaluronic acid serums do not make your skin oily. By fighting off dryness and irritation, these serums can also produce anti-ageing effects.
Foods That Encourage Hyaluronic Acid Production
But when it comes to taking care of your skin, you also need to pay attention to what you are putting in your body. Luckily for you, there are also plenty of delicious foods and ingredients that encourage the production of hyaluronic acid inside your body.
Starchy root vegetables like potatoes and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits can help increase the production of hyaluronic acid and prevent its breakdown, respectively. You should also get in a regular dose of leafy greens to help encourage hyaluronic acid production in your body.
Common Questions and Answers on Different Types of Hand Sanitizers
We answer the most frequently asked questions on hyaluronic acid and sanitizers in general
Like many people, you probably have questions on staying safe during the pandemic and keeping yourself free of harmful germs. It’s certainly a scary period of time to live through, but staying informed of ways you can help combat the spread of the pandemic can help ease your anxiety. Here are some frequently asked questions about hand sanitation and staying clean during the pandemic.
How often do I need to wash my hands?
Washing your hands before cooking, after going to the restroom, walking or playing with your pet, after sneezing or coughing, and before and after giving first aid to someone is imperative. You should also wash your hands after going out in public and throughout the day if you have returned to the office. Your desk contains a lot more germs than you think. If you shake hands with anyone, you should also wash them afterward.
Do I need an alcohol-based hand sanitizer?
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are extremely effective in removing germs and microbes on your hands. Most studies have found that hand sanitizers with 60-95% alcohol are more effective than formulas with little to no alcohol.
However, water and soap is more effective in cleaning visibly soiled hands. That’s why health officials tend to encourage people to wash their hands with soap and water rather than hand sanitizer whenever possible.
How do you properly apply hand sanitizer?
Applying hand sanitizer is pretty simple. You just need to apply enough to cover the surface of both of your hands before rubbing it in until your hands are dry. Some people might try to wave them in the air but that is much less effective. You also risk losing some hand sanitizer if you haven’t rubbed it in your skin properly.
Is it possible to use too much hand sanitizer?
Right now, there are no studies indicating that hand sanitizer can be harmful for your health. However, using it frequently can dry out your hands. At worst, it can cause cracks in your skin. Keeping your hands moisturized with skin cream or using hand sanitizers that contain
hyaluronic acid can help prevent this problem.
Will using alcohol-based hand sanitizer contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance?
Some consumers have expressed worry over the possibility that excessive hand sanitizer use will lead to the rise of antibiotic resistance.
In the past, several strains of bacteria have been shown to become more resistant to alcohol-based hand sanitizers. This has led many people to question whether bacteria can become completely immune to these alcohol-based hand sanitizers over time. Because alcohol-based hand sanitizers act in a completely different manner than regular antibiotics, they are unlikely to cause superbugs that are resistant to them.
How does the coronavirus spread?
Coronavirus is thought to be transmitted from person to person. This can occur when an infected person coughs or sneezes near someone else. Even exhaling in close proximity to someone can leave them vulnerable to contract it.
Can the virus remain stuck to surfaces?
Yes. In fact, it is possible to contract the virus after touching a surface that someone with the virus coughed or sneezed on. That’s why it’s so crucial to clean and disinfect high touch surfaces and to apply hand sanitizer after going out in public.
The Importance of Sanitizing and Washing Your Hands
Properly washing your hands can help stop the spread of the coronavirus
During the coronavirus, it’s crucial for you to wash your hands or sanitize them whenever you have been in a public space. Shopping cars, door handles, tables, and gas pumps may have been touched by a number of other people. Should you touch your face after coming in contact with any of these surfaces, you will increase your risk of contracting the virus. This is because pathogens that have been contaminated by these high touch surfaces can enter the body through your eyes, nose or math.
If you aren’t near a kitchen sink, a bottle of hand sanitizer is your next best option. According to the CDC, the hand sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol. Since hand sanitizer can be drying, a growing number of people are starting to search for bottles that also contain hyaluronic acid. As we mentioned before, hyaluronic acid is effective in keeping your skin hydrated and moisturized.
Keeping your skin germ-free and moisturized is essential as the country attempts to move through the pandemic. As we wait for a vaccine as well as more effective treatments, we need to do everything we can to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. How have you been staying safe? Let us know in the comments below!
