#HealthBytes: 5 reasons why you shouldn't use hand sanitizers
Hand sanitizers may, at least on the surface, seem like the best and quickest way to ensure germ-free hands on the go. But don't get fooled into believing that they're harmless. The alcohol and chemicals in sanitizers can ruin your health in a number of ways. Here, we list 5 ways in which hand sanitizers are bad for you.
The alcohol present in sanitizers increases chances of dermatitis
The alcohol present in sanitizers generally includes isopropyl, ethanol, and n-propanol, all of which have a drying effect on skin, and can result in skin irritation, and dehydration of cells. They impact natural oils in the skin, and affect the skin's anti-bacterial acid mantle. Given these effects, the risk of contracting dermatitis naturally goes up with the frequent use of sanitizers.
Unmentioned chemicals in sanitizers may cause irritation, hormone disruption
Manufacturers, more often than not, use chemicals to make sanitizers smell good. These chemicals need not even be mentioned on the labels, because there's no legal requirement for mentioning such substances on a product's label. Such unknown chemicals might be bad for your health, in the sense that they may cause allergies, and end up being responsible for hormone disruption.
Your immune system may be weakened due to sanitizers
You might be using sanitizers to reduce risk of germ-based infections, but studies have shown that sustained exposure to extra clean environments may weaken your immune system, thus increasing risks of falling ill more often. Thus, if you're using hand sanitizers, it's advisable to reduce obsessive use, and stick to using them only when you really need to.
Sanitizer use can also accelerate the aging process
Remember the drying effects of sanitizers? Well, incidentally, such drying of skin increases the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, calluses, cracks, and flakiness on your hands. Additionally, the alcohol present in sanitizers might negatively affect the natural barrier function, reducing the skin's ability to protect itself. Therefore, if you don't want your skin to look old and dull prematurely, sanitizer use should be regulated.
Presence of "superbugs" may lead to resistance to antibiotics
A number of hand sanitizers are made with triclosan, which is an anti-bacterial known to disrupt hormone functioning in the body. Furthermore, the presence of so-called "superbugs" in sanitizers might also affect your body's ability to react to antibiotics by developing a resistance to such drugs. In this sense, the use of sanitizers might adversely impact treatment of bacteria-caused diseases.
