I have a strong suspicion that repeated use of alcohol based gels is giving me dermatitis. I do not believe that hand washing soap is causing the irritation. I would appreciate recommendations for an effective alternative which must be portable, I must be able to carry it around in my pocket.

 

Put some ordinary liquid soap is a small container, mixed with water and carry some tissues in another pocket.....should see you through.

Stick to soap and water, and give surgical gloves a try.

Any chemical that does the same as the alcohol will probably cause the same amount of irritation.

7 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Put some ordinary liquid soap is a small container, mixed with water and carry some tissues in another pocket.....should see you through.

Soap is alkaline. Leaving soap on the OP's hands and just drying it off with tissues would probably cause irritation too. Possibly a nonionic surfactant would be better.

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Soap is alkaline. Leaving soap on the OP's hands and just drying it off with tissues would probably cause irritation too. Possibly a nonionic surfactant would be better.

I said to mix it with water, or can carry a small container of it to clean hands, or seek out a cheap moisturiser to help.

1 minute ago, xylophone said:

I said to mix it with water, or can carry a small container of it to clean hands, or seek out a cheap moisturiser to help.

It's still soap. He needs to rinse the soap off with water.

A moisturizer tends to defeat the purpose of the exercise, which keeping hands clean/sterile.

"...do not believe that hand washing soap is causing the irritation."  Put a bar of soap in a zip lock baggie.  You can buy a bottle of water on just about every street corner.  Wash hands for 20 seconds, rinse, drink what is left.  Or, consider those disposable gloves food workers wear.  Most od all ... THINK about what you are touching, and THINK about if you are touching your face.

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

It's still soap. He needs to rinse the soap off with water.

A moisturizer tends to defeat the purpose of the exercise, which keeping hands clean/sterile.

Okay, we seem to be at odds over this, so this is worthwhile considering....... 

 

Once someone has applied the alcohol-based hand gel to the hands, it is supposed to kill the virus/germs, and once the alcohol has evaporated, which takes approximately 15 seconds, it is no longer active against the bugs.

 

So sanitiser on the hands is a once off thing until you touch something else, say 15 seconds later, so moisturiser is not going to make any difference whatsoever, apart from possibly reducing irritation as in the OPs post.

 

There is mixed evidence (but generally very favourable) on the non-alcohol-based hand sanitisers which often use benzylkonium chloride as the bug killing agent, or indeed triclosan, and there are even some like this that have moisturiser included. There are even some antibacterial wipes which are alcohol free and purport to do the same job.

 

Anyway, with the amount of people I see walking around the shopping malls here with small bottles of water tucked in their trousers, pouches, small backpacks, then it would be no problem whatsoever to dampen a tissue, or indeed use a non-alcohol/antibacterial wipe – – plenty of choices.
 

Use Moisturizer after washing 

I use sugar free listerine mouth wash... if its good enough to keep me doodle pox free its good enough for me hands too !!

I read somewhere recently that Isopropyl alcohol is prone to causing skin damage whereas Ethyl alcohol is better.

42 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Okay, we seem to be at odds over this, so this is worthwhile considering....... 

 

Once someone has applied the alcohol-based hand gel to the hands, it is supposed to kill the virus/germs, and once the alcohol has evaporated, which takes approximately 15 seconds, it is no longer active against the bugs.

 

So sanitiser on the hands is a once off thing until you touch something else, say 15 seconds later, so moisturiser is not going to make any difference whatsoever, apart from possibly reducing irritation as in the OPs post.

 

There is mixed evidence (but generally very favourable) on the non-alcohol-based hand sanitisers which often use benzylkonium chloride as the bug killing agent, or indeed triclosan, and there are even some like this that have moisturiser included. There are even some antibacterial wipes which are alcohol free and purport to do the same job.

 

Anyway, with the amount of people I see walking around the shopping malls here with small bottles of water tucked in their trousers, pouches, small backpacks, then it would be no problem whatsoever to dampen a tissue, or indeed use a non-alcohol/antibacterial wipe – – plenty of choices.
 

I agree with the content of this post. IF a person applies a soap/water mix, they would risk another form of skin damage unless they rinsed or wiped off with plain water. As I said before, soap is alkaline and hence defats the skin.

Certainly there are the non-alcohol alternatives, as you have identified.

Moisturizers usually have some oily component to restore skin balance. Unfortunately, bacteria love anything oily ( don't know about viruses ) so I am questioning the value of a moisturizer on the hands.

I apply sorbolene regularly to my legs, but I don't eat or touch surfaces with them.

Call it a mild difference of opinion.

58 minutes ago, xylophone said:

There are even some antibacterial wipes.

...It's a virus, not a bacteria

22 minutes ago, stouricks said:

...It's a virus, not a bacteria

Exactly, therefore rendering hand gels useless.

23 minutes ago, stouricks said:

...It's a virus, not a bacteria

You can get alcohol wipes not sure how effective they are,

As far as I know the hand sanitizers need to have 65%+ alcohol and that breaks down the cell wall of the Corana virus.

The only other thing is soap and running water and that physically removes the virus,he could wear gloves then I would recommend he wears a mask that will stop him touching his face, the mask is not there to protect him from the virus as it's not really effective just to stop him touching his face.

If he can find some high % alcohol he could try mixing it with some Aloa vera gel to make his own.

Good original Dettol medicated soap is as good as any.

Try Listerine but also may irritate

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Possibly a nonionic surfactant would be better.

Second aisle from the laundry powder and softeners at your local Big C.

There are plenty of Ph neutral soaps on the market that should help in avoiding the skin problem. 
How you use them are a different matter. Some are in soap bar form, others in liquid form.  

Thymus oil


https://www.today.com/shop/best-hand-sanitizers-soaps-according-professionals-t175061

You can make your own if you can find the ingredients.

There are lots of anit-bacterials and anti-viruls out there. Some are considered homeopathic. Others are proven. Do your due diligence as always. 

But if you lotion up, you should be ok with alcohol based sanitizers.

1 hour ago, Don Mega said:

Exactly, therefore rendering hand gels useless.

How do you know that? Is this another conspiracy theory, governments want to get rid of excess stocks of hand gel?

2 hours ago, stouricks said:

...It's a virus, not a bacteria

True, what I was leading onto (or trying to) there was that after washing one's hands with a water and soap liquid, then one of these antibacterial wipes which doesn't have alcohol in it, would be sufficient to moisturise/clear the soap away from the hands as many do contain a moisturiser. 

 

Furthermore, some of the antibacterial hand wipes contain things like triclosan (some antiviral activity) and chlorhexidine, which is also effective against viruses whereas Benzalkonium chloride has limited range.

1 hour ago, Don Mega said:

Exactly, therefore rendering hand gels useless.

The contents of hand gels include 70% alcohol which is sufficient to kill viruses.

 

We bought a bottle of 70% alcohol, isoprophyl or ethyl alcohol will do and mixed it with aloe vera gel, 2/3's to 1/3.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_sanitizer

 

I use a mix of vinegar,  bleach (chlorine?) and water.

We used bleach extensively during SARS in HK. Seemed to work.

It is important to differentiate between soap, liquid soap and detergents.

Soap is made by saponification of fats, liquid soap is a mixture of water and detergent. Detergent is a synthetic man made derivative Shower gells are mainly detergent and water often with a squeeze of lemon.

 

So there is a difference between using bar soap and using liquid soap. On balance bar soap is far gentler on the skin, particularly if we are using several times a day, despite rumors, it does not harbour bugs.

failing all the chemists advice herein and in the absence of soap & HOT water, and or antiseptic hand gels .... <deleted> on your hands .... lol

4 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

failing all the chemists advice herein and in the absence of soap & HOT water, and or antiseptic hand gels .... <deleted> on your hands .... lol

It works. I have seen filthy wounds cleaned out with it.

 

Like when would you be writhing around in High School after a heavy football hit and the coach would start yelling "get up you p*ssy...p i s s on it!"

 

 

Plain old soap and water preferabley hot is far more effective  than alchohol against viruses and bacteria as it destroys the Lipid Bonds  of fat the virus relies on tho stick to skin  ,, this is crucial ,in removing the virus ,, so soap up   and wash off with plenty of water ,, that may reduce  dermatitus ,

 

use the alcohol studd to wipe down door handles and other surfaces

 

take care

people are more bacteria than human cells

 

there are good & bad bacteria

 

your alcohol kills 99,99 percent of EVERYTHING

 

also the good, that keep your skin moist

 

the bad 0,01 start to overgrow

 

nothing to stop their spread

 

soaps & common sense is better

 

bring a bar soap with you, keep it in a small plastic bag, your new best friend

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

It's still soap. He needs to rinse the soap off with water.

A moisturizer tends to defeat the purpose of the exercise, which keeping hands clean/sterile.

Then just wash your hands with soap and water. How hard can it be? You don't have to walk around and touch everything like a 5 year old. 

Vinegar the cure all. Jack and Jill