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Review
. 2023 Aug 10;11(8):687.
doi: 10.3390/toxics11080687.

Hand Sanitizer Gels: Classification, Challenges, and the Future of Multipurpose Hand Hygiene Products

Yilei Ma  1 , Jia Yi  1 , Jiahui Ma  1 , Haiyang Yu  1 , Li Luo  2 , Wei Wu  3 , Libo Jin  1 , Qinsi Yang  4 , Ting Lou  5 , Da Sun  1 , Min Cao  6
Affiliations
Review

Hand Sanitizer Gels: Classification, Challenges, and the Future of Multipurpose Hand Hygiene Products

Yilei Ma et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

Hand hygiene is a crucial measure in the prevention and control of infections, and there is a growing awareness among individuals who are making a conscious effort to maintain hand cleanliness. With the advent of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, the demand for hand hygiene products has also gradually shifted towards those with antimicrobial properties. Among these products, hand sanitizer gels (HSGs) have gained considerable popularity as an efficient method of hand cleaning, due to their rapid drying and sustained antimicrobial efficacy. Concurrently, there has been a growing interest in novel HSGs that offer additional functions such as skin whitening, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory effects. These novel HSGs effectively address concerns associated with the ingestion of antimicrobial ingredients and demonstrate reduced skin irritation, thereby alleviating hand dermatological issues. This review provides an extensive overview of the application scenarios, classification, and challenges associated with HSGs while emphasizing the emergence of novel components with biological functions, aiming to contribute to the advancement of hand hygiene practices and offer novel insights for the development of novel HSGs with outstanding antimicrobial properties with other multiple biological functions and desirable biosafety profiles.

Keywords: antimicrobial properties; biological functions; hand hygiene; hand sanitizer gels.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hand sanitizer gels (HSGs) possess favorable sensory characteristics, exert a certain degree of control over bacterial transmission, and can be applied in various scenarios. (a) Hand hygiene products with good sensory properties, including pH similar to skin, as well as appropriate viscosity and spreadability; (b) HSGs can control the spread of bacteria in various environments to a certain extent and significantly reduce the transfer of microorganisms, thus effectively reducing respiratory and gastrointestinal infections; (c) The versatility of HSGs extends to multiple scenarios, embracing outdoor activities, supermarket shopping, health centers, domestic routines and other scenarios.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Application challenges and the corresponding improvement strategies of hand sanitizer gels (HSGs). (A) The challenges of antimicrobial functional ingredients at present and the corresponding improvement measures are put forward; (B) The current challenges associated with gel ingredients are identified, along with proposed measures for their improvement.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Novel components of hand sanitizer gels (HSGs) possess antimicrobial properties and exhibit multiple biological functions.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The antimicrobial mechanisms of essential oils, phenols, and organic acids, as well as the skin whitening and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of phenols and Mandelic acid (MA).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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