How Does Waterless Hand Soap Work?

Whether pandemics are sweeping the globe, you’re helping take care of a loved one or you’re just trying to avoid the common cold, one simple yet effective method exists to keep germs at bay. By washing your hands regularly, you’re helping mitigate one of the most common ways that diseases spread.

A Waterless Hand Soap takes this trusted technique one step further, ensuring that you can take advantage of true cleanliness no matter where you are. However, it can be easy to wonder if this simple, on-the-go strategy is really as effective as it seems.

How do waterless hand soaps work? Let’s talk about these efficient and even life-saving solutions.

What are Waterless Hand Soaps?

According to one article from a research center in Nova Scotia, these soaps are “waterless agents with disinfectant properties that decrease the number of microorganisms present.” Since person-to-person transmission of these tiny, invisible microbes is a significant way that disease spreads, it stands to reason that consistent use of microbe-reducing agents can help curb disease.

These types of hand treatments typically depend upon the use of an active ingredient, usually alcohol, to denature or kill microbes without harming hands. However, alcohol-based hand soaps can be very drying. This can lead to rough and even cracked skin on your hands—which is not only painful, but can lead to further spread of disease. Microbes can hide in the cracks of dried skin far more easily than they can hide on moisturized, healthy skin.

Since this is the case, looking for a hand soap that doesn’t rely on alcohol as an active ingredient is key; check for waterless hand soaps with an alcohol-free, moisturizing formula instead for enhanced comfort and protection.

Are Waterless Hand Soaps Really Effective?

It can be hard to believe that rubbing your hands with a waterless formula really gets the job done as well as traditional soap and water.

First of all, remember that regular soap and water will likely strip your hands over time, and that isn’t safe. No matter which route you take, you definitely need something with a built-in moisturizer.

In a study published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and hygiene, a team of investigators compared the efficacy of waterless hand soaps and traditional soap and water. They found that effective use of strategically formulated waterless soaps worked just as well or better than soap and water in many ways. For example, a waterless hand soap does not require water, which increases convenience; it also does not require drying hands, which can involve contact with contaminated surfaces. The use of a waterless hand soap also takes less time, which makes it far more likely that people will do it more often (and more correctly).

How Should I use a Waterless Hand Soap as Part of my Daily Routine?

Keep a bottle of waterless hand soap—one with a foaming pump!—with you in your bag, in your car, at your desk and in your home to make sure that you have access to a reliable cleaner at all times.

Apply a small amount (approximately a dime-sized portion) to the palm of one hand, then rub your hands together until all the solution has been absorbed.

Enjoy the clean, moisturized feeling on your hands, and repeat as necessary throughout the day for the protection you need.

Keep Yourself and Your Loved Ones Safe with Gentle, Effective and Waterless Hand Soap

When it’s time to make sure that your hands are completely clean, it’s time to turn to an on-the-go product that works 100% of the time. Today’s best soap options feature ingredients with antibacterial properties that work for up to four hours to reduce any chance of hand-to-hand contamination! We’d recommend a time-tested solution that sanitizes your hands quickly, doesn’t leave a residue on your hands, and even moisturizes for added protection (and a luxurious feel!). One last pro tip? Look for a product that features a foaming pump, too, so you can get that grime-busting, germ-eliminating emulsification that makes you feel clean in as little as 15 seconds.