While we certainly don’t teeter into germaphobe territory, we’d be fibbing if we said we didn’t always have a tube of hand sanitizer at the ready. Hey, the grime we can't always see scares us! Okay, maybe we take that germaphobe part back. But, it’s hard to constantly book it to a sink on the go, so a quick squeeze sometimes has to suffice.
But, could that seemingly sterile squirt not only be failing to perform its cleaning function, but actually be causing harm in the process? According to Upwave, the main ingredient in non-alcoholic sanitizers, triclosan, could potentially lower your body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses. In some studies, it was even found to chip away at muscle strength. Sounds pretty alarming, right?
There is no evidence that points toward the actual benefits of trisclosan, either. And, as Allison Aiello, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, states in the article — hospitals won’t even use them. The fix? If you’re still in favor of going the hand-sanitizing route, be sure to snag one with 60% alcohol, as its proven to kill most bacteria and even some virsuses. If you ask us though, it seems like this is nothing a little soap and water can’t fix. That’s right; experts recommend the vintage approach — washing your hands. So, there’s that. (Upwave)
Photo: Via CNN
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