Formulation, Adverse Effects and

Regulation of Hand Sanitizers

Apt. Ida Adhayanti, S.Si, M.Sc

Pharmacy Department, Polkesmas
Present @ International Webinar, July 9th, 2020
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104949/sales-volume-of-hand-sanitizers-in-
the-netherlands-by-week/
Misleading to Correct Information on how to make
your own Hand Sanitizers on Social Media
Dosage Forms of Hand Sanitizers
Types of Hand Sanitizers

Alcohol Free :
• Antiseptic
Alcohol Based : • Chlorhexidine
• 60 – 95 % v/v alcohol • Glycerine • Chloroxylenol
• Ethanol • Fragrance • Iodine / Iodophors
• Isopropanol • Colourant • Quaternary
• nipropanol Ammonium
• Hydrogen Peroxide Compounds
• Triclosan
Hand Sanitizers à
Pharmacy Department, Polkesmas
Alcohol and Soaps
Efficacy of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers
against the Coronavirus
 The Adverse Effects of Alcohol
Based Sanitizers
• Most common skin reactions à Irritant Contact Dermatitis (ICD)
and Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD)
• Hand hygiene products such as sanitizer and soaps can be damaging
to the skin through several mechanisms :
• denaturation of the stratum corneum proteins
• alteration of intercellular lipids
• decrease in corneocyte cohesion and reduction of stratum corneum water-
binding capacity
• Among the alcohol-based formulations, ethanol has the least skin-
irritant property compared to n-propanol and isopropanol
• Be aware of certain hand sanitizers containing methanol instead of
ethanol. Methanol is very toxic.
 Recommendations to Minimize the
Cutaneous Adverse Effects

• The adverse effects caused by sanitizer or handwashing soaps can be

easily prevented by identifying the trigger and countered with
appropriate measures using one or a combination of following
methods:
• selecting products with a less irritating agent
• moisturizing skin after hand sanitation
• avoiding habits that may cause or aggravate skin irritation
 Hand Hygiene Recommendation

• Proper hand hygiene by washing hands or using alcohol-based sanitizer is one of the most
critical measures to prevent direct or indirect transmission of the COVID-19 as it reduces the
number of the viable SARS-CoV-2 virus on contaminated hands
• The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible because
handwashing reduces the amounts of all types of germs and chemicals on hands
• If soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitizer with a final concentration of at least
60% ethanol or 70% isopropyl alcohol inactivates viruses that are genetically related to, and with
similar physical properties as, the COVID-19.
• The action of handwashing can mechanically remove the microorganisms, but the removal of
resident pathogens is more effective when hands are washed with preparations containing anti-
microbial agents
• According to the Policies and Procedures on CDC, WHO and the Ministry of Health Indonesia,
the recommended duration for the entire handwash procedure spans between 40 to 60 s using
the standard 7-step technique.
Main References