Words: Zoe Dickens
Sorry gents but your pockets are about to get a bit bulkier because, along with your keys, phone and wallet, the new normal dictates you shouldn’t be leaving home without a bottle of hand sanitiser. This is especially important as offices and public spaces begin to re-open because, alongside your face mask, hand sanitiser is a key tool in protecting both yourself and those around you from Covid-19.
So, first up, the science bit. To ensure proper protection Public Health England recommends your hand sanitiser contains a minimum of 60% alcohol to effectively kill viruses. The bad news is, if you choose a more basic sanitiser, it will likely have a drying, irritating effect on your skin. Luckily, a number of luxury grooming brands have debuted their own hand sanitisers containing familiar skincare ingredients in recent months. And, while you’re still going to need to combine them with a good hand cream to avoid dehydrated skin, these are the best hand sanitisers that look good and feel just a little bit better.
Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic Defence Hand Spray
You’ve learned your lesson when it comes to sun cream – so why mess around with a screw top hand sanitiser when a spray is just so much easier? Neal’s Yard’s all-organic and natural offering combines 70% alcohol with purifying niaouli, lemongrass and witch hazel essential oils to create a lightweight, refreshing and non-sticky blend that kills 99.9% of bacteria.
Aesop Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Wash
If you’re anything like us then you’ve already got plenty of Aesop products lurking in your bathroom cabinet. And with good reason – the brand’s no-nonsense approach to creating skincare and grooming products that actually work has made it a reliable go-to for everything from shampoo to face wash. This gel sanitiser doesn’t let the side down thanks to its stylish and durable travel-friendly bottle and invigorating scent of mandarin, cedarwood and lavender.
Oskia Safe Hands Hand Gel
Oskia is well known for its powerful moisturisers and serums and, luckily for your parched hands, it’s applied that same know-how to its hand sanitiser. Bottled in this elegant forest green tube is a base of 62% alcohol mixed with antibacterial lavender oil, rosemary and hydrating glycerin to help seal in moisture and keep sore, cracked hands at bay. Buy as a single, duo or four pack so you never run out.
Susanne Kaufmann Purif-i Hand Spray
Free from parabens, paraffin, sulphates, silicons and other unnatural ingredients often found lurking in cheaper products, this sanitising mist from Susanne Kaufmann contains moisturising glycerin, arnica Montana flower extract and a whole host of anti-viral essential oils to take your hand sanitiser to the next level. If you’re a fan of Susanne Kaufmann’s science-based skincare products, this won’t let you down.
Purdy & Figg Wild Woody hand sanitiser spray
There’s nothing worse than sticking your hands out to be sanitised — and instead getting a splodge of some horrid-smelling stuff. The alcohol-forward formulas are the worst; like tequila gone bad. Thankfully, Purdy & Figg will help you avoid any aromatic disasters with this gently fragranced spray. A manly, woody blend of vetiver and cleansing juniper berry, it’s the perfect sanitiser if you’ve forgotten to apply aftershave this morning…
This Works Stress Check Clean Hands
Don’t let the fuss-free packaging fool you, This Works creates products which are anything but basic. Containing 70% alcohol, this gel formula adds hyaluronic acid to the mix to combat dryness as well as a blend of lavender, chamomile and neroli essential oils to soothe irritated skin. It’s also free from parabens, sulphates and synthetic colours and is made from 98% natural ingredients.
La Roche-Posay Purifying Hand Gel
La Roche-Posay has been a reliable go-to for great sun creams and after sun lotions for years and now it’s added an equally dependable hand sanitiser to its range. With a comforting 65% alcohol base, one look at the ingredients list should reassure those with sensitive skin: there are just four items on there. This super simple formula of alcohol, water, hydrating glycerin and stabiliser is as unadorned as they come – perfect for those with easily irritated skin.
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