HAND SANITISER
We never really imagined that hand sanitisers would still be A Thing, three years on from the start of the pandemic. But for many of us they’ve become a way of life – not so much because we’re terrified of catching a mystery virus, nowadays, but for general hygiene, a feeling of freshness when out and about (when we can’t always access hand-washing facilities), and also for the sheer pleasure factor, actually!
As we pointed out last year – the first year we’d included them as a category for the Beauty Bible Awards – hand sanitisers are most definitely NOT created equal. Some smell like vodka on the rocks. Others strip every atom of moisture from our poor, battered hands. And others are just sticky. But these? Every one a winner. (Literally.) The one proviso for entries was that they had to meet the World Health Organisation recommended minimum alcohol level of 60%, to be tested by us – below that, they are less effective.
Again, tried to give an impression of fragrance with each description, as this is often a decider when it comes to hand sanitiser. (It certainly is for us.) And again, somewhat to our surprise, we had some incredibly high-scoring products.
GOLD (JOINT) AWARD Saltee Hands Sanitising Hand Gel
Heavens – this hand sanitiser scored of 9.12/10, which we think is pretty amazing for what isn’t always regarded as a ‘sexy’ product – and actually, it’s the second Gold in a row for this product. From a company best known for its sun preps, this neroli-scented hand gel contains 70% alcohol to combat 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, they say. Aloe and glycerine to help moisturise hands, along with essential oils. Saltee’s British founders, Sam and Patrick, created the original products for their wanderlust lifestyle and they’re now expanding into skincare products for everyone – everywhere from city dwellers to country lovers and travellers. The one downside? Testers commented they’d prefer a plastic bottle, rather than this glass version. (Over to you, Saltee?)
£13 for 50ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘The poshest most glamourous hand gel, which makes your hands feel so smooth and doesn't dry them out at all – wow, who would have thought that a hand sanitiser product can be glam!’ • ‘An indulgent hand sanitiser with a gorgeous fragrance; used it four times a day and it did not dry out my hands’ • ‘Soft and moisturising, unlike the harsher, drying hand sanitisers. I used this even when I didn't need to as the smell delighted me so much’ • ‘I actually think I've become addicted to this product! No stickiness; it soaked in and my hands actually felt moisturised after using, which is rare’ • ‘In the first week, I used it about 20 times per day, because I had Covid, so I was being extra vigilant to keep my hands sanitised. After this, I used it about five times per day, and really didn’t want it to run out. My hands were soft as a result of using this and felt moisturised’ • ‘LOVED it! Really fresh, citrusy, divine fragrance - and unlike other products, it lingered after the gel had dried, so I continually kept smelling my hands. I couldn't get enough of it’ • ‘Leaves hands feel really clean and revitalised; one of the few gels I’ve used which left hands feeling soft and dry, sunk in quickly and didn’t leave any stickiness at all. Having used various brands of sanitiser over the last couple of years, I can safely say that this is the best I have tried.’
£13 for 50ml - click to buy
GOLD (JOINT) AWARD and BEST NATURAL Zenatti Luxury Hand Cleanser
Zenatti is a truly luxurious hand care brand that – in our opinion – elevates a functional chore into a real sensory pleasure. (Jo keeps a little spray of this in her coat pocket, with her Oyster card tucked into the side!) Their USP is that these Zenatti’s products are created by François Robert, who hails from a fabled family of perfumers; there’s a whole range of perfumes to choose from, within the range, with something for every fragrance fancy: citrus, floral, fresh, smoochy (yes, hand sanitiser can be smoochy!) Our testers trialled the Mediterranean citrus scent, Jardin Aux Herbes; they received the generous 50ml size for use at home/work – but it’s also available in a pocket size atomiser set, all chicly packaged in black.
£24 for 50ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘The most luxurious hand sanitiser ever. I really loved this and got so many impressed Oh’s and Ah’s from others, when this comes out. It’s great for sharing and quite a conversation starter!’ • ‘I loved using it! It sank in beautifully and didn't dry my hands; my youngest daughter, who suffers from eczema and has to be very careful with drying hand sanitisers, was also able to borrow this without her eczema reacting’ • ‘I used this about three to four times a day during some work trips and it moisturised as well as a hand cream, with no drying effects whatsoever. Fantastic fragrance and feels lovely on my hands No stickiness or drying of skin when using; if any of my friends use this, they love it, too’ • ‘I would buy this; it smells so nice and feels wonderful on my hands. The incredibly high-end packaging looks absolutely beautiful on my dressing table. I used this every morning, and the smell would linger round while I got dressed; it made the bedroom smell like a 5-star spa!’ • ‘I don’t usually use/carry hand sanitiser as my hands don’t like most of them, but I found this was gentle enough that I could have reapplied several times a day with no negative consequences. So, if you use this kind of product regularly and find it dries your hands out, I would invest in this; it's honestly so luxurious it makes cleaning your hands feel like a treatment, with its lemony-herby scent’.
£24 for 50ml - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose On-the-Go Hand Sanitiser
We’re unsurprised this iconic British fragrance brand has done so well in this category, with all that perfumery expertise. Delicious Rhubarb & Rose is one of MB’s newer fragrances: a swirl of tart rhubarb, a burst of citrus, softened by ‘vanilla florals’, with Senior Perfumer Vanessa Prudent explaining she was inspired to create it ‘for those who love the sweet things in life.’ Made with 64.7% alcohol, according to the brand, this will kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. You squeeze this into the palm, rather than spritz. (And FYI, if this scent doesn’t push your buttons, they’ve others available.)
£10 for 100ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘My hands did not get dried out using this, and felt supple. I used this product multiple times a day as I see patients in a GP’s surgery and I found this much more pleasant to use than the one work suppliesl I noticed when I left it out all the nurses used it too. All of us noticed it wasn't drying at all’ • ‘A very nice smelling, effective hand gel A luxury hand sanitiser which I was pleased to use, in a handy size for travelling’ • ‘The fragrance is very different to the standard alcohol smelling sanitiser and Molton Brown have done very well to disguise this in this sanitiser; a little of the product goes a long way so although expensive for a sanitiser it does offer value’ • ‘I like to wash my hands with handwash and water when I can, but when out and about or using public toilets where the facilities would be more basic, this was a real success. On holiday recently I used this four or five times daily when out; my hands feel very smooth and hydrated and even after repeated use there is no build-up on the skin’ • ‘I think we've all become accustomed to the strong, alcohol smell of the hand sanitisers which have become part of everyday life. So how refreshing to be introduced to something that takes things to another level. I always used to feel I wanted to reach for the hand cream after using a sanitiser; now there's no need to worry, not only are hands refreshed but feel as if they have also benefitted from a really good hand cream.’
£10 for 100ml - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL (JOINT) Weleda Calendula & Chamomile Hand Sanitiser
Available in a pocket-friendly, freshen-on-the-go 60ml glass spray bottle (which our testers trialled), or a 200ml bottle that is useful for home and office; decorated with lovely botanical drawings, they both offer handy-in-every-way spritz of all-natural ingredients shown to be effective at keeping bugs at bay. The chamomile and calendula featured in the hand sanitiser are actually grown in Weleda’s own biodynamic herb gardens, in Derbyshire. Glycerol and pure essential oil of grapefruit also feature in the blend, bringing the tally to 100% organic plant ingredients. Weleda’s tests have shown that it kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses found on hands. This earns ‘Best Natural’ and also our ‘Beauty Steal’ Awards, for the very affordable entry point. (Some loved that the glass bottle meant this was easily recyclable, others were a little scared of dropping it.)
£5.95 for 60ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘A posh sanitiser! I loved this hand gel, it has a beautiful scent and really left your hands soft, no irritation or stickiness. You knew you were protected and safe, with a touch of class’ • ‘I loved the fragrance, a lovely floral scent After using hand sanitiser when entering shops/doctors etc during the pandemic this is a revelation. Those ones were often too runny and left you needing to dry your hands. The smell of them was awful too. This delivers a perfect amount in two to three sprays, covers well, sinks in immediately, leaves hands feeling soft and most importantly does not smell chemical. Perfect product, perfect score’ • ‘I used it whenever I went shopping and my hands didn’t feel tight or dry; it smelled lovely, and they were still soft’ • ‘Amazingly does NOT dry hands out at all and it leaves them feeling; I have tried many sanitisers in shops or at work and most are horrid, sticky, smell chemical like, make your hands feel horrible and can be drying’ • ‘Felt this was a really great hand sanitiser, easy to use, smells nice, easy to apply, absorb in, hands feels soft and smooth without drying them out. Loved that it used natural ingredients, too’ • ‘As unexciting as a hand sanitiser is, it impressed me. Certainly, will look to get the larger bottle’ • ‘A natural product which all the benefits you wish of sanitiser without compromising the skin’s barrier.’
£5.95 for 60ml - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL (JOINT) Mary Kay Satin Hands No-Rinse Hand Cleanser
Although grain-derived alcohol makes up 75% of this spritz-on hand cleanser/sanitiser, Mary Kay pack the remaining 25% with nourishing, moisturising, plant-derived ingredients to counterbalance any drying effect. These include omega-3-rich shea butter, aloe vera extract, glycerine and betaine (from sugar beet). In a 50ml size it’s ideally sized for a handbag. In this case, the entry is fragrance-free – worth bearing in mind if you prefer something that won’t clash with the perfume you wear. Overall, satin by name, satiny by nature, was the verdict of our testers.
£6 for 50ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Some hand sanitisers I have used can sting if you have a small cut or soreness. This felt gentle but efficient. When out and about I used it about six times a day’ • ‘Really handy little spray bottle that doesn't dry out your hands or make them sore. The perfect little handbag addition’ • ‘I deffo overuse these products and unlike others it did not leave me with a sticky build-up’ • ‘Best hand sanitizer I've used; hands feel soft after use and it’s easy to get out what you need and even after heavy usagem hands don’t feel dried out and the alcohol smell doesn't linger’ • ‘I deliberately took it on a shopping trip with me, where I knew I'd use it a few times in a short space of time. I was really impressed; it didn't dry my hands out, even though you could smell it had alcohol in it, and left my hands feeling nice and soft’ • ‘This was amazing, NO STICKINESS at all, and it sunk in really well, leaving hands feeling really soft – most sanitising gels feel sticky after use and do not sink in easily, so this is so much better!’ • ‘The big plus point is that it has proven moisturising ingredients so for that reason I’d buy it again’ • ‘My 5-year-old son who has sensitive skin was happy to use this, whereas with other more stingy sanitisers he would shout and scream when applied. Also, this didn’t leave a yucky taste on the hands so he was able to eat his snacks without having to rinse the sanitiser off with water’ • ‘Great to find a a sanitiser that doesn’t make you smell like you’ve had several vodka shots.’
£6 for 50ml - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL (JOINT) Tropic Keep It Clean Hand Sanitiser
Again, pocket-sized. Again, killing 99.9% of germs, say Tropic, with an alcohol level here of 70%. (Yet again, that brand has done well across many different categories, in this year’s Awards.) In this case, however, the zesty, fresh, citrus-scented hand sanitiser gel is served up in a flip-top plastic bottle; Tropic prescribe a half-teaspoon size dollop in the palms, to be rubbed together. They promise that it’s suitable for sensitive skintypes, and beyond that, this sanitiser is Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free and approved by The Vegan Society. You may also like to know that Tropic have certification proving they offset the carbon produced in manufacturing. (Fewer expansive comments than for most of the other winners, inexplicably!)
£6 for 50ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Perfect size to take with you anywhere and the sanitiser smells super-fresh unlike other brands. I’ve used the whole bottle and it has never left my hands dry; they feel soft and clean’ • ‘It will fit easily into my day bag – perfect. It didn’t dry out my hands and so I use it more, when out and about – and my 11-year-old son liked it, too (unlike most)’ • ‘A real surprise. I do not like many sanitisers and always carry my own, which is a light spray. But this was not sticky at all, absorbed and evaporated quickly without leaving my hands feeling like they needed a wash’ • ‘I loved using this product it was great as it did not dry out my hands, has a lovely fragrance and my hands felt soft and clean – a great product which I’m happy to thoroughly recommend’ • ‘My hands felt very fresh and clean after using this product, which dried immediately. You simply squeeze the bottle to dispense’ it's not too thick or too runny, so pretty easy to dispense (even for my little boy) ’ • ‘Easy to apply and soaked in quickly enough to get on with life! Easily fits a handbag and indeed my pocket – perfect for when out walking the dog.’
£6 for 50ml - click to buy