Most Alcohol based hand sanitizers contain up to 66% Ethanol, making them highly flammable and a danger around children. They are actually classed as dangerous goods! The Alcohol in these products make them very drying to the skin as they  strip the skin of its protective natural oils, causing it to become dry and cracked. Germs and dead skin cells can then get trapped in these cracks, even more so because of the polymer thickeners used in the gel and this can lead to infection. Studies have concluded that regular use of an Alcohol based gel sanitiser can actually make the skin more contaminated, not cleaner.

Hands First uses the active ingredient Benzalkonium Chloride which has been safely used in the medical and food industries to sanitise for over 30 years and is used in many products including nasal sprays and eyewashes. Benzalkonium Chloride has lasting Antimicrobial qualities, continuing to kill germs for up to 4 hours after being applied whereas an Alcohol based sanitiser stops working once the Alcohol has evaporated. Alcohol based sanitizers also leave a harsh lingering smell, sting when applied to broken skin and can also tarnish jewellery, stain fabrics and fade nail polish.

In the United States in 2006 there were over 11000 calls to the poison call centre involving Alcohol based sanitisers, over 80% of these involved children under the age of 6. There has also been a reported case of a toddler being rushed to hospital with a high blood Alcohol level from ingesting some sanitiser that was in her bathroom at home, this and the danger of having highly flammable liquids around children has moved many schools and childcare centres to ban them.