Why does health and hygiene start from hands? Insights on hand wash and sanitizers

Personal hygiene is essential for a person's well-being and good health. It was talked about in the past, but the discussion and awareness has drastically increased after Covid-19 hit the world. According to UNICEF manual one should follow basic personal hygiene that includes -

● Not coughing or sneezing on the hands

● Not touching the face

● Maintaining social distance

● And Wash, wash and wash hands every hour. To stop the virus from infecting, one has to thoroughly wash his hands since washing hands is the best line of defense. Hands should be washed thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20-30 seconds. If using a sanitizer, then it should contain 60% alcohol and should be rubbed thoroughly across the hands and fingers.

When sanitizers should be used ?

The best way to clean hands is by washing with soap and water. Do you know, washing hands with either hot or cold water and soap, not only cleanses the hands but also destroys the outer shell of the virus that protects it. However, at times when water and sink is not available to clean hands then hand sanitizer comes as a saviour. Although, sanitizer doesn’t completely kill all the pathogens but is effective on most of them. Sanitizers should be rubbed thoroughly so that it reaches in between fingers and thumb and kills most of the infectious microorganisms living on hands.

What is the composition of an effective hand sanitizer and type of sanitizers available in the market?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a hand sanitizer which has 60% alcohol has the ability to kill infectious microorganisms on hands, if rubbed properly on the hands surface until dry. Ability of alcohol to kill viruses and bacteria without harming the skin, makes it the main ingredient in most of the sanitizers.

Hand sanitizers are categorized into two types based on their ingredients :

● Alcohol based sanitizers - consist isopropyl or ethyl alcohol

● Non-alcoholic sanitizers - consist antimicrobial compounds that are effective against bacterias

However, it should be noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging people to use alcohol based sanitizers since they are more impactful in fighting against coronavirus. According to hand sanitizer market research , the alcohol based sanitizers hold 60% of the global sanitizer market and stood at USD 828.07 million in 2019.

Based on the form in which they are available hand sanitizer is segmented into following types -

● Gel based sanitizers

● Foam based sanitizers

● Liquid / Spray sanitizers and wipes

Hand sanitizer market insight-

Covid-19 pandemic outbreak has brought the world to standstill, however, it has also brought huge traction in the sale of hand sanitizers. Not only hand sanitizers, the demand for personal hygiene products like tissues, soaps, hand wash and disinfectants have also witnessed an accelerated growth during this pandemic. The entire hand sanitizer industry was anticipated to make a market of USD 1.35 billion in 2020, which has unexpectedly generated USD 1.87 billion in 2020. In 2019, North America garnered the maximum revenue which was about 32.2% of the total global revenue.

With the outbreak of Covid-19, the share has definitely increased manifolds. Asia Pacific region is anticipated to grow by a CAGR of 23.5% from 2020 till 2027, with maximum revenue share coming from countries like China and India. Globally, China leads in garnering maximum revenue in hand sanitizer and is expected to generate USD 1,322 million in 2020. India's hand sanitizer market is expected to garner a revenue of USD 611.81 million in 2020. Hand sanitizer market is highly competitive with vetrean as well as new players coming in this opportunistic market. Some of the leading players in the hand sanitizer market are Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, Procter & Gamble, Henkel AG and Company, Unilever and many more.

Factors that are aiding growth in hand sanitizers market -

● Ever increasing awareness amongst people towards hands hygiene to restrict the occurrence of infections.

● Ease of use over conventional hand washing products and portability

● Promotion campaigns runned by prominent government and healthcare bodies on hand care products to avoid health issues in the country during and after Covid-19 phase.

● Increasing awareness spread through social media and online advertisements about basic personal hygiene, cleanliness and healthy lifestyle, compelling consumers to use hand sanitizers.

● Ease of availability both online and in brick and mortar stores is driving growth in the hand sanitizer market.