Comparison of Waterless Alcohol-Based Hand Antiseptics on Moisturization Efficacy in Subjects with Dry Skin

BACKGROUND: Waterless hand antiseptics frequently increase skin dryness due to their high alcohol content. This study evaluated three hand antiseptics containing moisturizers for their ability to increase moisturization in subjects with dry skin. METHODS: After a “wash out” period and equilibration in a controlled environment, 10 subjects with dry skin were studied. Ten 0.2 mL applications/site of three hand antiseptics and five applications/site of a lotion (positive control) were applied to the legs within 1 hour. One of the hand antiseptics was applied to a site on the hand in a similar manner. Untreated sites were designated as negative controls. NOVA readings for skin surface moisturization of each site were taken at baseline, as well as at 30 minutes and 1 hour after the last application. RESULTS: At the 30-minute evaluation on the legs, all three antiseptics produced a statistically significant increase in moisturization over baseline values (18%–64%, p<0.017); however, only one of the hand antiseptics demonstrated a significant improvement over the untreated site (p<0.01). At the 1-hour evaluation, all tested hand antiseptics increased moisturization on the legs over baseline (10%–14%; p<0.01); however, none of the hand antiseptics showed a significant increase (p>0.05) over the untreated site. On the hand, the hand antiseptic significantly increased moisturization over baseline by 18% (p=0.021) at 30 minutes and by 10% (p=0.029) at 1 hour. CONCLUSIONS: Instant hand antiseptics containing moisturizing ingredients help minimize the drying effects commonly seen from their use. There are quantifiable differences among these products in their ability to moisturize the skin at 30 minutes and 1 hour after application.