How to Choose an Effective Product for Disinfection ?
Protective face mask, gloves, disinfectant – this personal protective equipment, just until recently, was only associated with a visit at the doctor's office or hospital. Currently, almost everyone carries this kind of equipment with them, and as a society we seem to realize what an important role it plays when it comes to hygiene.
Nevertheless, some people still don't know what protective agent they should choose. This applies mainly to products for disinfection – liquids, soaps, sprays and gels. What makes a preparation biocidal? What alcoholic strength guarantees effectiveness? What should you consider while choosing a product and what information should its label contain? We’ll try to answer these questions in this article.
Biocide vs. cosmetic – differences
Let’s start from the fundamental question – what is a biocide and what makes it different from a cleansing cosmetic? According to the European Parliament’s regulation, a biocidal product is a product consisting of, containing or generating one or more active substances, with the intention of destroying, deterring, rendering harmless, preventing the action of, or otherwise exerting a controlling effect on, any harmful organism by any means other than mere physical or mechanical action1. Whereas, cleansing cosmetic’s task is to remove impurities from the surface of skin or hair (e.g., dust, sebum and components of human sweat).
Which substances exhibit biocidal action?
Now, we are aware that biocidal preparations are designed to destroy microorganisms present on the surface of our skin. But, how do they do it? What substances are responsible for this? Its composition may vary depending on the form and purpose of a given product, but the two most common active substances are alcohols – ethyl and isopropyl. Research has shown that their optimum concentration in disinfectant agents ranges from 60% to 70%2. Just then, the appropriate ratio of alcohol and water enables to effectively destroy the lipid envelope of a virus, or to denature the protein in bacteria cells. It means that rubbing 40 percent vodka or 96 percent spirit into the skin of hands will not bring a desired result – the solution will be, respectively, either too weak or too strong.
What are good-quality raw materials?
The type and concentration of substances used in creating a biocide agent aren’t the only ones playing the major role in the product’s effectiveness, their quality is as important. Good disinfectants should be based on 96 percent rectified spirit, denatured with a method authorized by the European Union. This is highly important, since only rectified spirit (contrary to, for example, cheaper distillery spirit) is included in the Polish Pharmacopoeia3, which guarantees safety. In turn, the method of denaturing spirits4 determines the industry in which it can be used as a raw material. Only the spirit denatured with the method authorized by the European Union can be used in the manufacture of cosmetics. In view of recent events, when it comes to the manufacture of biocides, other methods of denaturing have been authorized. Still, however, the choice of the best spirit that complies with all standards demonstrates the responsibility and reliability of a producer. The same applies to conditioning substances, such as, for example, glycerin. Glycerin of pharmaceutical quality provides the highest product quality and makes it have not only disinfecting and cleansing action but also moisturizing one.
How long does it take to disinfect our skin?
Another important factor that influences the effectiveness of a disinfectant is the exposure time to skin, namely, length of time that must elapse from the moment of applying a product to the occurrence of biocidal action. It is very important due to the fact that if the product will be absorbed or evaporate before destroying the harmful microorganisms, then its action is actually pointless. Thus, the producer is responsible for choosing an appropriate formula of a preparation, whereas the consumer needs to follow the directions for use shown on the label.
Read labels!
Speaking of labels, what should be displayed on them in order for the products to be allowed to be marketed throughout Poland by the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products? There’s a lot of requirements to be met, but let’s focus on the few most important information that require your attention while choosing a disinfectant:
- authorization number for placing a biocidal product on the market,
- purpose of the product (range of application),
- active substances (name and content in metric units, e.g., g/100 g),
- directions for use,
- length of time from the moment of applying the product to the occurrence of biocidal effect (if applies),
- storage,
- first aid.
This is a handful of basic data intended to not only give you certainty that a given product was lawfully placed on the market but also to provide a set of necessary information on product use and storage.
Buy locally, buy consciously
Pay attention who produced a given product and where. By choosing legal, Polish products, you not only become certain that they meet the requirements of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products but you also support the domestic industry.
We hope that this article has helped you to dispel any possible doubts concerning the choice of an appropriate product for disinfection, and that now you’ll be able to choose one more consciously. Meanwhile, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with our wide range of high quality disinfecting products and cleansing cosmetics – now in super bargain prices!
1 Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2012, concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products (Art. 3 (1)), available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32012R0528&from=PL [date of access: 04/22/2020].
2 According to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS), the minimum percentage of alcohol that guarantees the effectiveness of a disinfectant is 60%. Source: https://gis.gov.pl/aktualnosci/jak-skutecznie-dezynfekowac-rece/ [date of access: 04/22/2020].
3 Polish Pharmacopoeia – inventory that defines the quality requirements and testing methods of medicinal products and raw materials used for their manufacture. It is developed and issued by the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products.
4 Spirit denaturation is a process that makes it unfit for human consumption whilst maintaining its useful properties.