Allergy to hand sanitizer

[Elspe]

Every time I use hand sanitizer, which all the shops are requesting now, my hands become swollen, red, the palms in particular become dry and the skin starts to peel. This is painful, and I really don't want to have to deal with it all the time. Last time it happened it took weeks for the skin on my hands to settle down. But now, as I say ALL the shops are asking us to use hand sanitizer. What can I do?

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Tell them you’re allergic but then offer to wear rubber gloves. That’s my plan. I can get really bad eczema on my hands, and hand sanitiser not only makes it worse but really stings! Or in bigger shops offer to wash your hands in the loo (as soap is just as good as sanitiser). So far most of the shops round me have accepted alternates

Hope this helps

[Elspe in reply to EmmaF91]

Hm I will try that. I have some disposable gloves here... I was thinking of making my own sanitizer, that looks simple enough. But with all the perfumes and other chemicals, I just can't think any of the commercial ones will be safe for me. My hands hurt quite a lot of the time now. It's just that after all the shutdown rubbish with things closed, I was looking forward to actually going shopping again.

[Wintersbite]

Inform your doctor about this situation and see if they can give you an alternative version . I can't wear the gloves I'm allergic to alot of things and for example I can only use water on my face as I'm allergic to all soaps on my face but other parts like hands I have to be careful with the type I use and like you some of the hand sanitizer the shop's have irritate me but I always wash my hands before I leave my house as it's the best I can do in the hard situation.

Good luck to you

[mrsm49]

Could you wear gloves and sanitise them as you would your hands. I had trouble with some supermarket brand liquid soap (all i could get for a while) which made my skin crack and bleed, im careful to use a good brand moisturising one now but not easy to get, at mo you can buy carex moisturising liquid soap refill packs.

[Junglechicken]

Hand sanitiser is one of my asthma triggers. I’ve been wearing my face mask exemption badge for the last few weeks and shop staff have been ok about me not using the sanitiser. I’m sticking to good old soap and water🙂

[Pipswhips]

I'm the same so I carry around my own with me.

I use carex with aloe vera in it

or one what's hypoallergenic as some staff in places insist that you take of the gloves.

Ask your doctor for some cream like epimax cream that's ok for sensitive skin and apply that when you get home and wash your hands but try not use hand sanitizer to much as it does make your hands sore. Also if you can try to use coal tar soap that will help your hands as well it will stop them itching as it doesn't contains any perfume or scent.

[peege]

Wear disposable gloves and go through the motions of sanitising them in shops, this is what I do. I get boxes containing 200 gloves. Or perhaps they'll allow you to use your own. P

[Tugun]

Hi,

I agree with peege. Gloves can get as infected as hands so sanitising the gloves on your hands would be complying but not getting it on your hands. You can throw them away then so you don't have that perfume on your skin.

I was often puzzled by the workers in the butcher shops etc that wear gloves/ give you the money with the gloves on and then handle the meat with the same gloves. I'm sure that's not what they are supposed to do but unfortunately we are relying on the hygiene of others.

[Elspe]

I can't even use most of the stuff the doctors give me. I can try taking disposable gloves, but I suspect there will be little shopping for me in the next (x) weeks.