OUR INGREDIENTS

The Right Ingredients are the Foundation of PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer

As the inventors of hand sanitizer, we have been leading the world to a new way of keeping hands clean since 1988. Everything we have done and continue to do is rooted in science and innovation.

That’s why our scientists have strict requirements for our ingredients and select them specifically so that the formulation is perfectly balanced for efficacy and skin health, which means you can be confident you’ve made the right choice.

Health Canada recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are not available. We’ve exceeded those requirements to offer better efficacy – our products work harder to kill the most germs. The active ingredient in our hand sanitizers is 70% ethyl alcohol which kills 99.9% of germs including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis⁴. We source from suppliers who offer ethyl alcohol at the high quality necessary for over-the-counter drug products. Most of the ethyl alcohol used in our PURELL® products is plant derived.

If active ingredients were all it took to make hand sanitizer, we could just rub ethyl alcohol on our hands and call it a day. But the PURELL® brand knows it’s not enough to just get rid of germs – we also have to take care of hands. That’s where our carefully selected inactive ingredients come in to play. Research shows the effectiveness of non-alcohol hand sanitizer varieties can be negatively impacted by the addition of ingredients like fragrances and skin conditioners.^5,6 But alcohol-based formulations, like PURELL® hand sanitizers, are less sensitive to such additions. Our inactive ingredients complement the ethyl alcohol base to ensure an optimal, balanced experience that maintains effectiveness.

A well-formulated product kills germs on your hands that may cause illness and evaporates quickly, while leaving moisturizers behind to nourish the skin. PURELL® hand sanitizers have been developed for use in high-frequency settings and maintain or improve skin’s condition. As a leave-on product, hand sanitizer shouldn’t remove skin lipids (which strengthen the protective barrier of skin and keeps it soft) even with repeated use. Removing skin lipids can leave skin feeling dry and looking dull. PURELL® hand sanitizers do not remove skin lipids.

In addition to its overall germ-kill, we also recognize the unique sensory experience of hand sanitizer. Every aspect of its use is important. How it pumps, how it feels and smells, and how it makes hands feel afterward are all concepts we consider when developing formulas.

PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer contains denaturants, which are unpleasant-tasting ingredients that make the products undesirable to drink. According to the FDA, young children, especially toddlers, may be attracted by the pleasant smell or brightly colored bottles of hand sanitizer⁵ and Health Canada warns about packaging that's appealing to children who may mistake it for edible products⁶. Using denaturants helps ensure hand sanitizer is not accidentally consumed or ingested.