Using plain soap with proper hand washing practice should be effective in removing the bacteria and viruses on your hands.
The Consumer Council has issued this advice in a study in view of the proliferation of hand wash products bearing claims of "antiseptic" and "antibacterial" in the market as the public becomes more hygiene conscious.
The Council noted the findings of recent studies on the effectiveness of antiseptic soaps and hand sanitizers in the prevention of infectious diseases.
In a study in October last year, the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) concluded that household antiseptics could not effectively reduce the infection rate of infectious diseases, and fared no better when compared with hand wash products without antiseptic ingredients.
A research paper in the same year also revealed that using household non-antimicrobial soap for hand washing and bathing in a proper way is good enough to prevent some infectious disease symptoms including respiratory infection, diarrhea and impetigo.
The study also indicated that antibacterial soap did not provide a health advantage of preventing viral infectious diseases over plain soap.
Consumers should, therefore, realize the limitations of antiseptic or antibacterial soaps: they cannot kill or remove all kinds of bacteria and viruses, nor can it assure your hands to be germ free for hours.
Consumers may consider using antiseptic soap for special hygienic needs (e.g. before handling of wounds) or for families with illnesses or members of vulnerable groups (e.g. elderly and children).
Consumers are advised not to purchase antiseptic products without indication of a registration number or active ingredients on the package.
Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, soaps and hand wash products bearing the claim of "antibacterial" are considered to be pharmaceutical products. They are therefore required to be registered to ensure conformity to standards of safety, efficacy and quality.
Upon registration, the pharmaceutical product will be given by the PPB a registration number such as HK-123XX which is required to be printed on the product label for the information of consumers.
The Consumer Council has discovered in the market some antiseptic products did not bear the required registration number, and has forwarded the information to the Department of Health (DH) for follow-up action.
The DH has since sent warning letters to the manufacturers concerned and instructed to recall any unregistered pharmaceutical products from the market.
In addition to antiseptic soaps and hand wash, the Council's study has also covered hand sanitizers commonly available to consumers these days. Common amongst their active ingredients are alcohol and benzalkonium chloride.
The Hong Kong Medical Association has cautioned that some people may be allergic to the alcohol content in hand sanitizers. Long-term usage of these products may lead to allergies or even dermatitis. It is suggested that such hand sanitizers be used only if no water supply is available.
As alcohol may vaporize easily, consumers are advised to buy only "fresh" alcohol-based hand sanitizers to ensure effectiveness.
Further, the alcohol in sanitizers is flammable and consumers should exercise due caution in the use and storage of these products away from fire or hot surfaces.
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