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ALCOHOL FREE v ALCOHOL BASED (70%)

Fighting Coronavirus & Navigating Guidance on Hand Sanitizers

A white paper on the benefits of both 70% alcohol and alcohol-free sanitizers

As the public navigates the countermeasures to the pandemic, clear information on the viability of both 70% alcohol and alcohol-free hand sanitizers is vital for people to stay safe and healthy. This paper presents a side-by-side comparison of the science, standards and use cases of both 70% alcohol and alcohol-free hand sanitizers. This information aims to help consumers make informed decisions on the product(s) they choose to use to protect themselves in the ongoing fight against the virus.

Key takeaways:

  • Both 70% alcohol and alcohol-free hand sanitizers are safe and effective in the fight against coronavirus.
  • Both 70% alcohol and alcohol-free hand sanitizers have passed identical, independently certified European Standard tests, including tests on skin.
  • 70% alcohol hand sanitizer is the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended product and offers a faster virus kill time after application than alcohol-free sanitizer.
  • Alcohol-free hand sanitizer offers longer protection against bacteria and viruses, so in certain circumstances where someone is exposed for an extended period, alcohol-free should be considered a superior option.

A comparison between alcohol-free and 70% alcohol hand sanitizers

Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer1 70% Alcohol Hand Sanitizer1 Comments on comparison
Effective against Bacteria and viruses Bacteria and viruses

  • Kill time after application Bacteria – 1 minute
  • Viruses – 2 minutes Bacteria – 1 minute
  • Viruses – 1 minute 70% alcohol sanitizer has a quicker kill time for viruses than alcohol-free sanitizer, however kill time for bacteria is the same.
  • Residual defence against bacteria and viruses after application Up to 4 hours2 Up to 2 minutes Alcohol-free sanitizer offers significantly longer protection against bacteria and viruses than alcohol sanitizer.
  • European Standards BS EN 12763
  • BS EN 15004
  • BS EN 15004
  • BS EN 144765 Both sanitizers are subject to identical, independently certified testing methods, including tests on skin.
  • Halal-certified Yes – certified by the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) No
  • Active substances Benzalkonium chloride (BKC) and Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) Ethanol Alcohol-free sanitizer is softer on the skin. The active substances do not strip away oils in our skin that retain moisture to the same extent as 70% alcohol sanitizer.
  • WHO-recommended (as of August 2020) No Yes Alcohol is the most widely available antimicrobial chemical, and breweries have been able to satisfy the extra demand caused by coronavirus. 70% alcohol hand sanitizer is also easy to manufacture, helping the supply chain when demand is high
  • Essex offer – both 70% alcohol and alcohol-free sanitizers

BS EN 1276 is a European Standard test method that evaluates the efficacy of a disinfectant against bacteria such as MRSA, Salmonella typhimurium, E. Coli, Enterococcus hirae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
BS EN 1500 is a European Standard test method, required by the NHS, that evaluates the efficacy of a hygienic handrub by measuring the number of viable bacteria remaining on the fingertips of human participants after contamination and handrub exposure
BS EN 14476 is a European Standard test method that evaluates the efficacy of a disinfectant against enveloped viruses. Annex A of BS EN 14476 includes coronavirus in the examples of enveloped viruses.