When the Covid-19 pandemic crashed upon us, you could see posts on Facebook and endless guidelines on TV on how to wash hands properly – who would have ever thought? Sadly, many people do not know how to wash their hands, and quite some just forget to wash them or simply don’t think it is important. I just thought of a public bathroom – ugh, that is just grouse. I am not giving you any statistics, I just see people in public places and then talk to my patients and find some handwashing haters among them as well. That’s how I uncover a need for patient education. Given the circumstances related to the still actively spreading coronavirus, we are encouraged to wash our hands more often than usual, but it is not always possible. So, we carry a hand sanitizer which mostly contains alcohol to be effective to kill bacteria and viruses, and, well, the moisture of our skin too, unfortunately. The higher the percentage of alcohol, the more effective it should be, right? While it might be true, it is also more aggressive on your skin. Not only it kills good bacteria that we need – I am sure most would prefer no bacteria than coronavirus on their skin though – it leaves our skin rough, dry, totally dehydrated and prone to tears and cracking which, in its own turn, can lead to an infection! As a health care professional, I once developed atopic dermatitis in my hands when I first started working in a hospital setting. You receive constant visual and verbal reminders about how crucial it is to follow rules and regulations on hand hygiene as part of the infection prevention process. As a result, you inevitably get paranoid and totally overuse the hand sanitizer! Well, can I keep my hands clean and my skin hydrated? Yes – is the answer. When buying a hand sanitizer, pay attention to what it is based on. Is it just water or does it include some aloe juice? Does it contain fragrance to smell nice or a good flower seed extract or even oil that nourishes your skin apart from a nice smell? The best one will have sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) that will definitely keep your skin moist and protected by restoring its natural lipid barrier thus protecting your skin and keeping its integrity. In BlueinGreen we strive to provide a holistic approach to your wellness. While our services and treatments might be limited as we are coming back to normal after the quarantine, we still carry the right skincare products for you. We are registered nurses and estheticians, let us take care of you! #BlueinGreen #handhygiene #moisturizinghandsanitizer #Covid-19beauty #medispa #washyourhands