Environmental Solutions International introduces unique, alcohol-free, moisturizing hand sanitizers

With health officials nationwide already preparing for the upcoming cold and flu season, Environmental Solutions International (ESI) introduces Smart & Silky and Kids Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizers as another weapon in the illness-prevention arsenal. These unique, alcohol-free, moisturizing hand sanitizers are available at retailers nationwide (visit www.smartandsilky.com for more details). Hand sanitizers have been proven effective in decreasing the spread of germs and illness, prompting many—especially parents—to put them at the top of their must-have list. The Healthy Hands, Healthy Families Study found that the more hand sanitizer used by a given family, the better the chances of reducing the spread of some organisms.

The Kids Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizer is an answer for parents trying to keep their kids healthy and safe. The sanitizer feels natural, not sticky, on the hands making it a natural choice for kids. Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizer is just as effective as standard alcohol-based hand sanitizers, but even safer because it is not flammable or poisonous.

The Importance of an Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer

For safety reasons, many are now pushing for the use of alcohol-free sanitizers for families and children, and ESI has responded with its Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizer line of products.

“Smart & Silky is alcohol-free making it safer, than alcohol-based hand sanitizers,” said Ken Arnswald, ESI. “Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be dangerous, especially when put in or on the wrong hands.”

Today’s most-common sanitizers consist of up to 70 percent ethyl alcohol—a higher alcohol percentage than many hard liquors. It’s been reported that a little 2 oz. bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer can equal four shots of vodka. These alcohol-based hand sanitizers can pose a serious poisoning risk to children if consumed inappropriately. In fact, in 2006 The Association of Poison Control Centers reported 12,000 cases of child-related alcohol poisoning linked to hand sanitizer products that contain alcohol. The Journal of School Nursing also stated that alcohol-based sanitizers are undesirable in schools or on school buses as they can present a safety hazard to children because they are flammable and irritating to eyes and open wounds. Some schools have even banned alcohol-based hand sanitizers and others are considering bans.

Like many standard hand sanitizers, Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizer is 99.99 percent effective against fighting many common illness-causing germs. What’s unique about Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizer’s alcohol-free formula is that it is non-flammable, moisturizing and available in unscented, hypoallergenic kid-friendly formulas.

How Often Do You Wash Your Hands? Not Nearly Enough

The key to sanitizing hands is eliminating harmful bacteria from the skin. This can be done by washing with soap and water, or by killing the bacteria as done with hand sanitizers. Hand sanitizers are especially effective when you consider that just 33 percent of those who do wash their hands use soap, and only 16 percent really wash their hands long enough. What’s more, only 17 percent of Americans wash their hands after shaking hands, and just 67 percent wash after using the restroom.

The public has responded and hand sanitizer use is on the rise. In fact, AC Nielsen notes that hand sanitizer sales have experienced double-digit growth since 2003, and a recent Harvard study shows a 60 percent reduction in illness through sanitizer use. Now, with Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizers, those using hand sanitizers, and those who soon will be, have a unique, safer option for killing germs that can cause the spread of illness.

Keeping Hands Cleaner and Refreshed

The active ingredient in Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizer is benzalkonium chloride, an antimicrobial that is also used in hair conditioners and skin lotions. The AORN (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses) Journal recently concluded that benzalkonium chloride antimicrobials have a greater-sustained antibacterial activity than alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The Journal reported that water-based hand sanitizers were effective without irritation after repeated use, a problem with alcohol-based sanitizers. It also stated that frequent and prolonged use of alcohol-containing hand sanitizer products can be counterproductive to hand sanitation and can damage the skin.

Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizers leave the skin refreshed with silky conditioners, making it excellent for everyday use or for people with easily irritated, chapped or sensitive skin. The unique formula is non-skin sensitizing and does not use polymer thickeners or silicones, which can actually trap dead skin cells that become a feeding ground for germs. Many other non-alcohol-based sanitizers contain triclosan or thyme/pine oil, which can sensitize the skin, contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, have limited effectiveness or leave tacky residues. Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizers act more like a lotion by not stripping away essential skin layers and oils.

Smart & Silky Foaming Hand Sanitizers retail between $2.69–$4.49, and are available in 250ml (8.5 oz.) and a convenient 50ml (1.69 oz.) travel size. It comes in an efficient hands-free pump that allows for four times the packaging utility of gel-based alcohol sanitizers – more than 120 pumps for the 50ml bottle and more than 600 pumps for the 250ml bottle.