Hand hygiene & hand care
Alcohol-free sanitizers, sore hands from washing, and claims of long-lasting protection.
Gloves and hand dermatitis: when protection backfires
How gloves protect hands from wet work but can also harm them through sweat and occlusion, latex allergy or rubber accelerator allergy, and how to choose and wear gloves that help.
Hand sanitizer or soap and water: which is kinder to your skin?
What studies show about alcohol hand rubs versus soap and water for dryness and irritation, why rubs with emollients are gentler, and the times when only washing will do.
A simple hand-care routine for people who wash a lot
A routine for hands washed all day: lukewarm water, mild cleanser, pat dry, moisturize every time, ointment overnight, gloves for wet work, and how to pick a hand cream.
“Protects for hours”: what persistent-activity sanitizer claims really mean
What “persistent” or “long-lasting” antimicrobial activity means, how it is tested, why Health Canada must authorize the claim, and what “resists wash-off” leaves out.
Healthcare workers’ hands: why hand hygiene hurts, and what helps
About one in three healthcare workers gets hand eczema at some point. Why constant hand hygiene damages skin, why alcohol rubs are gentler than soap, and what helps at work.
Hand sanitizer and kids: safe use at home and at school
Why hand sanitizer is risky for young children to swallow or splash in their eyes, what Health Canada advises, and when soap and water is the better choice.
Hand dermatitis: when clean hands become sore hands
Why frequent washing leads to irritant hand dermatitis, who gets it (health workers, parents, cleaners), whether sanitizer or soap is gentler, and how to protect hands.
Cracked heels and split fingertips: winter repairs that work
Why winter opens painful cracks in heels and fingertips, how urea and occlusive ointments help them close, and which signs mean a crack needs a doctor.
Alcohol-free hand sanitizers: how they work and what the evidence says
What’s in alcohol-free hand sanitizers, how Health Canada authorizes them (NPN vs DIN), how the evidence compares with alcohol, and when soap and water win.
Nails and cuticles: simple care that prevents problems
Why you should leave your cuticles alone, what causes brittle, peeling nails and sore nail folds, and why gel and acrylic nails can trigger a lasting allergy.