Two things have become our constant companions this year: face mask and rubbing alcohol. The demand for both, especially during the early days of the pandemic, has been staggering that hoarding and price surges were a great issue.
Now, most of us have settled in and found which works for us.
When it comes to ensuring our hands and our immediate surroundings are clean, especially when a sink and soap are not within reach, rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizers are there to the rescue.
Ethyl alcohol that disinfects
Both isopropyl and ethyl alcohol are proven to disinfect, and while their chemical variations differ, experts say both are effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends alcohol solution at least 70 percent to be effective in disinfecting the topical coronavirus.
Local brand Cleene uses ethanol for its alcohol products. According to the brand, each bottle contains 70 percent ethyl alcohol made from sugarcane, and claims to kill 99.9 percent of germs.
Cleene Ethyl Alcohol features a mild formula and fresh cologne-like scent. It comes in spray format ideal for spraying on toilet bowls, door knobs, railings, and seat for quick disinfection on the go.
The brand also has hand sanitizer spray with aloe vera and vitamin E to moisturize and nourish the skin. It comes in three refreshing scents: Citrus Air, Green Air, and Zest.
Isopropyl alcohol that protects
Homegrown skin care company Beauty Elements Ventures Inc., the makers of Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol, assures that its product is made of pharmaceutical grade alcohol that passed the strictest quality standards of the Philippine Food and Drug Administration, and kills 99.9 percent of germs.
Isopropyl alcohols are registered under the Philippine FDA as either pharmaceutical or cosmetic grade. To know the difference, the front label of a pharmaceutical grade alcohol shows the product’s generic name enclosed in a box.
Meanwhile, the back label should show a DRHR number, which is the FDA Production Registration Number, proving that the product has passed the highest FDA standards for isopropyl alcohol.
“It starts to kill germs on contact and upon constant use, will provide up to 12-hour protection,” the brand said in a statement. According to the brand, Defensil was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli or E. coli, and Candida albicans.
Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol has teamed up with the Philippine Society of Microbiology to form the Defensil Health Defense Council and launch the “Create Your Daily Defense” campaign in a bid to arm Filipinos with science-backed knowledge on proper sanitation and hygiene.
“Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol contains the concentration of isopropyl alcohol known to kill germs on the skin and on different surfaces. Regular disinfection of the hands and high-contact surfaces is a known measure to prevent the transmission and spread of germs,” said Joel Cornista, president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology.