Over the summer I was invited to Purell's Back To School Event to learn all about those icky sticky germs we are are all worried about. The Mommy's Guide as well as other tri-state area bloggers got to talk to and learn from GoJo's (the company that owns Purell ) lead germ man Dr. Jim Arbogast; head of hand hygiene and father of three germy kids! Also there was Dr. Laura Jana, spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics and part of the Global Hygiene Counsel for five years. Together they broke myths wide open and educated us on the world of germs.
Did you know that not all germs are the same? Yep- it's true. There are two kinds of germs- Resident germs, which are normal inhabitants of the skin, as well as Transient germs, which are visitors to the skin, picked up from the environment. Resident germs you cannot do anything about- in fact in some cases you don't want to do anything about them. They are a very important part of our natural immune system so when using Purell you are fighting against the transient germs.
The skin is a very strong natural barrier between yourself and germ warfare. However if you do not get rid of the transient germs with proper washing and good hygiene they can still get into your body easily by touching your face, eyes, mouth etc.
As we head into the school year and approach the winter months we also enter into the germiest time of the year. This is when you have everyone in close quarters. We are all stuck inside with little fresh air and lots and of lots of transient germs. Doorknobs, hand rails, technology devices (yes that includes your phone) public bathrooms, libraries, gyms, all of these places are just INFESTED with germs--leading to 70% of school absences being caused by colds and illness. So what can you do? Washing your face and hands continually for 20 seconds throughout the day as well as reducing how much you touch your face is a good start. But if you cannot run to the bathroom every single time you touch one of these hot spots, Purell has the answer.
Purell has 70% ethanol in it, yet evaporates rapidly, giving you that quick clean fix that you need after touching a doorknob, or public (and private) keyboard. It is the top of the line in the hand sanitizing and that's because of all the work they did in their patented formula. You may see other sanitizers with a higher ethanol count, but what you have to understand is Dr. Arbogast and his team wound up with 70% for a reason. The alcohol in Purell removes transient germs while having a minimal effect on residential germs. What is also important is for cosmetic and comfort reasons is the minimal amount of damage it does to your skin. Any higher of a percentage can have damaging effects including cracking! Formulation matters my friends!
You may think you know how to use Purell, but you have no idea. Well no that's wrong, you do, but here are some tips anyway. One full pump of Purell is the recommended dosage- It's true! When you use Purell make sure you get your finger tips, finger pads, backs of your hand, and in between every finger to get the full effect from your usage. Using Purell before and after you leave public buildings (like schools) will help not only to stop the spreading of germs, but will keep yourself more protected.
I did a hand culture at the event; mind you I just washed my hands and then touched my cell phone before placing my hand in the goo. Then I did a quick wash with Purell. You can see the before and after results in this picture....Don't judge me.. Or my phone!
As you can see there is a big difference between before and after using Purell on your hands. It's scary, and impressive at the same time. As for my cell phone... Well I make sure to give it a good wipe down OFTEN now, which is easy to do with the new Purell wipes, now available at Walmart, Walgreens and CVS.
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