Tag Archives: Best Hand Sanitizers

I’m not an adherent to the sanitizer faith. I scoff at Lysol and Clorox commercials, with “responsible” mothers wandering around after their toddlers, wiping down every surface. In fact, I attribute my mother’s lax attitude toward mud pies and fingerprints as why my boyfriend is sleeping off a fever in the other room, and I feel perfectly fine. There is evidence (though not overwhelming)  that over sanitizing has contributed to the rise of super bugs, and the fall of our normally robust immune systems.

However, sometimes hand sanitizer comes in handy. Like when I went with a group this summer to Governors Island, and we had to make use of the port-a-potty. Or when I’ve just stepped off of the subway, where I was sharing a pole with thousands of other commuters, and I’m in the mood for some finger food. Or last week, when I wanted to hold Mike’s brand new little niece.

So I have two hand sanitizers to review today. One, Frais Hand Sanitizer, was sent to me for review. The other, EO Sanitizing Gel, I already owned and used. Is there a difference? Read on.

Frais Hand Sanitizer

Location: Coogee, Australian

Ingredients: Ethyl alcohol (66%), Aqua (Purified Water), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Melaleuca Viridiflora Quinquenervia (Niaouli), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Backhousia Citriodora (Lemon Myrtle), Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Oil, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil (Cardamom), Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Methylcellulose.

Environmental Standards:

Frais’ packaging is made from recycled plastic and paper.The company claims its sugarcane alcohol requires half of the energy to produce than the corn alcohol used in other hand sanitizer brands, and that it pays for shipping to be carbon neutral for retailers and customers in the USA “when possible.” It is also PETA certified as a cruelty free, vegan cosmetic producer. Frais regularly makes donations to Red Cross and other groups working in disaster areas, Habitat for Humanity, and a long list of other groups.

Aesthetics:

The normal sized bottle is attractive, if a little bulky and weirdly shaped, but it comes in several sizes, ranging from single use sachets and the Frais pocket, a wee 0.2 oz squeezable container which I promptly lost, all the way to a large dispenser, gift boxes, and fifty packs of the pocket size. It smells citrusy and light.

Effectiveness:

A box of the larger Frais bottle comes with detailed explanations of the benefits of the various essential oils it uses, like increased circulation, help with clearing bruises, anti-inflammation, relief from muscle aches, astringent, and more woo-woo things like “renews zest for life.” Um, OK.

The bottom line is that the Mayo clinic says anything with more than 60% alcohol will be effective against germs. With 66% ethyl alcohol, this sanitizer gets it done.

Price: Prices range from $17.50 per ounce for the smallest size, to $1.95 per oz for the spa dispenser.

Where To Buy:

CO Bigelow, 414 Avenue Of The Americas, Manhattan

New London Pharmacy, 246 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan

Pasteur Pharmacy, 53 East 34th Street, 917 331 1429

Pelletier Salon And Spa, 2955 Veterans Road West Suite 21, Staten Island, 917 939 5774

The Bathroom, 94 Charles Street, Manhattan, 212 929 1449

Zitomer, 969 Madison Avenue, Manhattan

Zchemists, 40 West 57th Street, Manhattan

EO Hand Sanitizing Gel

Location: Marian County, CA

Ingredients: 62% Organic Ethanol (non-GMO)*, Purified Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis)*, Organic Lemon (Citrus Medica Limonum) Essential Oil*, Orange (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis) Essential Oil, Carbomer (thickening agent), Dimethicone (silica-derived moisturizer), Aminomethyl Propanol (pH adjuster). *Certified Organic

Environmental Standards:

Claims it is free from animal testing, packaging made from recycled PET bottles. Supports several community centers with donations of products, and partners with the Breast Cancer fund to help raise awareness of the link between exposure to chemicals and cancer.

Aesthetics:

Comes in the signature blue EO bottle which is slightly larger than the comparable Frais bottle, but whose shape is a little less bulky. Other sizes range from the bitty .33 oz spray to the 32 oz dispenser. Smell is more stronger and more antiseptic than Frais.

Effectiveness:

EO also passes the threshold of 60% alcohol. Its other ingredients, which come in a much shorter list, include lavender essential oil (soothing and cleansing), jojoba oil (nourishing and moisturizes), and vegetable glycerin (naturally hydrating).

Price:

Prices range from $4.8/oz for the tiny spray, to $.97 per oz for the large dispenser.

Where to buy:

Any Manhattan Whole Foods Market

Back to the Land, 142 7^th Ave, Brooklyn

Park Slope Co-op, 782 Union St, Brooklyn

Chopin Chemist, 189 Grand Street, Williamsburg

Nolita Mart Corp, 156 Mott Street, Ground Floor, Manhattan

Lifethyme, 410 Sixth Avenue, Manhattan

Westerly Natural Market, 913 8^th Ave, Manhattan

Fairway Market Broadway, 2127 Broadway, Manhattan

Green in BKLYN, 432 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn

Bottom Line:

They are both great products.

Frais is marketing itself as a more upscale line, with higher price points, more bells, whistles, and essential oils, a yummier scent, and a fancy, if rather clunky, bottle. If you’re the type of girl who gets her beauty supplies from C.O. Bigelow, than by all means, pick this up for your vanity.

But if you just want to get your hands germ free, pay less for it, and even have the added good karma of organic ingredients, just swing by any natural foods store and grab a bottle of EO’s sanitizer. It seems like the more natural and convenient choice to carry daily in your purse.