I used to not use hand sanitizer. I had read that too much use of an anti-bacterial anything is a bad thing, because it reduces good bacteria, etc., and makes a person more prone to illness in the long run. That was before I began using Germ-X original hand sanitizer. I used to get every bug around even though I practice good to excellent hand washing. Cold weather was an awful for me. I used to miss a lot of work because of it.