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Travel Tip: Hand sanitizer may be harmful for those with sensitive skin
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Aloe Up is an alcohol free foam sanitizer. Photo by Sue Frause.
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The last two times I've been cruising, I had an outbreak of contact dermatitis. About halfway through each cruise, I noticed that the skin was peeling on my finger tips and thumbs. It didn't take me long to realize that the culprit was the onboard hand sanitizer that cruise ships now have throughout their vessels. When you board the ship or get on an elevator, it's there. Some ships, like Norwegian Cruise Line, are a bit pushier about using the product and there's almost a sense of guilt if you don't indulge. Fellow passengers can also give you a "Huh?" if you opt out of the sanitizing routine.
I wrote a piece about my skin's aversion to hand sanitizer for True/Slant. Shortly after I posted it, I received an email from a PR person wondering if I'd be interested in trying out his company's product. I sent him my snail mail address and within a week there was a 1.7 ounce bottle of Aloe Up in my mailbox. The alcohol free foam sanitizer "keeps fighting for 30 minutes" and claims that it's effective to 99.999% on Staphylococcus aureus. It also fights MRSA, E-coli and Norovirus. No mention of the Swine Flu (H1N1), but that may appear on future labels.
I'll take it with me the next time I go cruisin'.
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