Our colleague Alexey Kozlov, Director of Research and Production Development at KLININ, explained how alcohol-based antiseptics act on viruses on the Morning of Russia programme on the Russia-1 TV channel.
“Morning of Russia” is a morning news and entertainment programme on the Russia-1 TV channel. It was first broadcast on 7 September 1998. The programme combines news with entertainment and educational content.
The episode was devoted to protection against seasonal acute respiratory viral infections and the use of antiseptics. More details on the TV channel’s website
In general, the antimicrobial action of alcohol-based antiseptics is achieved by destroying the lipid envelope of the virus. Alcohol solutions are more effective because, provided the alcohol content of the product is high enough, they act on the protein coat of the virus and destroy it. This makes disinfection many times more reliable. The key is that the alcohol content of the product should be at least 60% for isopropyl alcohol and at least 70% for ethyl alcohol.
Skin antiseptics with various bases are available on the market:
- alcohol-based (ethyl alcohol, propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol);
- based on guanidine derivatives (hexamethylene guanidine) – intended for bactericidal disinfection;
- chlorine-releasing agents (chlorhexidine), usually used at a concentration of 0.5–4.0%. They are used for primary wound treatment and for treating mucous membranes.
- based on quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) – the least harmful group of antiseptics of this kind. These products act quickly but do not kill bacterial spores. QACs are more often used for treating surfaces than hands;
- based on active oxygen (hydrogen peroxide) – a fairly broad range of applications and does not cause allergic reactions. Used for primary wound treatment, but such products usually act relatively slowly and require careful storage.
The presence in antiseptics of ingredients such as QACs, tertiary amines, phenol derivatives and phenoxyethanol carries a potential risk: when applied to the skin they can cause allergic contact dermatitis and worsen the condition of people with eczema; triclosan is an endocrine-active substance that can cause problems with hormonal regulation and fertility, has an adverse effect on the brain of unborn children, is damaging to the immune system and causes allergies.
That is why Klinin offers for skin hygiene alcohol-based antiseptics and gentler antiseptic products based on lactic acid – an effective, safe and environmentally friendly ingredient of natural origin.