CAUTION: 1 out of 7 hydroalcoholic gel does not protect COVID

For several months, the gel has accompanied us at every stage of the day. It is present everywhere: in shops, public places, handbags, offices or even cars. It must be said that it has become a major ally in the fight against the spread of the virus, allowing us to disinfect our hands at any time of the day, which remains the best barrier gesture in the event of a pandemic.

However, a study by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) revealed that 13% of products do not contain enough alcohol and are therefore not bactericidal. This represents approximately one bottle of gel in seven, non-compliant and deemed ineffective.

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Hydroalcoholic gel, cleansing gel: what's the difference?

They look alike but are not the same! The simultaneous presence of hydroalcoholic gel and cleansing gel on the market regularly leads to consumer confusion, so here is the difference. In fact, only hydroalcoholic gels provide a biocidal action, that is to say disinfectant, they can kill fungi, bacteria and sometimes viruses. The alcohol present in hydroalcoholic gel is the active substance that eliminates microorganisms thanks to its bactericidal and virucidal properties.

For their part, "cleaning gels" or "hand gels" clean but do not disinfect in any way. These are purely cosmetic products used only for cleaning or modifying the smell of the hands, they offer no guarantee as to their ability to contribute to the fight against the virus.

How not to get "trapped"?

“We recommend reading the label carefully to check the effectiveness of hydroalcoholic gels. The labeling must be complete”, explained the representative of the repression of the frauds.

Some information must indeed appear on the labels, such as the type of alcohol used, to be effective it must be:

and must represent more than 60% of the product.

You should also pay attention to the mention of the European standard EN 14 476: this means that the effectiveness of the product has been tested.

If one of these two elements is present on the label, it means that your hydroalcoholic gel is effective!

For more information, go to: https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/gel-hydroalcoolique-gel-pour-les-mains-quelle-difference