Sanitizer causing dermatitis, what to do?

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

I have been conscientiously sanitising my hands on entering shops throughout the pandemic and it has now caught up with me and I now have horrible itchy swollen fingers.
I know this is a common problem, has anyone found a solution? Are there sanitizers that are gentler than others that I could take with me? Do shopworkers understand why you’re not doing it if you explain? Soap and water doesn’t seem to cause it but that’s not very practical for shopping. My town has a lot of little independent shops so it’s more of a problem than if you do all the shopping in one supermarket. Thanks.

I can't use hand sanitiser either. If you take a pair of gloves with you then you can put them on and sanitise then when you enter a shop.

*them

Good idea. We have some of the thin latex or PVC ones. Thanks.

Tbh I just don't use any sanitiser anymore, especially not the harsh crap a lot of shops have 💁🏻‍♀️ Never found a good solution to it.

You could try the WHO recipe.

www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-IER-PSP-2010.5

A barrier cream like Gloves in a Bottle may also help.

I don't have problems with sanitizer but my youngest has terrible eczema on her hands from the constant handwashing at school.

I've been using the Neom spray. It's expensive but lasts a long time. Lovely scent too.

I've never used the shop sanitisers, no-one says anything.

The best one I've found is from Palm Safe but if my hands were as bad as yours I just wouldn't use it.

I find the This Works one is alright (I get bad eczema). I take my own and use it instead of the ones in shops and other public places.

I like the This Works one too. My dc have it in their school bags as they both get very dry hands.

Stop using it.

Wash your hands when you get back home.

The "benefit" of sanitising is protecting you against the miniscule risk of touching something with Covid on it and then putting your hands to your mouth, then getting sick. I don't think it's ever been proven that people are getting Covid in this way.

On the other hand (pardon the pun), the very much proven risk of using the sanitiser is that your skin is red, sore and weeping.

Just stop. Store staff are not policing this, I have never used sanitiser in a shop and nobody's batted an eyelid.

At least 2 of the shops I go to regularly do actually stop people at the door and ask them to do it! I will see what they say though. I can’t be the first person they have come across in this position.

RaspberryCoulis I totally agree re risk.
What I find really ironic is that pre pandemic I volunteered in a museum doing a particular craft activity and one of the materials was something which could in rare cases lead to contact dermatitis. They got themselves into a terrible stew re risk assessments and whether I should be doing it, even though it would have just been a one off for each visitor so very unlikely to sensitise them in the way this has. And yet here we are. When I go back to volunteering they will doubtless be asking visitors to sanitise.

I would be careful with latex gloves. I'm prone to this and also developed a reaction to latex gloves when I had a job that required putting them on twice a day. You can get latex free gloves.

I would ask at the chemist for a recommendation for a good unscented moisturizer.

Sorry I can't help with recommendations OP, but thought you'd be amused to hear when I first saw your subject line I thought it said "dementia" instead of "dermatitis" and thought "Oh my that does sound severe!"

I am using cetaphil moisturiser which have because I have rosacea and which does seem to soothe my hands.
I will check the gloves are latex free.

I have pretty much stopped using it. If directed to do it by a member of staff I basically fake it. Then just wash my hands when I get home or at work.

Moisturising in between sanitising stops helps me, e45 will do. There is a pink cuticura handgel which appears to be the least harshest on my skin.

I have found Lanisoh (cracked nipple cream) and cotton gloves overnight to restore things brilliantly if your hands are dry or lacerated !

I have in the past had terrible eczema on my hands that crack, so sanitizer hurts like hell

So yes I carried gloves with me and sanitized my gloves hands

The first time I went out after lockdown was to Bicester Village and hadn't realised all the shops would have hand sanitizer

I have dermatitis allergies and all the handwashing and sanitising has played merry hell with my hands. I find the O'Keefe hand moisturiser extremely soothing and healing. If my hands get itchy (the first sign off a problem) I slather my hands in it at bedtime and wear cotton gloves to sleep in. A couple of nights like this transforms the condition of my skin. Nuetrogena unscented is also excellent for this.

Obviously I also use these moisturisers in the normal way.

@emeraldcity2000

I have found Lanisoh (cracked nipple cream) and cotton gloves overnight to restore things brilliantly if your hands are dry or lacerated !

This is genius, thank you! I'll have to try it, my hands are recovering but still like the Sahara

i don't really bother using it much these days, but do have the Neal's yard hand defense spray which i find really gentle. I bought a couple of the spray bottles and a big refill bottle this time last year and have only refilled one bottle once so seems to last for ages and smells of lemongrass. Looks like they currently have 2 spay bottles for £5 on their site.