How to Claim Long-Lasting Effect on Hand Sanitizers?
“Just a thought, I wonder how long does this hand sanitizer lasts on my hands.”—Have you ever wondered if the hand sanitizer you’re manufacturing or using has long-lasting effects on your hands after application? As human technology advances, the resistance of microorganisms evolves with it, don’t you think? Many methods have been developed to support these long-lasting product claims. Read more below to get an insight of how we can assist you in achieving your long-lasting effect claim on your hand sanitizers.
Long-Lasting Effects on Hand Sanitizers
ASTM E3058-16
“Hand sanitizers typically lasts two minutes on hand after application.”—Well, this is not wrong, but we would not want our customer products’ potentials to be limited. Have a go with ASTM E3058-16 to set your product apart from the “a-minute-or-two” clan. This method was developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International as a guidance on determining the residual kill effects of hand antiseptics. This method assesses the kill activity of a hand sanitizer product with a one-time application. The illustration below describes the method briefly.
Why is ASTM E3058-16 a Good Investment for Your Product?
There are so many products available in the market, let alone under development. Unique product claims such as “long-lasting antibacterial effects of up to 3 hours” are attractive to the public consumers. Test methods that simulate real-life conditions like ASTM E3058-16 may give your product an edge in the existing market, thus, we’d say it’s a good investment.
How Does TECOLAB Adapt ASTM E3058-16 with the Current Pandemic?
“How can I go on without using my hand sanitizer for 7 days with COVID-19 going on now?”—One of the limitations of performing ASTM E3058-16 would be difficulty in getting volunteers due to pandemic restrictions, let alone fulfill the requirements of refraining from using disinfectants on hands for 7 days. Moreover, once the test has begun, the volunteers are not allowed to touch their clothes, faces, and other body parts during the test period. Some requests may take up to 4 hours depending on the manufacturer’s claim.
To overcome this concern, we have developed an in-house method that utilizes an in-vitro skin model to mimic human skin for product application. This reduces the need for volunteer participation. Check out the illustration below for achieving a long-lasting antimicrobial effect towards human coronavirus!
Why Choose Our In-House Method?
“Wait! Can this hand sanitizer actually protect us for 4 hours against coronavirus?”—The illustration above briefly describes our in-house method incorporating an in-vitro skin model to mimic real-life human skin application. The four pre-selected times can range from 5 minutes to hours depending on manufacturers’ request. These pre-selected times would be representing the duration the product is left on the skin after application whilst the exposure of the skin model pair onto the metal discs (inoculated with Human coronavirus 229E) mimics the exposure of our hands to coronavirus. Aside from coronavirus, this test method is also suitable for other viruses such as Influenza virus, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease virus, and of course, bacteria, yeasts, and more. Our in-house methods are done upon conducting preliminary testing to assess product suitability to method. We value your product innovation, hence the development of this method. Let us know here if you would like test the long-lasting effect of your hand sanitizer against coronavirus.
Once we’ve conducted the test, can your hand sanitizer protect end users for a long period of time? Yes, based on the test results. We would also suggest manufacturers to take into account other factors such as washing hands and touching surrounding items during the process. We will still recommend the public to apply hand sanitizer on a regular basis or when in public as the long-lasting effect is merely an additional protection.
TECOLAB does not only specialize in performing efficacy testing according to international standards, but also provide solutions to most challenges faced by disinfectant manufacturers. Let us know the current challenges you are facing in your product development here, we may be able to assist with customizing a specific test just for you.