CVS Health Instant Hand Sanitizer Gel 2 oz.

• Kills 99.9% of germs
• Made with vitamin E
• Moisturizing formula

Everyone has gotten a little more familiar with hand sanitizer over the last couple of years. CVS Health Instant Hand Sanitizer is a small bottle of hand sanitizer that can be kept in a purse or a pocket.

It is fast and effective in killing 99.9% of germs. The bottle can be refilled when it's used up, so you can make sure you have hand sanitizer wherever you go.

The active ingredients in hand sanitizer are ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). These ingredients have been proven effective in killing viruses and bacteria. They do this by dissolving their protein layers.

To sufficiently kill germs, you should look for a hand sanitizer with the right combination of ingredients. It should contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol or 70% isopropyl alcohol. Aside from alcohol content, there are a few other things you can look for and avoid when buying hand sanitizer.

• The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following ingredients for hand sanitizer:
• Sterile distilled water
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Glycerin

Things to avoid:

• Anything with methanol or 1-propanol. These are highly toxic.
• Sanitizers that are packaged in food and drink containers. This could cause accidental ingestion.
• Sanitizers that replace alcohol with benzalkonium chloride.
• Making your hand sanitizer could be dangerous and/or ineffective. If you have the wrong mix of chemicals, it could lead to serious skin burns.

Hand sanitizer can be very helpful when there's no soap and water available. However, properly washing your hands is better at removing germs and should always be what you do first whenever possible before reaching for the hand sanitizer.