What advantages does alcohol have over hand soap for antisepsis of the skin?
“Plain soap does not kill pathogens. However, the addition of antiseptic chemicals to soap (“medicated” or “antimicrobial” soaps) does confer killing action to a hand washing agent. ” 1) “Antiseptics (Greek αντί, against, and σηπτικός, putrefactive) are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction. They should generally be distinguished from antibiotics that destroy microorganisms within the body, and from disinfectants, which destroy microorganisms found on non-living objects. Some antiseptics are true germicides, capable of destroying microbes (bacteriocidal), whilst others are bacteriostatic and only prevent or inhibit their growth. Antibacterials are antiseptics that only act against bacteria.” “People in today’s society have become obsessed with germs and how to get rid of them all. Companies have taken advantage of this weakness and have created over seven hundred products that have an antibacteria
