KATY’S COLUMN: HAND SANITISER

When you get paid to test beauty products for a living, what do you actually pay to use? ELLE beauty director Katy Young comes clean

With so many out there, how do we know which one to choose? Our Beauty Director has the answers

Here’s a fun fact about beauty editors: one of our hands looks younger than the other. Years – nay, decades – of regularly testing serums, creams and miracle oils on the back of one hand and not the other starts to show. What’s the lesson? That looking after your hands makes a difference. Though that’s taken on a new meaning these days. There was a time when lipstick was the only essential (yes, essential) in your bag, but this far into a pandemic and there are three, if not four, sanitisers shoved in, too. ‘Natural’, ‘floral’, ‘artisanal’ – the industry has one for every taste. The trouble is, that choice makes shopping for it as confusing as knowing your tiers. It turns out that not all hand sanitisers are made equal. For a gel to kill germs, it must contain at least 60% alcohol. Covid-19 is an ‘enveloped’ virus, which means it’s coated in a fatty layer. That’s why washing hands in hot, soapy water works well and why alcohol-based sanitisers are a good second best – both break down oils. Alcoholfree versions exist but, to date, research is less convincing in their abilities. (And don’t get ideas about tinkering in your kitchen to make your own remedy. Turn to DIY and you’ll end up with something useless at best, dangerous at worst.) Under normal circumstances, I’d never advocate applying something as harsh as these gels to your skin on a regular basis, but even I have to admit that health and safety trumps beauty. Potent sanitisers dry your hands out terribly, which isn’t great news, as hands are already prone to showing signs of ageing. That’s thanks to a lack of fat and elasticity beneath the skin, and because they’re exposed in all weathers without enjoying the same TLC we lavish on our faces. If you’re not careful, sanitisers can leach the skin’s natural oils, leading to thinning and making it prone to sun spots. Sensitive types might notice dermatitis, an itchy red rash, as alcohol can upset the skin’s protective barrier. But effective doesn’t have to mean evil. Look for unscented variants with a moisturising base, free from triclosan – an antibacterial agent so strong, it’s banned in the US. You can first apply SPF or hand cream (rather than lotion, which tends to be less nourishing) – something with ceramides and glycerine will serve you well. Don’t go too heavy, as research suggests that sanitisers don’t work as well on greasy or dirty hands. Of course, you could use your hands to call a cosmetic doctor for a tweakment. This year has seen an upsurge in women using mesotherapy, peels and fillers for tiredlooking hands, which they say appear 10 years older than their faces. These treatments work, but not without the price tag. Hands up who wants filler for £200 minimum? As a beauty editor who’s been trying to level my mismatched hands for ages, I’ll tell you the effective trick I use. Apply – nay, slather – night cream onto hands before wearing light cotton gloves to sleep. You may look like a mime artist, but it works. By morning, you’ll have hands to be proud of when applying that lipstick from your handbag.

“Alcohol-free sanitisers exist but, to date, RESEARCH is less convincing in their abilities”