Improving skin hydration as an outcome of good hand hygiene practice

This B2B Content Marketing article was produced for Ego Pharmaceuticals and first appeared on Hospital+Healthcare

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), proper hand hygiene is the single most effective action to stop the spread of infection. But for many healthcare workers, hand hygiene compliance can mean washing their hands 20 times or more per day, and as Loh and Yew showed in a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, this carries an increased risk of Occupational Contact Dermatitis (OCD).

New Aqium Moisturising Gel, containing 70 percent w/w ethanol – absolute, is clinically proven to kill germs without compromising skin hydration, pH or barrier integrity over repeated use.

OCD is a common skin condition among healthcare workers, with symptoms including redness, itching, dryness, and cracking of the skin. These symptoms can be caused or exacerbated by frequent hand washing and exposure to irritants such as harsh soaps or disinfectants.

A 2014 survey of healthcare workers found a one-year prevalence of around 21 percent, which increased to 28 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic and OCD accounts for 90-95 percent of all occupational skin disease.

Given the critical role that healthcare workers play in patient care, it is vital to address this occupational hazard and provide evidence-based recommendations to minimise nosocomial transmission of infections, without compromising skin health.

Clinical Study

Design
While many different hand sanitiser formulations contain moisturising ingredients to offset the drying effect of alcohol, including the WHO hand rub formulations, very few are backed up with clinical evidence that demonstrates their impact on the skin with repeated use.

A Dermal Tolerability Study using Aqium Moisturising Antibacterial Hand Gel was commissioned by Ego Pharmaceuticals under conditions that mimic typical use of disinfectant hand sanitisers by hospital staff — sanitising hands around 20 times per day over a period of two weeks (n = 33). The test product was also used on one forearm, according to normal use conditions.

Skin hydration, Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and skin pH were measured on Day 1 (baseline) and Day 15 (treated forearm only). Dermatological assessments were performed on both hands by a physician at baseline and at Day 15. Participants also completed a subjective questionnaire after two weeks (Day 15).

Outcome
By measuring skin hydration and TEWL (forearm) at the start and end of the study, it was clear that Aqium Moisturising Antibacterial Hand Gel significantly improved skin hydration after two weeks of daily use (Figure 1). While TEWL also increased at the end of two weeks, the values were still in the range of normal healthy skin (Figure 2). Therefore, no negative impact on skin barrier was observed. Skin pH (forearm) was also unchanged by using the product — an important consideration, since some alcohol hand gels have been shown to disrupt skin pH, and this can contribute to the development of OCD.

Key results

• 14 percent increase in skin hydration
• Minor increase in TEWL but still within the range of normal healthy skin
• No effect on skin pH, which remained within normal levels
• Dermatological assessments of the hands by physicians reported no negative impact to skin
• 94 percent of participants felt Aqium Moisturising Antibacterial Hand Gel cared for their skin
• 93 percent of participants felt it was gentler than their usual hand sanitiser
• 91 percent of participants felt their skin was well hydrated and felt good after repeated use

Summary
OCD can have both personal and economic consequences for healthcare professionals including impaired quality of life and an inability to work. For medical facilities, impacts include the costs of medical care and sick leave, lost productivity and in some cases, workers’ compensation claims. Frequent application of Aqium Moisturising Antibacterial Hand Gel has been clinically proven to improve skin hydration overall. Aqium Moisturising Antibacterial Hand Gel has high clinical acceptance and no negative impacts on hand health.

Author: Josh Townley PhD, Senior Scientific Writer – Projects