Alcohol-based hand sanitizer: More harm than good?

Question

My girlfriend says she was taught at "cooking school" that because it kills non-harmful skin flora along with the viruses and bacteria, hand sanitizer is in fact bad for you in that it decreases your skin's ability to repel the bad bugs.
I think this sounds like BS, as it flies in the face of everything we've been hearing from the medical community for years.

Anyone care to weigh in?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

The skin's role in the immune response is generally a physical barrier to microorganisms. It doesn't build up resistance by exposure to microorganisms like the cellular immune system.

Altering normal flora is a concern in areas of the skin that require normal flora to prevent pathogen overgrowth. It wouldn't be for the hands.

I'm kind of surprised a cooking school would be encouraging poor sanitary habits. It's much worse to introduce those pathogens directly into your GI tract with contaminated food.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Helpful, logical.

Answer 2

I think it's great- to an entent. I use it for whenever my hands get sticky or if I'm in a rush to wash my hands. It's not a permanent replacement for normal handwashing, as it does destroy good bacteria that you need on your hands. If you've been in contact with someone who is sick, it comes in handy, but people go nuts with it nowadays, especially with children. Children should not use hand sanitizer unless they've been around sick people, exposing them to germs builds their immune system for later.