8 Hand Sanitizers That Are Actually Good For Your Skin

When you think of hand sanitizers, we're willing to bet your mind immediately jumps to something that's either clinical (found in a doctor's office) or sickly-sweet (found dangling off your middle school backpack). The clear gels are often drying, sticky, and smell like rubbing alcohol — but they're also a no-brainer during cold and flu season, which, FYI, is now... and overlapping with the COVID-19 epidemic.

While washing your hands with soap and water is always the preferred method of cleansing (the Center for Disease Control and Prevention even calls it the "do-it-yourself" vaccine because of how drastically it protects against illness), we don't always have access to a sink. That's where hand sanitizer swoops in to save the day — and thankfully there are a crop of innovative new formulas that kill germs without sacrificing the texture and feel of your hands. In the past few weeks, we've tried our fair share of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to find the ones that not only smell great but disinfect effectively — and even moisturize, to boot. Curious? Check 'em out, ahead.

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