Together against Coronavirus in the manufacture of Hydroalcoholic Gel

Since the declaration by the WHO of the state of health emergency caused by the new coronavirus, products such as hydroalcoholic gel have disappeared from the shelves and counters of all pharmacies and parapharmacies in an extremely short time.

But... why is this product so in demand? The hydroalcoholic gel is an antiseptic disinfectant used as an alternative to soap and quickly and effectively disintegrates all types of viruses and bacteria that are primarily found on our hands. The advantage that this gel provides with respect to the habitual use of water and soap is its fast action, which is especially useful for health workers in a hospital, pharmacists or any other person who works in direct contact with people at risk. 

For a hydroalcoholic gel to act as a bactericide and virucide it must contain ethanol, as ethanol has a stronger and more extensive viricide activity than if we compare it to other types of alcohol such as propanols. According to the WHO, the use of ethanol-based hydroalcoholic gels with concentrations between 60% and 95% is recommended.

In view of the emergency situation and the shortage of this product on the market, many recipes appeared indicating how to produce the hydroalcoholic gel at home. 

Should we follow a homemade recipe to make this product? We, as an expert company in cosmetics and committed to the quality of our products and the health of our consumers, do not recommend the elaboration of a product with these characteristics at home. The reason is very simple, for a product to be reliable it must be made by a qualified professional who has the appropriate training to determine that the concentration of alcohol in the product is the indicated one and that can guarantee the effectiveness against pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. On the other hand, this product usually causes dryness in the skin due to the high alcohol content, therefore, it is necessary to include moisturizing or emollient components that are not of daily use in homes.  In addition to these factors, there are other important parameters to take into account such as the evaluation of the pH or the compatibility and chemical stability of the components of the product. 

The growth of the COVID19 pandemic has led not only to the exhaustion of hydroalcoholic gel on the market, but also to the exhaustion of the primary materials from which this product is manufactured. From the first moment, we at Lanzaloe contacted the Ministry of Health informing them of our capacity to manufacture hydroalcoholic gel, however, we did not have sufficient quantities of the essential prime material, ethanol.

Thanks to the help of the Industrial Association of the Canary Islands (ASINCA) and the Government of Lanzarote, we were able to access the alcohol necessary to manufacture hydroalcoholic gel and satisfy the needs of the health authorities on the island of Lanzarote. 

Currently our factory is in full production process, manufacturing this product without rest to supply the market and help stop this pandemic.

Let's work as a team, together we can win the battle against the coronavirus, this is for certain.