Sanitiser Is Not a Personality. Your Knuckles Are Doing Wet Work.

Barrier Repair · Published 2026-09-16 · 10 min read · 2396 words

Healthcare, kitchens, salons and classrooms wash the same skin raw. Count the wet-dry cycles, glove properly, cream on damp hands and put SPF on the dorsum.

Key takeaways

• Irritant hand eczema is a wet-dry dose problem, not poor character.
• Sanitiser belongs on intact skin when sinks are absent — not on fissures.
• Fragrance-free cream on damp skin plus cotton glove liners outperform gift-set lotions.
• Dorsal hand SPF stops the steering-wheel PIH pattern the face routine never reaches.

Source: Occupational irritant contact dermatitis practice / SA wet-work and sanitiser culture (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712754/)

Cover image: Unsplash — credit