ABSTRACT
Synopsis By means of a controlled hand-cleansing trial on normal volunteers with no observable skin problems, we have compared the action of a high frequency of washing the hands with soap and water with the use of alcohol-impregnated paper towels, using visual assessment of hand dryness by a trained operator as the criterion of skin condition. High frequency of soap-and-water washing (10 times daily) elicits a significantly higher level of hand dryness than a frequency of 1-2 times daily. This effect, although transient, indicates a gradual build-up of a higher prevailing level of hand dryness with sustained higher frequency washing. Use of the alcohol-impregnated towels even at this higher frequency of 10 times per day does not elicit the observed level of hand dryness seen with soap washing.
