What are the types of skin disinfectants?

There are many types of skin disinfectants, commonly used ones include alcohols, iodine and povidone-iodine, chlorhexidine, quaternary ammonium compounds, triclosan, etc. Different disinfectants have different effects.

1. Alcohols: Ethanol is commonly used for rapid skin sterilization. After using ethanol hand sanitizer, bacteria proliferate slowly on the skin and have a synergistic antibacterial effect when used in combination with other chemical antiseptics.

2. Iodine and Povidone-Iodine: Common examples include iodophor, tincture of iodine, and povidone-iodine. Iodine molecules can form an extremely thin bactericidal film on the skin surface. They are mainly used as skin disinfectants and mucosal disinfectants and can also be used on wounds.

3. Chlorhexidine: Chlorhexidine has a slower immediate antibacterial activity than ethanol. It is generally effective against enveloped viruses but significantly less effective against non-enveloped viruses.

4. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: Quaternary ammonium compounds have a lower bactericidal concentration, low toxicity and irritation, but a narrower bactericidal spectrum, so they are gradually being replaced by similar disinfectants.

5. Triclosan: It tends to have a bacteriostatic effect rather than bactericidal. It is widely used in daily chemical products such as soap, toothpaste, facial cleanser, and hand sanitizer.