They may not be the sexiest beauty products, but these little babies definitely come in handy (excuse the pun).

I’ve never been big on hand sanitisers. Sticky, messy and smelly, they weren’t at the top of my monthly beauty buys. Well, to be fair, I hadn’t really used them up until 12 months ago. So my opinion of them back then was waaay off.

Not just for hospital wards, these antibacterial waterless cleansers have become a popular alternative across the globe. Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for soap and water (hand sanitiser’s should never take the place of washing your hands properly), but it’s great to have in your handbag for those sticky moments.

In gel, foam or liquid form, most hand sanitisers are alcohol-based and contain alcohol denat. When you rub the sanitiser into your hands, this high concentration of alcohol removes the outer layer of oil on your skin and kills most of the bacteria.

For the last three months I’ve been recommending The Body Shop’s Hand Cleanse Gel, R35, to any and everyone who would listen. I love how they’ve incorporated the scents from their bath and body collections into the sanitisers, so now you can pick one up in your favourite Mango, Coconut, Pink Grapefruit or whatever ‘flavour’. (Mine’s Satsuma!)

If you’re into fruity scents, then try Oh So Heavenly’s Hula Hands Waterless Hand Cleanser, R9.99. It does have a bit of an antiseptic smell to it, but it’s more tropical than hospital. Unless you prefer the clinical smell, in which case Oh So Heavenly’s Spritz & Go, R12.99, would be a better choice. It not only keeps your hands germ-free, it can also be used on surfaces!

Image: African Focus/Shutterstock.com