Should you puthand sanitizeron your face?

But there is a flip side to this germ-killing superpower.

“Alcohol and propylene glycol draw moisture out of the face,” Dr. Pierre toldThe List.

A woman’s hands holding hand sanitizer

The result is a massive loss of moisture from your skin, and perpetual dryness on your face.

That leads to drying, cracking, and lots of irritation.

“But if you have dry skin you won’t be happy after a few applications.”

A bottle of hand sanitizer

A look atPurell’singredient list includes Tocopheryl acetate, barbadensis leaf juice, and cubeba fruit oil.

And do YOU know the effect that cubeba fruit oil has on your skin?

Skincare expertsGarnierpoint out that excessive moisturizer on your face can cause clogged pores and blackheads.

A woman applying hand sanitizer

It can cause allergic reactions in many who aren’t familiar.

It’s not a pleasant experience, especially not if you have overlysensitive skin.

And shampoo, unlike hand sanitizer,has no alcoholin it most of the time.

A woman pumping hand sanitizer

Alcohol is especially nasty on eye tissue because of its principal molecule: ethanol.

According to theCentre Daily Times,ethanol acts in two ways to harm your eyes.

First, it effectively kills the cells in your cornea.

A woman with irritated eyes

And second, it irritates the outer layer of your tears called the lipid layer.

“You have a very delicate blend of bacteria on your face,“Dr. Jacob SteigertoldThe List.

“And if your face gets overrun with bad bacteria, you might get breakouts and infections.”

A woman with good skin

These good bacteria are known as the skin microbiome, or skin microbiota.

And that’s another reason you shouldn’t usehand sanitizer(or antibacterial soap) on your face.

AsShapereported, your body won’t build up defenses against bacteria, leaving it more susceptible to infection.

A woman applying hand sanitizer to her hand

“It’s only to destroy microbes.

If your face has dirt, or sweat, or oil, you’re better off washing.”

Your face, on the other hand, is a different story.

A woman washing her face

“So, really, there’s no need to ever put it on your face.”