In 2020, the demand for hand sanitizer skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As in any product manufacturing process, accurate formulation enables good quality and minimizes waste.

The alcohol content in hand sanitizers must be greater than 60% (v/v) to be an effective antiseptic. Reagents commonly used in these disinfectants are water, alcohol (commonly ethanol or isopropanol), small amounts of emollient (skin softener, e.g. glycerol), and an oxidizing agent (e.g. hydrogen peroxide) to minimize microbial contamination.

A safe and fast way to monitor ethanol content in these sanitizing solutions is with reagent-free near-infrared spectroscopy NIRS, which provides reliable results in a few seconds, quickly indicating when adjustments in formulation are necessary

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