The Washington Post: The history and mystery of Purell

Use it as a supplement, or a Plan B, not as a miracle goo, say UC-affiliated experts

An article in The Washington Post describes the medical and cultural impact of hand sanitizers, predominately Purell, during the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Looking back to the late 1980s, the article explains how the company Gojo developed a clear, alcohol-based, emollient-enriched, disinfecting substance that was dispensed by a pump bottle and required no water at all.

Experts representing UC’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy weigh in on the efficacy and proper use of the soap and water alternative. The article quotes Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumna Kelly Dobos, a former Gojo cosmetic chemist who now sits on the college’s Board of Advisors, and Professor K.P. Ananth, director of the cosmetic sciences program at the college.

Read the article.

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Featured image/Pablo Delcan for The Washington Post

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