Instant Hand Sanitizer 50ml vs Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel: which is safer?
Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Dettol
Instant Hand Sanitizer 50ml
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFragrance allergens
ReportedSkin irritation and drying from ethanol
PossiblePreservative safety (methyl/propylparaben or phenoxyethanol risk)
Our pick
Purell
Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleEthanol skin irritation or sensitization
PossibleFragrance allergens
ReportedIngestion risk in children
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Skin irritation and drying from ethanol, Preservative safety (methyl/propylparaben or phenoxyethanol risk), Flammability and improper storage risk and Eye and mucous membrane irritation if misused on the Dettol and not on the Purell.
- We flag Ethanol skin irritation or sensitization, Ingestion risk in children and Eye contact irritation on the Purell and not on the Dettol.
- Both carry a flag for Fragrance allergens, so neither choice avoids it.
- The Dettol is Aqueous alcohol-based liquid sanitizer (ethanol, water, glycerin) where the Purell is ethyl alcohol gel with humectants (aloe, glycerin), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More hand sanitizer, see the full ranking