A local body-care business is fulfilling New Zealand's demand for hand sanitiser during the country's COVID-19 lockdown.
The Bonbon Factory, based in Whakatane, has made a name for itself with handmade PETA-approved and cruelty-free products, including whipped body washes, skincare, moisturisers and now, hand sanitiser.
The company has been approved as an essential business during Alert Level 4 of New Zealand's COVID-19 response, which has seen the closure of all schools and non-essential businesses nationwide in a bid to keep Kiwis at home.
"About a week before the lockdown I was playing around with formulas for hand sanitisers and got them on the market because locals were looking for them. We just got flooded from that moment on and our business just went through the roof," CEO Stephanie Peacocke told Newshub.
Peacocke, a cosmetic chemist, says she saw a gap in the market and decided to meet New Zealand's demand for hand sanitiser amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company has since ceased production on its other products to focus solely on pumping out sanitisers.
"There's been around a 1000-plus [orders] a day heading out the door," she said.
"We make it [in the Whakatane factory] on-site using New Zealand ingredients. We just secured a supply of packaging bottles from our packaging partner in Christchurch, so our bottles will be [locally sourced] too."
The 'Instant Trolley and Hand Sanitiser' is available in a refill pack, a family size and a refillable mist pen and is designed to be used on both hands and surfaces.
"I researched recipes and came up with my formulation. We wanted to make one 'Bonbon' style so we put [in] a little bit of vanilla fragrance so it smells really good. We also wanted to make one that was a mist, so you can spray it on your cart handle at the supermarket so you feel safe," Peacocke explained.
However, Peacocke stresses that hand sanitisers are designed for "out and about" activities and should not be substituted for soap and water when at home.
Soap vs sanitiser
The global COVID-19 pandemic has seen debates over the effectiveness of hand hygiene methods, with the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending soap and water above all.
"CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible because handwashing reduces the amounts of all types of germs and chemicals on hands," says the CDC website.
"But if soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitiser with at least 60 percent alcohol can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others."
The organisation says soap and water are more effective at removing certain kinds of germs. Although alcohol-based hand sanitisers can inactivate many types of microbes very effectively when used correctly, CDC says many people do not use a large enough volume of the sanitiser or may wipe it off before it has dried.
It also says sanitiser may not be as effective when the individual's hands are greasy or visibly dirty, such as after working in the garden or playing sports.
In a series of tweets in March, University of New South Wales supramolecular chemistry expert Professor Palli Thordarson explained why soap and water is the best option when it comes to hygiene concerns.
"The soap dissolves the fat membrane and falls apart like a house. Disinfectants, or liquids, wipes, gels, and creams containing alcohol - have a similar effect but are not really quite as good as normal soap," Prof Thordarson wrote.
Normal soap does the job just fine, he added, explaining it dissolves the "glue" that holds the virus together.
"The soap also outcompetes the interactions between the virus and the skin surface. Soon the viruses get detached and fall apart like a house of cards due to the combined action of the soap and water."
"Nothing beats soap", he reiterated.
When on the go, however, hand sanitiser with an alcohol concentration between 60 and 95 percent is a quick fix for killing germs.
Peacocke assures Kiwis The Bonbon Factory has no shortages of ingredients and can continue supplying sanitiser to everyone.
