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How Do I Choose the Best Antiseptic Gel?

By Nicky Sutton
Updated May 17, 2024
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The best antiseptic gel cleanses bacteria from damaged skin that can cause infection, creating optimal healing conditions and reducing healing time. A cooling effect is produced by the best antiseptic gels, helping to provide quick pain relief after application without any stinging or burning sensations. Application should be smooth, and the gel should soak quickly into the skin to get to work on eliminating bacteria. If you have dry or sensitive skin, choose an antiseptic gel made from natural ingredients.

By killing bacteria on the skin, the best antiseptic gels effectively fight against infection. If bacteria get into an open area of skin then they can multiply. Good antiseptic gels can help to prevent this from happening by cleansing the area so that the healing process can progress unhindered. You should be able to treat a range of minor injuries with an antiseptic gel, for example, grazes, burns, cuts and insect bites.

A quality antiseptic gel will not cause excessive pain or stinging when applied to an open area of skin. Some stinging or tingling may be expected within the first few minutes after application, but there should not be further pain or discomfort. Choose an antiseptic gel that applies smoothly and absorbs easily. Some gels have a tendency to be sticky and stretchy, and are not able to cover the skin effectively.

In order for the antiseptic properties to get to work, the gel must evenly coat the skin and dry quickly. If you have sensitive skin or suffer from a condition such as eczema, natural ingredients may be preferable. Cider vinegar is sometimes used in antiseptic gels because it can provide a soothing, cooling sensation that aids pain relief. Other natural ingredients found in anti-septic gels are tea tree oil which is naturally anti-septic, and aloe vera which is known to reduce inflammation.

The speed of healing should be enhanced by a good antiseptic gel; this is because it creates good clean healing conditions that allow skin to rejuvenate quickly. Choose an antiseptic gel that can prevent scarring from occurring, achieved by stopping a hard scab from forming on the wound through regular application. The gel should be reasonably priced and contain enough product to last for numerous applications. Inspect the packaging to ensure that it has not been tampered with or the contents used, to ensure there is no chance of infection spreading.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Discussion Comments

By anon994513 — On Feb 15, 2016

I'm amazed how useless this article is. It provides basically no practical information for whicn antiseptic gel to buy; e.g. "The best antiseptic gel cleanses bacteria from damaged skin that can cause infection, creating optimal healing conditions and reducing healing time." Great, except I have no idea how to figure out which gel at the grocery store does that well from this article. Also, "A quality antiseptic gel will not cause excessive pain or stinging when applied to an open area of skin." Again, great, but how do I know which gels do this? Am I supposed to learn the hard way which gels cause me prolonged agony?

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