Body Products FAQ
What is MATGUARD® Body Protection
MATGUARD® utilizes an US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada registered Antiseptic for human skin, and has been designed for repeated use by healthcare workers, teachers, students, athletes, and anyone who may come into physical contact with others who may have been exposed to pathogenic contamination (i.e. bacteria, fungi, viruses), or where there may be a potential exchange of topical body fluids including perspiration, blood, etc.
MATGUARD® Antiseptics are available in a variety of sizes, in hand held and tabletop bottles, and wall mounted dispensing systems. Liquid formulations are offered as either a mist spray or a compact and quick dissolving foam.
MATGUARD® Antiseptic Wipes are available in a variety of formats, including canisters and soft flat packs. Each wipe is saturated with a measured amount of MATGUARD® Antiseptic liquid.
What Is the Active Ingredient in MATGUARD®?
The active ingredient in MATGUARD® is alcohol. We utilize both Isopropyl and Ethyl Alcohol, depending on which antiseptic product we are making. Currently our antiseptic body spray and body wipes are formulated with Isopropyl Alcohol, and our antiseptic foam is formulated with Ethyl Alcohol.
Our Isopropyl Alcohol based products contain 75% v/v (measured by volume) of the active ingredient. Our Antiseptic Foam contains Ethyl Alcohol at a concentration of 70 % v/v.
What Does the FDA Say About Alcohol Used As An Antiseptic?
The FDA recognizes denatured Ethyl Alcohol in the concentration range of 60% - 95%, and Isopropyl Alcohol in the concentration range of 70% - 91.3%, as safe and effective for use as skin antiseptic products. They also permit lower concentrations of these alcohols for use specifically as First Aid products.
What Does the CDC Say About Alcohol Used As An Antiseptic?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its 2002 published Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings, states that hands which are visibly soiled should be washed with soap and water, and only an alcohol based hand wash should be used for antisepsis of hands that are not visibly soiled. A variety of other products were evaluated and only alcohol was found to be appropriate and effective for such use.
Does Alcohol Cause Dryness of the Skin?
In its 2002 published Guideline (see above) the CDC cautions that alcohol can be drying to the skin, and that only products containing sufficient amounts of emollient should be used in order to counter the drying effects of alcohol on the skin.
What is the Difference Between MATGUARD® And Consumer Products?
MATGUARD® Antiseptics contain the highest amount of active ingredient of any product available on the market, far exceeding the amount of alcohol found in ordinary consumer type products, to provide superior germ killing efficacy and fast action on the skin.
While consumer products are usually labeled as hand sanitizers, MATGUARD® is formulated to meet the needs of athletes and health care workers for true antiseptic performance.
Consumer products may contain a small amount of emollient ingredients to help combat the natural drying effect of alcohol. If the consumer product is used periodically on the hands, the small amount of emollient is generally sufficient to keep the hands from drying to a noticeable degree. MATGUARD® contains between 8% and 10% of a pharmaceutical and food grade emollient to restore the moisture level naturally found in skin, as well as providing humectant action to keep moisturizing after the product is absorbed into the skin.
With ordinary sanitizers repeated use will result in some to severe drying of the skin. With MATGUARD® the more the product is used the higher the degree of antiseptic protection and the moisturizing effect multiplies, making skin feel softer the more it is used.
What is the Difference Between MATGUARD® Antiseptic and Disinfectant?
MATGUARD® Antiseptic sprays and wipes contain the same formulation as does MATGUARD® hard surface disinfectant sprays and wipes. The fragrance varies from one product to the other, and some versions of the hand products are unscented. Otherwise they are the same formula.
FDA regulations prohibit the labeling of a surface disinfectant as an antiseptic, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations prohibit the labeling of an antiseptic as a surface disinfectant. Therefore we must manufacture and label the products separately and sell each of them for their intended label use only.