In my utility room at home I have a separate sink which is ideal for me as this is where the dogs/cats bowls tend to be washed and anything else either animal related or cleaning related. Due to the nature of pets I do like to wash my hands after sorting their stuff out, feeding them, washing bowls etc so I tend to keep a bottle of antibacterial handwash handy and of course it gets used quite often. I always by antibacterial handwashes especially for the utility room as apart from having pets I also have a toddler so I want to minimise the risk of spreading anything nasty to her.

Tesco as usual is full of bargains and when it comes to their toiletries a lot of the time the named brands are on offer. A couple of months ago I managed to pick up a few bottles of antibacterial hand washes from Carex for just £1 per bottle. I picked up several varieties and one of those was the Carex Aloe Vera Hand Wash. I opted for this variety not only because it was so cheap but also because I do like products which contain aloe vera as generally products containing aloe vera tend to be nice and gentle and as someone who can suffer with sensitive skin they don't make my skin flare up like others.

Carex is a brand by Cussons who are widely known for their healthcare and toiletry products. They have a wide range of antibacterial hand washes and the aloe vera is just one that makes up the range. Aloe vera as most people will have heard has anti-inflammatory properties which helps not only to protect and soothe but also to help speed up the recovery process. The hand wash has been specifically formulated to effectively rid your hands of germs and to prevent them spreading whilst being gentle all at the same time. Making this hand wash ideal for suffers of skin problems such as eczema.

Now the picture on Dooyoo is a little outdated as not so long ago Carex re-vamped their packaging. The aloe vera variety comes in a clear, plastic bottle which is now slightly shaped as it curves in at the sides and comes complete with a pump action top. On the front there is the Carex logo together with the product name as well as a swirling image of the colour green - to represent the aloe vera! On the back of the bottle there is all the usual blurb you would expect to see such as product information, ingredients as well as contact information for Cussons/Carex.

The hand wash itself is a pale green colour and in its original state (pre-wash) I really don't like the smell of it. It isn't a pungent smell by any means but there is just something I really do not like. However, the consistency is great it is like an antibacterial hand gel type feel to it so it won't slip through your fingers as soon as you have pumped it out onto your hand and even when you go to turn the tap on the hand wash stays put. But as soon as it is diluted with water it is easily massaged into your skin with a lovely build up of a white froth which is soft and caring on your hands.

To use the hand wash you just need to unlock the pump by twisting it round until it pops up. Carex do have instructions on the back of the bottle in regards to using this hand wash but I think it is pretty self explanatory. You only need to use 1 or 2 pumps worth of hand wash to get a good amount of lather as well as being able to clean your hands effectively. Using anymore would just be a simple waste of the product as no doubt once diluted with water most of it would run down the drain. The only thing I have found is as soon as you've used at least half of the bottle the pump isn't as effective and you can get a little waste as it seems the suction in the pump doesn't work as quickly.

Now despite really disliking it's initial aroma as soon as the water has mixed with the hand wash it has a lovely aroma which is really nice! Despite being an aloe vera based hand wash I wasn't expecting much of an aroma anyway but this is almost quite perfumed with an earthy edge to it which certainly lasts on your skin for quite some considerable time even when you have dried your hands which is lovely although when I first smelt the hand wash I was concerned that my hands were going to smell quite horrible and that I would need to use a heavily scented handcream to get rid of the smell so I was very pleasantly surprised and pleased!

Now for those that can suffer with sensitive skin like I do will be pleased to hear that this hand wash is incredibly gentle and caring on the hands. I have found that it doesn't irritate my skin whatsoever in fact it helps soften the skin (great if you suffer with dry skin or eczema etc) and it also protects it too. I've struggled recently with dry skin on my hands and I have found that this hand wash whilst not being the most moisturising in the world hasn't dried my skin out so although I don't expect my skin to be moisturised it has helped reduce any inflammation that the dry skin can cause especially as mine is caused by eczema and it has cared for my hands rather than dry them out even more.

The hand wash claims to kill 99.99% of bacteria and germs and whilst I cannot prove this is the case I would like to think that it does especially when I use it for handling my pets bowls etc. But whatever the percentage of bacteria it kills I do like this hand wash of course apart from its initial smell but it has managed to keep my skin from flaring up especially when I wash my hands quite a lot and it has given me soft skin which is also a big plus. It is definitely nice to find a gentle hand wash with an aroma suitable for people with sensitive skin. I can't find fault with it other than the smell mentioned above as it does exactly what it offers so I would definitely recommend it and not just to those with sensitive skin. 5 stars from me.

~ Useful Information ~

Brand: Cusson/ Carex
Size: 250ml
Price: £1.69 - Boots Aug 12
Availability: Pharmacies, supermarkets, discount stores etc