Maintaining personal hygiene prevents you from getting sick and spreading germs that could cause infectious diseases.
Practicing personal hygiene is vital if you live in a large household or work in a busy public environment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), better hand hygiene practices can lower 12% and 13% of deaths caused by diarrhea and acute respiratory infections worldwide, respectively.
However, achieving perfect hygienic conditions depends primarily on the selected products. Below are the top five expert-approved products for the ultimate hygiene care.
1. Booster Pad
The best way to understand booster pads is to begin by acquainting yourself with adult diapers.
Adult diapers are diapers engineered for use by anyone besides babies and infants. They are designed primarily to manage incontinence issues, which explains their alternative moniker: incontinence briefs.
Adult diapers soak up urinary and fecal leakage, minimizing the embarrassment often caused when incontinence patients inadvertently experience bladder or bowel movements.
Booster pads are pads meant to enhance the absorbency capacity of regular adult diapers. They are typically worn underneath normal incontinence briefs. They soak up urine or fecal discharge until saturation, after which the fluids flow through to the outer diapers.
Most heavy-duty incontinence briefs can absorb up to 30 ounces of bladder or bowel leakage. A booster pad can double that capacity, keeping you dry for longer.
Thanks to their remarkable efficiency, booster pads are best worn overnight or during long-haul trips.
2. Sanitary Bag
Not every item is meant to be thrown into the trash, at least not in the normal way. Some disposables need to be handled properly before being thrown into the bin. That’s especially true for biohazards, such as blood-tinged sputum.
Having a sanitary bag minimizes potential infections caused by hazardous disposable items.
Simply cough into a hand towel, carefully wrap it, and discard it into a sanitary bag. You can then chuck the bag into a larger trash bin.
Garbage collectors will be smart enough to avoid mishandling suspiciously wrapped trash. But even if infections unfortunately occur, your conscience will be clear knowing that you took the necessary measures to keep the environment safe.
Sanitary bags are essential when in a guest room or while traveling. So, whether you’re planning a short business trip or an extended family vacation, adding these products to your packing list pays.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
3. Vegan Soap
The past few years have recorded a tremendous paradigm shift from animal-based to plant-based hygiene products. So, it’s unsurprising that vegan soaps are all the rave.
Vegan soaps appeal primarily to consumers because of their all-natural ingredients. These detergents are enriched with powerful plant-based extracts, including coconut oil and aloe vera.
Aloe vera is loaded with polyphenols that inhibit bacterial growth. Switching to vegan soaps formulated with this antiseptic herb can combat the spread of infectious germs.
Additional findings suggest that aloe vera possesses antioxidant and anti-aging properties. Hand-washing with aloe-based vegan soaps can stimulate the synthesis of collagen and elastin, the two proteins that mainly constitute the skin’s structural component.
Another reason to switch to vegan soaps is that you enjoy natural scents. These detergents’ plant-based ingredients reduce skin irritation often associated with synthetic compounds in regular soaps.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
4. Menstrual Cup
When many people think of menstruation, sanitary pads may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, a menstrual cup should be a staple ingredient in any feminine hygiene kit.
One significant edge of menstrual cups over traditional sanitary pads is their recyclability. A single cup can serve you for several months, minimizing expenditure on other menstrual products.
Menstrual cups also provide remarkable discretion. As they’re designed to be sealed against vaginal walls, these cups can prevent menstrual fluid from being exposed. They’re also efficient at masking vaginal odors.
Moreover, menstrual pads are safer and less irritating than regular sanitary pads. The products are free from harsh chemicals that may upset your vagina’s pH balance, promoting itching and bacterial infections.
Just be sure to clean a menstrual cup thoroughly after every use. Also, do not use the product if you have an intrauterine device (IUD), as it might interfere with its efficiency.
5. Toothpaste and Toothbrush
Personal hygiene isn’t all about preserving the outer skin. It also entails proper oral hygiene.
Bad breath can ruin a successful date night or business meeting. Therefore, a toothpaste-toothbrush combo should be indispensable in your personal hygiene kit.
Insist on fluoridated toothpastes. Fluoride helps fight tooth decay, harden teeth enamel, and provide a protective layer against acid wear.
You can establish that your toothpaste is fluoridated by looking out for any fluoride salt, such as sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride, or sodium monofluorophosphate.
Besides fluoride, invest in a toothpaste formulated with other orally-safe ingredients. Keep an eye out for sweeteners like sorbitol and glycerol. Exposure to excess sweeteners may harm your teeth in the long run.
More importantly, observe healthy tooth-brushing practices. Experts recommend brushing the teeth daily for at least two minutes to remove food and plaque. Note that this excludes flossing, which should happen after every meal.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Summary
While the term “personal hygiene” connotes self-serving practices, improving the hygienic conditions in your environment can have far-reaching implications. It prevents you from spreading infectious germs to others while also improving your own public image.
Investing in the above-listed items is the first step to implementing robust personal hygiene care.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
https://pixabay.com/photos/wash-hands-soap-hygiene-clean-4934590/
