Barbasol why not alcohol?

[bob.e]

what does barbasol have over alcohol for disinfecting and sterilizing?

 

[dashmaverick]

Do you mean barbicide??

 

[s1mp13m4n]

to be honest, not much. You are talking about the AS you get from Dollar General for a bit over $1 right? I could not use it, not because it is a bad product, but rather the menthol cooling was too intense for me. Try witch hazel, it does a great job and is the same price.

 

[michiganlover]

quoting Wikipedia:

Barbicide is a United States Environmental Protection Agency-approved hospital disinfectant. It is a germicide, pseudomonacide, fungicide, and viricide. In addition, it kills the HIV-1 virus (AIDS virus), Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

Barbicide Technicians claim it is the only disinfectant of its kind which holds its power and color over time; all of its competitors' products eventually turn green or brown. [1]

Barbicide's active ingredient is Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (5.12% by volume). It also contains sodium nitrite, amongst other things. It is sold in concentrated solution which salons dilute with water, generally in a ratio of 1/4-cup concentrate to 4 cups of water (2 oz. in 32 oz.), which the accompanying jar is perfectly sized to hold.

I don't know if it would be too harsh for most of our applications, but I imagine a very similar effect could be achieved with common bleach. There is very little in the world that survives a treatment in bleach.

Quoting Wikipedia about Rubbing Alcohol:

Rubbing alcohol can be applied as a cooling, soothing application for bedridden patients and athletes. It is also widely used for cleansing surgeons' hands and instruments and for the disinfection of skin prior to penetration by a hypodermic needle. As an antiseptic it is good against vegetative bacteria and fair against fungi and viruses, but is ineffective against spores.

 

[theinternot]

Yeah, I'm not sure if the OP was meaning for the face/skin or the razor.

 

[luvmysuper]

what does barbasol have over alcohol for disinfecting and sterilizing?

Alcohol is a fine disinfectant and "bug" killer.
If you want to go to the expense, extra work, and storage of using Barbicide, that's fine - But anything that you need to kill on a razor can be killed by rubbing alcohol, so don't sweat it.

Your not opening a barber shop and having to soak possibly infected combs etc, so just go with the cheaper and easier alcohol.

I'm sometimes amazed at the rants that some guys go on about buying super disinfectants for their razors, but then they don't even do a decent face wash before shaving, or use alcohol based AS when they are done.

Barbicide on your razor won't keep you from getting a staph infection from a nick on a dirty face.

 

[gollum83]

don't know if it would be too harsh for most of our applications, but I imagine a very similar effect could be achieved with common bleach. There is very little in the world that survives a treatment in bleach.

Umm, yeah, you're razor probably won't survive bleach either. It's a pretty strong oxidant. It'll discolor or even corrode metal if it's exposed to bleach long enough.

 

[bob.e]

thanks guys I've been soaking my razors in 91% alcohol occasionally after using and after cleaning

 

[Dharion]

Better dillute it down with distilled water to 70%. Much more effective and you save alcohol.

 

[Whistlepig]

I've been using Barbicide for the last couple of months. If you can get your SWBO to allow the jar on the bathroom counter I would recommend it. The antiseptic qualities are nice but, as others have mentioned, alcohol performs equally well for killing bugs.
What I like, other than the looks of the jar , is that it prevents oxidation on my blades therefore making them last a bit longer. Since the whole razor is essentially submerged in the stuff I would imagine the anti-oxidative properties would be great for those with older razors that have chipped or worn plating or even for the non-plated "mechanism" parts of newer razors.
The only time my razor is dry is for the brief moment when I wipe the blade after shaving.

Yes, using Barbicide won't prevent the possibility of a staph infection (staph naturally occurs on your skin) but at least you know the razor doesn't have staph growing on it. I lost a leg to a staph infection so I don't take ANY chances no matter how insignificant.

Do not use bleach on your razors. It's too strong an oxidant. It can discolor your razor's finish or, at worst, slowly eat away at non-plated surfaces. Many razors, regardless of finish, have brass as their base metal. Brass + bleach = buying a new razor.

One way to convince your SWBO to allow the big jar on your counter is to "suggest" she can use the Barbicide for her tweezers or other sharp female grooming items. It worked for me.