HibiScrub

What is Hibiscrub?

Hibiscrub is an antiseptic wash that kills a wide range of bacteria, yeasts and viruses. It’s been used for decades in hospitals to help manage infections. It creates a protective layer on your skin that stays effective for up to six hours, and it’s gentle on your skin, so you can use it often without any harm.^[1]
You can use it as a hand or body wash to treat or prevent skin infections like folliculitis or infected eczema.

Folliculitis is a common condition where the hair follicles on your skin become inflamed. It can cause a rash with red bumps or whiteheads, which can be itchy or sore. It’s usually caused by an infection from bacteria, viruses or fungi, but it can also be caused by chemicals, skin irritation or ingrown hairs.^[2]

Infected eczema, also called secondary infected eczema, occurs when bacteria or other germs infect the skin affected by eczema. At first, it will be itchy and appear red. If you look closely under natural light, you might see a shiny, orange-like appearance on the skin, like shimmering dust. As the infection gets worse, you may notice oozing and crust formation with a yellow or golden colour.^[3]

How does Hibiscrub work?

Hibiscrub solution contains chlorhexidine gluconate, an antimicrobial ingredient that fights against bacteria, fungi and viruses. When you apply Hibiscrub to your skin, it forms a protective layer that quickly kills bacteria within one minute and continues to do so for up to six hours.

Clorhexidine works against germs in four steps:^[4]

Step 1: Clorhexidine, being positively charged, is drawn towards the outer surface of germs that have a negative charge.
Step 2: Clorhexidine ‘sticks’ to the germs’ cell walls.
Step 3: Once inside the germs, it causes the release of certain components and slows down their metabolism.
Step 4: It makes some components inside the germs stick together, eventually leading to their death.

One of the perks of Hibiscrub is that it has been tested by dermatologists and proven to be gentle on your skin, even if you use it often. This is important because using Hibiscrub regularly has been shown to boost its ability to fight against germs.^[1]

How to use Hibiscrub

It’s important to make sure that you use Hibiscrub exactly as advised by your clinician. Because it’s gentle on the skin despite its powerful antibacterial properties, you can use it frequently until your skin infection has cleared up. Make sure to apply it with clean hands or a washcloth.

1. Wet your hands and/or body.
2. Apply Hibiscrub, without diluting it, to your hands and rub it on your skin. If you use it on your body, start with your face and work downwards, cleaning each body part for one minute.
3. Rinse well with clean water and dry.
4. Avoid contact with your eyes or mouth, since Hibiscrub is only meant to be used on your skin.

Are there different doses of Hibiscrub?

Hibiscrub comes in only one strength, Hibiscrub 4% w/v Cutaneous Solution. It contains chlorhexidine gluconate 4% w/v. Each ml of the solution has 40 mg of the active ingredient, chlorhexidine gluconate.