<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><div>Exposure to alcohol preferable to bacteria build-up on skin due to cleanliness issues. Alcohol will not have adverse effects if used properly. Granted, yes, if you're going to be wiping down every 30 minutes you're going to get dry skin, possibly inflammations, etc. Alcohol also kills indescriminately, good bacteria, bad bacteria, skin cells, whatever. If you're wiping your hot spots once a day or once every other day you'll be fine. I've heard a Col. (Colonel Dr, of course) answer just a question like this in my presence which is wear I'm basing some of my info, the rest is practical and from reading studies that I have come across.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I used alcohol wipes once a day for four months, once, in place of regular showers (showers were not available at this location). I suffered no advance effects, not even dry skin (although it should be noted my skin tends to be greasy as a norm).</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>And as for alcohol being a carcinogen... well, the studies that I've read were very questionable and only associated a vague risk of cancer with alcohol... and that was alcohol that was consumed, not used for antibacterial or cleanliness purposes. Most of the hospitals I've worked in (BAMC at Ft. Sam Houston, for one) are slowly phasing out alcohol wipes not because of any carcinogenic factor but because of the indescriminate cell-killing nature of alcohol. Unfortunately iodine isn't going to clean you. :P</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><br><div><div>On Jan 3, 2008, at 2:23 PM, g l wrote:</div><blockquote type="cite">This is not true. At very minimum, alcohol is very drying to the skin. There is also some question as to carcinogenicity, etc. Research before use. I believe Baby Wipes would be ok, alcohol wipes...nope!<br><br>Intensive care nurse and registered respiratory therapist x 25 years. <br><br>Wheeew<br><br><b><i>Patrick Beggan <<a href="mailto:meta474@gmail.com">meta474@gmail.com</a>></i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; "><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><div>Well, everyone is different, but alcohol wipes on your bare skin don't really harm anything (I have pretty extensive medical experience, although I'm no doctor, I'm just a medic). I mean, frequency is an issue here -- if you're wiping down with alcohol wipes every twenty minutes then you're probably going to see some irritation. Its my experience that giving yourself a wipe-down with an alcohol wipe every other day or so helps keep infection at bay as well as help prevent a whole set of skin ailments.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Of course, it should note that my skin, uhh, "hydrates" at a rapid pace. That is, I am very greasy. :P</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><br><div><div>On Jan 3, 2008, at 6:11 AM, g l wrote:</div><blockquote type="cite"><div>Folks, Please do NOT use alcohol wipes on your skin.....especially on your more "sensitive" areas. Isopropyl alcohol itself is extremely irritating to the skin and particularly the mucous membranes. And guess what your.......exit area is composed of???? Key-rect!!!! Mucous membranes. H20 if you have it, is your best bet.....along with a gentle, non-rinse soap perhaps. Or just stink! We all smell alike out there anyway, and we cancel each other out. And the flat-landers??? Heck with em if they can't take a joke! Just say NO to ETOH!!! (Other than the drinkin' kind, perhaps.)</div><div> </div><div>Wheeew<br><br><b><i>Hiker97 <<a href="mailto:hiker97@aol.com">hiker97@aol.com</a>></i></b> wrote:</div><blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(16, 16, 255); padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; "><div><a href="mailto:jolson@olc.edu">jolson@olc.edu</a> writes: All kidding aside, - , alcohol wipes kept rashes and skin irritations of any sort from developing. It wasn't til I was 40 that I had to deal with this. Now it's a fact of life that I "wipe down" before putting on the long underwear and diving under the quilt for a dry, safe nights sleep... It's part of being able to hike week after week, a maintenance item.... Gotta keep the nether regions clean and dry...</div><div>--------------------------------</div><div>Switchback replies: I have used alcohol wipes for years along with TP. I also carry hand sanitizer gel. Out on the trail I try to be not only clean, but beyond that. I think this protects you from getting sick and other irritations too. For me going to bed clean at night makes for a more restful sleep. I carry my toilet articles in a quart ZipLock bag. 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