Reviewing Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Hand Lotion

Wondering how effective an Anti-bacterial lotion is? I did too. So I tried Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing lotion to see how well it performs. Here's what I found.

Scent

They come in a variety of scents that are not available as regular lotions, like Crisp Citrus Herb and Cotton Blossom, as well as old standards like Sweet Pea and Cucumber Melon. I think one of the reasons why they keep changing the available scents is because most of them don't match their sister body lotions in the same scent. Mango Mandarin, for example, used to be available as a moisturizing lotion, but isn't easy to find now. Why? Well, I would say it is mainly because it didn't smell like the regular lotion. Because these anti-bacterial lotions have to contain some ingredient that kills germs (i.e. alcohol), the mixture of that 'natural' scent with the layered fragrance makes for an unpleasant experience. It might not smell totally different by just sniffing it from the tube, but when you apply it you'll definitely see the difference. Some of the scents are pleasant enough as anti-bacterial hand lotions because they ended up as popular smells for use as soap (e.g. juniper breeze).

Price and Uses

Without one of the many sales they periodically have on this item, they are $4.00 for a 2-ounce squeeze tube. The tube indicates that it is for softening and smoothing skin as it 'kills germs.' If you look at the product through the clear parts of the tube, you can see little 'beads' inside the lotion that are a darker color (usually black) than the lotion color itself. This marbleized appearance has a practical use-the beads are the cleaning agents. If you dispense a dab of it on your palm and you don't see any beads, than you likely will only be moisturizing your skin, not cleaning it in any way. The beads are not 'hard,' but rather 'melt' into your hand as you work the lotion in. I would say it is reasonably priced for a portable hand lotion that also kills some germs.

However, it doesn't seem to be as effective as a regular hand gel. You can't use it to get rid of stickiness or residue on your hands; the lotion part simply won't allow for a surface cleaning. It may get rid of the stickiness somewhat, but isn't as effective as a regular hand gel. It is perfect for use for those 'germ' conscious individuals that want to feel like they are minimizing germs as they moisturize. If you want a pleasant Bath & Body works scent with a real cleansing power, try their hand gels instead. Overall, this anti-bacterial moisturizing hand lotion isn't anything to brag about, but it has its functions-mainly as a nicely scented hand lotion.