PURELL® Instant Hand Sanitizer combines 65% alcohol with a special blend of moisturizers to kill germs on hands and leave them feeling soft and refreshed. The alcohol breaks down the germs' cell walls causing them to die. When applied to hands it evaporates within seconds. According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Guidelines for Infection Control Practice, "alcohols applied to the skin are among the safest known antiseptics.