In the era of the CoViD-19 pandemic, when hand disinfection is deemed as a crucial infection prevention measure (3), having off-the-shelf cosmetic hand gels with sub-disinfecting concentrations of ethanol is concerning. How many from the general public are inadvertently using gels containing ≈ 40% ethanol as those tested here, expecting efficient disinfection? Such problem could perhaps be mitigated by awareness campaigns, appropriate pharmacists counselling and revisions of current regulations. A system could be introduced to require manufacturers of cosmetic ABHRs to add, for example, an extra label which states “not for disinfection” in a large and easily readable size.