Since I’m inevitably going to be worried about flu germs (again) this fall and winter, I might as well carry some anti-bacterial hand gel with me; and if I’m going to carry a product everywhere I go, it might as well make me smile when I pull it out of my purse. This is why I scooped up a few Halloween-themed Anti-Bacterial “Pocket-Bacs” (as they are known) at Bath & Body Works when they first appeared in stores.
I’ve tried four of the Halloween-season scents available as Pocket-Bacs, and all of them were fun, if not exactly the kinds of scents I would choose for other body products or actual fragrances. Bat Bite, with its bat-image label, was an irresistible selection for the former Goth in me. Its scent is “apple" — more specifically, an intensely synthetic green-apple scent that reminds me somewhat disconcertingly of green-apple schnapps and “appletini” cocktails. This is also the strongest of the scents I tried, and it lingers for a while, so you (and everyone around you) had better enjoy it if you’re using it.
Vampire Blood is sure to appeal to young Twilight fans as well as, shall we say, more “mature” readers like myself who cut their teeth (pun intended) on Anne Rice novels. It’s tinted a satisfyingly vivid red, but its scent is much more subtle than Bat Bite; it’s nominally a “plum” fragrance, but it also has a strong hint of raspberry. And I’m going to pass Zombie Squad along to my husband, a lifelong devotee of horror films, now that I’ve tested it and enjoyed it. It’s a clear gel, so it's less eye-catching when it's used in public, and its “marshmallow” scent is actually a soft, powdery vanilla that doesn’t hit you over the head with a dessert-like effect.
My possible favorite in this group is Spider’s Web, partly for its creepy-cute label design (actually, they’re all nicely done), for its eerie gray color, and for its unexpectedly complete scent: the “licorice” of the description is there, like a piece of Good & Plenty candy, but there’s also something underneath, like a creamy coconut-milk-vanilla note, that fades away before I can quite identify it. This sounds messy, but it’s actually a light and sophisticated fragrance for an anti-bacterial gel.
If you’re curious about these Pocket-Bacs, don’t delay in getting yourself to a Bath & Body Works store; they seem to be popular items, and they’re strictly limited edition, seasonal “treats.”
Bath & Body Works Halloween Anti-Bacterial Pocket-Bacs sell for $1.50 each (29 ml) or 5 for $5.
Note: center image is Haunted House by darkpatator on flickr; some rights reserved.
I’m one of those people who thinks that anti-bacterial products will lead us all to doom, but if I was going to have some around these sound pretty darn fun. Here, let me disinfect you with some vampire blood! bwahaha
Tama, Exactly! And as for the antibac debate, I don’t have all the facts, but I usually opt for the “all things in moderation” approach. 😉
I believe the real problem with antibacterial products lies with those that use synthetic bactericides (such as triclosan), as the concern is that resistant strains of bacteria may develop against which these products will no longer work. Judging from the label on the Pocket Bacs, the only antibacterial ingredient is alcohol. Since alcohol has been in use by human beings for thousands of years, if the bacteria were going to become resistant to it, they would no doubt have done so by now. The toxicity of alcohol to microbes is the reason that it is impossible to produce an alcoholic beverage with more than about 14% alcohol content by fermentation alone. At that concentration, the alcohol kills the organisms responsible for the fermentation, and the process stops. It is also the reason that high-proof liquor can be stored at room temperature for years without spoiling. Probably the biggest risk from the alcohol-based hand sanitizers is that they may cause some people to become too complacent. You should still be vigilant in other ways (avoiding close contact with those who are sick, washing your hands frequently, getting plenty of sleep, good nutrition, etc.).
Thanks, 50… and I definitely agree with that last sentence!
Thanks for that explanation! I have no qualms about alcohol. You do get the same effect with a good hand-washing, though. I have some anti-bac at work to put people at ease if I’m sick.
Thanks, 50. I agree with your statement — I had an aversion to hand sanitizers but then I realized it was ridiculous to be morally opposed to something that was essentially isopropyl alcohol gel. Totally understand the bit about antibiotics and some bactericides possibly causing a proliferation of resistant mutations.
Another pet-peeve of mine is “antibacterial soap,” since to my mind, soap is pretty much by definition “antibacterial.” Marketing!
Don’t even get me started on antibacterial soap. My niece got scratched by one of my cats last summer, and as I went to wash her up my mother screamed, “Is it antibacterial soap!??” Umm… it’s soap? It’s made to clean things? Of course, now that the scoop is that antibacterial soap is bad, I’ve received multiple phone calls from my mom telling me *not* to buy antibacterial soap. It’s a good thing I love her.
Well, technically soap is not antibacterial in the same way alcohol is. That is, soap doesn’t actually kill bacteria (or viruses). What soap does is loosen surface dirt and oils so that the water can wash them away. The bacteria and viruses get washed away along with the dirt and oils. However, IF soap and water are used properly (long enough, with warm enough water), plain soap will effectively remove germs, making the addition of antibacterial agents unnecessary. The key is to wash long enough and thoroughly enough.
50- I agree. The next thing will be anti-bacterial shampoo. I don’t use soap containing triclosan since it is so drying to my skin, but I do keep hand sanitizer around and engage in preventitive practice. An ounce is worth a pound as they say.
Sorry for the corniness!
I’m with you on the all things in moderation. The real problem w/antibacterial agents is the people who misuse them. I nearly decked someone the other day who said he gets strep throat so often, his fridge is full of half-used antibx prescriptions. Doh! FINISH the dose! Anyway, I do use the hand gels if I’m out somewhere without access to soap and water. At home, it’s regular soap, though.
Oh, same. I’m always coping with the icky feeling of “subway-hands” or “just-touched-lots-of perfume-testers-in-Sephora-hands.” These gels tide me over, until I get home to my own sink. 😉
Jessica, I know the feeling! Especially “subway” hands. Others are not always as concious of spreading germs. They continue to hack and sneeze away without even attempting to restrain themselves or their germs. After touching, goodness knows what on those subways, it is very reassuring to have these gels.
I get “Goodwill hands” and “garage sale hands.” 🙂 I make it to a restroom to scrub down the minute I can.
Those are the best hands to have! I love haunting those places.
A little Halloween humor there.
My understanding is that it is far healthier to wash one’s hands (frequently and for more than a few seconds) with soap and running water, and that anti-bacterial products should be used when soap and water aren’t available.
Hey, that Spider’s Bite doesn’t sound half bad! (Though, Iike Tama, I think anti-bac products are the devil and I don’t use them. Of course, I have that luxury now that I’m no longer touching the subway on a daily basis!). I wonder if they’ll do these anti-bac scents in other products.
I don’t normally like B&BW scents, but I guess this is as good a place as any to admit that my favorite home scent of the past two autumns is the B&BW/Slatkin Leaves candle.
Freska! Some of those Slatkin/B&BW candles *are* nice… I prefer them to the candle interpretations of the Signature Collection scents. Fresh Bamboo was a summer favorite for me. Leaves and Autumn are both great.
The Fresh Bamboo is really nice. I have the Cinnamon and Clove Buds for winter.
They make those pocket bacs in lots of flavors!
No kidding! and most of them are too strong for my taste. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised by Vampire Blood and Spider’s Web.
I love the Slatkin candles! And if you can score them 2 for 20.00 and combine with a coupon even better. I am also a big fan of the little room sprays. They are small, but mighty. Only one spritz per room works wonders.
I am currently burning Autumn and have Leaves ready to go when that one is finished and have 2 Winter candles waiting after that. I am lucky, not to far from me is a BBW outlet, and all of the 3 wick candles are only 10.00. Selection varies but you can always find at least one candle that you like.
After trying all sorts of candles out there, I keep going back to Slatkin, and they don’t really break the bank.
They’re definitely good candles at reasonable prices!
Cute review, Jessica. I have a couple of those travel-sized BBW sanitizers and always have one in my bag just in case. Not sure I’ll test these, but they’d be very cute for kids and such.
So my hand sanitizer story is thus: I avoided them for years, thought they were evil, etc (as mentioned above), then last year or so I started becoming SUPER flu-phobic and decided just plain ole alcohol couldn’t hurt, so I started augmenting my handwashing now and then. But then just last month I saw this study saying that the stuff doesn’t significantly reduce flu or colds, so now who knows… but like you, it’s always nice to have when I’m nowhere near soap and water and have been touching icky things. Oh, and it bears repeating that it’s consistently shown that people do NOT wash their hands properly (long enough), so that’s really the biggest change people can make. End of rant!
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/13/news/la-heb-hand-sanitizers-dont-work-20100913
Yes! One rule of thumb is to wash your hands while singing the alphabet song in your head. Then you’ll know it was long enough. 😉
Still, I think you summed it up well when you said the alcohol “can’t hurt”. It may or may not help, but if it does no harm, why not add it to the arsenal? If indeed the hand sanitizers are not reducing infection rates, it may be because people are being more complacent with them than they would be otherwise. “I’m using sanitizer, so I am safe”. It is NOT a replacement for hand washing or common sense. There are times, however, when soap and water are not immediately available, and I feel that something is better than nothing. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that washing will remove other things besides bacteria and viruses, such as chemical contamination, which can make you sick in other ways.
Do they have these scents in anything else? Alcohol gels make my hands break out in a rash, but this concept is too cute for me to pass up.
No… I wish they did! I’d like a hand cream in Zombie Squad or a little candle in Spider’s Web.
Love the reference to Ann Rice! I was a huge fan as a teen, my mom was afraid I was becoming depressed with all the vampire novels and Tori Amos’ Little Earthquakes playing non-stop on my headphones!
I will look for the Zombie Squad and Spider Bite, they sound perfect.
Ruth, same here! For me, it was Anne Rice and Sylvia Plath and The Cure… but it was all very cathartic, and I’m still here. 😉
Oh, Sylvia Plath! Me, too! A friend of mine was looking at my copy of the Bell Jar a while back and laughed when I said I’d underline every meaningful sentence in the book. Pretty much the whole thing was underlined. I think I was fourteen when I read it. Such a dramatic child. 🙂
They also have a “Candy Corn” pocketbac that smells like caramel! Really cute.
Gdaughter, I missed that one! but I do love actual candy corn.
It may be that different BBWs have different items. I’ve never seen Spider Web at mine, and it sounds so fun.
I use very little hand sanitizer, but when I do, it’s from Bath & Body works. Their formulation just seems to be great on my hands. I’ve been planning a trip to pick up some bath and shower gel, so I’ll look for the new scents as Halloween gifts for my great nieces and nephews. They’ll love it.
Newsitian, I was thinking the same thing… they’re perfect Halloween gifts for children!
I love the Vampire Blood and Candy Corn. I use antibac soaps in the kitchen mostly, and use their foaming soaps around holidays (I love the holiday scents), but mostly use regular soap, since I am a bit worried about triclosan entering the water supply. I use their hand sanitizers a lot at the university where I teach, especially after using the chalkboard or grading papers. I also use them after a trip to Walmart. Otherwise, I use plain ol’ soap at home.
JB, I understand how you feel about universities… the students always seem to be sick!
Oh, thanks for the reviews, Jessica! Last time I was in B&BW, I nabbed a little bottle of the Dark Kiss lotion (a lot like Hanae Mori + plum & berries – or a lot like Angel, minus the Drakkar Noir part + plum) for my daughter. I saw these but didn’t have time to sniff them. Now I’m thinking I need to nab a few of the PocketBacs for the car.
I usually use the anti-bacterial B&BW soap in the kitchen only (cutting up raw meat can be really, really ooky); I like Kitchen Lemon and Pink Grapefruit. Rest of the house gets plain ol’ liquid soap… I’d go for bars, except that our water, even with a softener, is extremely hard. It’s well water, and because of our calcium carbonate-rich geology, it’s off-the-charts hard, and that stuff plus soap = Big Ol’ Mess.
Mals86, I remember Kitchen Lemon as being one of the few “regular” soap scents that I liked (no Warm Vanilla Sugar at my sink, thanks!). I usually like having a pump soap by the kitchen sink just so that I can hit it with my wrist or elbow and not contaminate things further… ergh.
I want one of those no-touch dispensers like you see in some restrooms these days.
That looks like the Munster house from the tv show.
Maybe that was one of the inspirations for this building!