Today is Three Kid Circus Auditions' stop on the Parent Bloggers Network tour for CleanWell Natural Hand Sanitizer.

As a new mom, I developed a strange and powerful love affair with those little bottles of hand sanitizer. The big bad world was swimming in germs, and I wanted to protect my children, as well as myself, from the sickness-du-jour. The problem, of course, was the harsh alcohol used in these gels. My hands were getting chapped and irritated. Add to that the fact that the smell just about knocked me over, and my babies were thumb and finger suckers... I just didn't want any possibility that they would ingest some of these powerful chemicals.

It has been a rocky road with the old sanitizers. I love the ease and convenience, but not the product themselves.

Enter CleanWell. These folks have developed a substance called Ingenium that kills 99.99% of germs naturally. I was quite excited to test out their liquid and wipes. First of all, my children are the grubbiest little monsters anyway, and with winter (and all the resultant body fluid expulsion) in full swing, I'm more than eager to get to killin' germs. And if I can kill with all natural, alcohol-free and hypoallergenic ingredients, then so much the better.

After the initial burst of scent, the intensity fades quickly. Both the towelettes and the gel glide smoothly over skin, without drying or stinging. In fact, it has a slightly moisturizing effect, which is really nice.

Apparently, there has been quite a bit of press about the harmful side effects of alcohol-based sanitizers, and the potential danger to kids. I can't speak to those dangers, except from my own neurotic worries.

I can tell you that I will be carrying CleanWell towelettes in my purse from now on.

Check out the reviews of my fellow Parent Bloggers, too.