Curasél is a saline solution of hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a miraculous substance that is created by electrolyis of salt water at balanced pH. It is a close cousin of bleach, but is completely nontoxic and non-irritating to skin and mucous membranes. In fact, HOCl is made by the immune system to kill pathogens!
It is marketed and sold many purposes, including janitorial sanitizing, dental care, wound and scar management, and even high-end facial care. I figured out how to make it myself by the gallon, and personally use it daily to clean hands, door handles, ATM keypads, restaurant tables, bathrooms, toothbrushes, oral care, stinky dog breath, toilets, and more.
It is also really helpful for acne, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis, as you can see in my images below:
Rinsing the nose with salt water is thought to have benefit against pathogens because it promotes the production of HOCl in epethilial cells [Ramalingam et al. (2019) A pilot, open labelled, randomised controlled trial of hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling for the common cold]. So I thought to myself, why not spray HOCl it directly in the nose?! I have been doing so all year, as a way to ward off COVID.
Apparently, I’m not the only one thinking this could be helpful:
- Winter et al. (2023) Austrian HOCl Research Project against Covid-19.
- Sorroche et al. (2022) Hypochlorous acid as an antiseptic in the care of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection.
- Delgado-Enciso et al. (2021) Safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 treatment with nebulized and/or intravenous neutral electrolyzed saline combined with usual medical care vs. usual medical care alone: A randomized, open-label, controlled trial.
- Giarratana et al. (2021) A sprayable Acid-Oxidizing solution containing hypochlorous acid (AOS2020) efficiently and safely inactivates SARS-Cov-2: a new potential solution for upper respiratory tract hygiene.
- Casal et al. (2020) Could nasal irrigation and oral rinse reduce the risk for COVID-19 infection?.