According to a study published in Frontiers of Virology, gentle cleansers are as effective as hard soaps in eliminating viruses, including coronavirus. During the covid pandemic, the incidents and severity of contact dermatitis increased from 20% to 80% among healthcare professionals. 

Although gentle cleaning products for handwashing are widely used, there has been limited evidence to show their antiviral efficacy against the spread of viruses such as human coronavirus, herpes simplex virus, norovirus, and influenza.

In the study, researchers from the University of Sheffield tested multiple handwash products, including antibacterial soap, natural soap, foam cleansers, and bath wash products. They investigated the ability of these products to kill both enveloped viruses, such as human coronavirus and influenza, compared to non-enveloped viruses, such as norovirus and adenovirus.

The study showed that gentle cleansers effectively kill enveloped viruses, but non-enveloped viruses displayed resistance against skin-friendly cleaners and harsh soaps. 

The study showed that non-enveloped viruses displayed increased resistance for all handwash products tested, including harsh and mild chemical solutions. Norovirus was found to be the most resilient virus.

 (Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-gentle-cleansers-viruses-effectively-harsh.html )