Hand sanitiser raw material prices steady, retail price high

Retail prices of hand sanitisers remain high despite stable price of raw materials in the local market though some components like glyceryl and carbomer turned a bit pricy in the international market.

The international market price left no impact on the domestic sphere because of better stock, say business insiders.

Ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, polyethylene glycerol, carbomer, hydrogen peroxide and perfume are the major components for making hand sanitisers.

Prices of raw materials shot up immediately after the Covid-19 spread and people started panic buying. The price also peaked during the second wave of the infection as the stock ran out and the supply chain disrupted, they added.

Md Titu, owner of HB Traders at Mitford Road, said prices of raw materials have come down now.

The most essential component of sanitiser is ethanol or isopropyl alcohol and its prices shot up to Tk 700 to Tk 800 per kilogram during the second wave and now it has come down to Tk 200 to Tk 250 per kg, said Titu.

Glycerol is used as a moisturiser and it was sold at Tk 200 to Tk 250 per kg earlier and now it is Tk 300 to Tk 350 a kg.

Prices of hydrogen peroxide came down to Tk 250 to Tk 270 per kg from Tk 300.

Carbomer is used for making gel-based sanitiser and it is still pricy. A drum of Carbomer is now sold at Tk 28,000 to Tk 30,000 per drum which was Tk 20,000 to Tk 22,000 earlier.

Nurul Akhter Khoka, president of Bangladesh Chemical and Perfumery Merchant Association, said prices of most ingredients of sanitisers like ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, polyethylene glycerol, hydrogen peroxide are now stable.

“In the international market, prices of few ingredients are still high but it has no impact on our domestic market because of available stock,” he said.

Md Mohin, owner of Ma Pharmacy at Mitford Road, attributed bulk production of sanitisers by most of the pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the availability of the product.

There was hardly any use of hand sanitiser in the public sphere before the coronavirus spread. It was used for only medical purposes to remove common pathogens like disease-causing organisms.

Despite the steady price of raw materials and plenty of supply in the market, the retail price of sanitiser still remained high.

A syndicate of unscrupulous traders stockpiled coronavirus protective products like sanitiser creating an artificial shortfall in the market and sold those at high prices, said wholesalers at Mitford.

ACI Pharmaceuticals’ 200ml bottle of Hexisol brand sanitiser is retailed at Tk 250 to Tk 300 though the maximum retail price inscribed on the bottle is Tk 130.

The same goes for Square Toiletries’ Sepnil brand sanitiser. Its MRP for a 200ml bottle is Tk 200 but it is retailed at Tk 350 or above.

Jasmin Jaman, head of marketing at Square Toiletries, said from the early stage of the pandemic to date, they did not increase the prices of their hand sanitiser even when the prices of raw materials suddenly shot up that lowered their profit.

Jasmin also said the present sales volume their sanitiser was more than 2019 but less than 2020 when coronavirus peaked.

Mohammad Shahin, in-charge at the Jatrabari branch of Lazz Pharma, said hand sanitisers are now available in the market and it sells better than other products.