the present invention is directed to a long lasting antimicrobial and antiviral barrier composition for topical application to the proximal anterior nares ( skin surface surrounding the opening of the nostrils ). the antimicrobial and antiviral composition of the present invention incorporates the use of one or more antiseptic solutions in combination with cocos nucifera ( coconut oil ), citrus sinensis ( orange oil ), and simmondsia chinensis ( jojoba ). in one preferred embodiment , the antiseptic solution is usp ethyl alcohol . in another preferred embodiment , the antiseptic solution is hydrogen peroxide . other alcohols and antiseptic agents are contemplated for use in the composition as the antiseptic solution , either alone or as a combination . the essential ingredients of the composition are present according to the following percentages by weight of the composition : the antimicrobial and antiviral composition of the present invention may further include the following additional ingredients , alone or in combination : lauric acid ; simmondsia chinensis ; d - limonene ; soy oil ; emu oil ; grapefruit seed extract ; glycine soja ; and a preservative such as sodium benzoate , benzalkonium chloride , bht , vitamin e . these additional ingredients of the composition may be present according to the following percentages by weight of the composition : a further embodiment of the composition has been proven to help alleviate the body &# 39 ; s immune - response to many allergens and pollutants . the following ingredients have been found to be effective in the composition when present according to the following percentages by weight of the composition : antiseptic solutions such as ethyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide typically evaporate at a rapid rate . for this reason , when antiseptic solutions are used alone , they usually have little to no residual effect . the base oils of the composition , namely citrus sinensis , cocos nucifera , and simmondsia chinensis , are effective to trap the antiseptic solution in a pseudo - emulsion antiseptic that remains active for an extended period of time . this allows the composition to have a long lasting antimicrobial and antiviral protection . the base oils also provide antimicrobial , antiviral and antifungal properties . when the base oils are combined with the antiseptic solution , a synergistic effect is observed . for instance , the efficacy of any one of the base oils or the antiseptic solution , alone , does not exceed 99 . 99 % ( 4 log ). however , when all ingredients are combined in suitable ratios an unexpected removal efficiency rating ( efficacy ) of 99 . 99999 % ( 7 log ) or greater is achieved . this synergism is a key to the novelty of the composition , providing antimicrobial and antiviral kill levels that are significantly greater than those observed in connection with any of the ingredients individually or other known antimicrobials and antivirals . the following examples demonstrate various combinations of ingredients , which have been observed to yield antimicrobial and antiviral kill rates of 7 log or greater . in use , the antimicrobial and antiviral composition is applied to the skin surface surrounding the opening of the nostrils according to the following instructions : 1 ). shake the bottle ( containing the composition ) well to insure complete mixture of the ingredients . 2 ) apply approximately 4 drops of the composition to the cotton tip of a cotton swab so that the cotton tip is fully saturated with the composition . 3 ). place the thumb and index finger on the swab stem directly below the wetted cotton tip of the swab . prepare to apply the composition to the rim of each nostril just past the nasal opening . caution : do not extend the swab into the nasal canal any further than the short length of the cotton tip of the swab ( about 1 cm or 3 . 8 ″). the swab stem should never enter the nose . 4 ). carefully place only the cotton tip of the swab just inside of the nostril opening . using a gentle motion , make 3 or 4 circles to fully apply the composition to the rim of the nostril . repeat this step for the other nostril . 5 ). discard the swab . gently squeeze the nostrils together to ensure even distribution of the solution about the rim surrounding each nostril opening . in order to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of one sample of the composition when applied to the proximal external nares of human volunteers , the test study was conducted at bioscience laboratory , inc . in bozeman , mont . the results of the study are set forth below . this study was designed to evaluate the persistent antimicrobial efficacy of one ( 1 ) test product intended for prevention of airborne illness when applied within the proximal nares ( the first 0 . 25 ″ of a naris ) and one ( 1 ) control material . thirty ( 30 ) human subjects were evaluated in this study . twenty - five ( 25 ) human subjects were used to evaluate the test product , and five ( 5 ) human subjects were used to evaluate the control material ( sterile deionized water ). samples were taken from the proximal nares ( the first 0 . 25 ″ of the nostrilar canal ). baseline samples were collected a minimum of twenty - four ( 24 ) hours apart to allow recolonization of the normal flora . on the test day , the product was applied to each naris . each naris was apportioned on a sagittal plane into two ( 2 ) sample sites , medial and lateral . ten ( 10 ) samples each were taken for the two ( 2 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes and four ( 4 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes post - product exposures to the test product , and for the immediate ( within one [ 1 ] minute of application ) and four ( 4 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes post - product exposures to the control material . twenty ( 20 ) samples each were taken for the immediate ( within one [ 1 ] minute of application ), six ( 6 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes , eight ( 8 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes , and twelve ( 12 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes post - product exposures to the test product . a neutralization study was performed to assure the effectiveness of the neutralizers used in the diluting medium . the neutralization followed guidelines set forth in astm e 1054 - 02 , standard test methods for evaluation of inactivators of antimicrobial agents , except that the microorganism was added to the neutralizers prior to the addition of the test or comparison antiseptic . staphylococcus aureus ( atcc # 6538 ) was used as the challenge species in the neutralizer validation study . the neutralization study demonstrated that the antimicrobial activities of the test and reference products were effectively eliminated . no adverse events were observed during or following completion of this study . table i presents the statistical summary of the log 10 recovery values with relation to use of the test product . table ii presents the statistical summary of the log 10 recovery values with relation to use of the control material ( sterile deionized water ) while the composition of the present invention has been described and exemplified according to several preferred embodiments thereof , it is recognized that departures from the instant disclosure are fully contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention which is not to be limited except as defined in the following claims as interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents .
a method of reducing the number of microorganisms entering the nose and proliferating in the nasal cavity including application of a solution of an antimicrobial , antiviral and antifungal composition to the anterior vestibular region of the nares . the antimicrobial , antiviral and antifungal solution includes ethyl alcohol as an active ingredient . various embodiments may also include one or more of the following additional ingredients : orange oil , coconut oil ; soy oil ; emu oil ; grapefruit seed extract ; glycine soja ; simmondsia chinensis ; lauric acid ; aloe vera ; and a preservative , such as benzalkonium chloride and vitamin e .