Purell is an instant hand sanitizer made of ethyl alcohol which claims to kill “99.99%” of most common germs that may cause illness in as little as 15 seconds. Its active ingredient is ethanol (63% w/w).urell is an instant hand sanitizer made of ethyl alcohol which claims to kill “99.99%” of most common germs that may cause illness in as little as 15 seconds. Its active ingredient is ethanol (63% w/w).