Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez on Wednesday launched a new domestically produced hand sanitizer under the brand name BOREL, which is set to hit shelves Thursday.

"The fight against the coronavirus starts with hands," Dönmez said at the launch event at the Energy Ministry for the product, which includes the mineral boron among its ingredients.

"Experts urge washing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. When it is not possible to use soap, hand sanitizers can be used for personal hygiene," he said.

The sanitizer was produced by Turkey's official mining company, Eti Maden, and the National Boron Research Institute (BOREN).

After receiving feedback from a wide range of customers, Dönmez said the top complaint in the use of hand sanitizers was the resulting skin sensitivity and dryness, which he said BOREL does not cause.

"With ingredients such as boron, ethyl alcohol, glycerin, aloe vera, tea tree oil and lavender, BOREL keeps hands moisturized while avoiding any dermatological problems. The antibacterial element in boron fights germs and bacteria while also helping wounds heal faster," he said.

BOREL, which comes in a pocket size of 100 milliliters, will hit the stores on Thursday, and the manufacturing of 1-liter and 5-liter bottles will be completed soon, according to Dönmez.

In January 2019, Turkey's first domestically produced detergent product using boron, BORON, was introduced. Four new BORON detergent products were launched in November 2019.

Turkey has a total of 3.3 billion tons of boron, equating to 73% of the world's total reserves, making Turkey first in the world in terms of boron reserves, according to Dönmez.