While casual and intermitent skin contact with Vertrel® is harmless, common sense strongly recommends that prolonged or repetitive skin contact with Vertrel® (or any solvent or chemical) should be avoided. Some fluorocarbons can remove natural oils from skin, and these cleaning agents are particularly adept at dissolving natural oils. This can result in the temporary drying, itching, swelling and roughening of the skin. (These are degreasers, right?) This temporary irritation of sensitive skin is called temporary local dermatitis. Healing is rapid after the exposure ceases.
Impervious gloves and protective clothing really are the best choice if there is any potential for skin contact. Gloves, splash goggles, aprons (when handling open drums), and safety shoes with steel toes are highly recommended.
In terms of gloves, Micro Care recommends gloves made of Nitrile® or neoprene should provide optimal protection; Viton® gloves also work adequately. In some applications a more durable two-part glove might be necesary. Chose the powderless option if it is important to control nonvolatile residues in your production process. These are widely available from quality distributors everywhere.