Latex is made from a natural substance that is extracted from the rubber treeHevea brasiliensis. It is actually the milky sap that is extracted by cutting a groove in the form of a spiral and collecting it at the base of the tree. This liquid is further treaded with additional chemicals to form the latex used for making latex gloves.

Latex gloves in the form of sterilized medical gloves were first used in 1894 by William Stewart Halsted in the United States. Nowadays, these gloves are very common in a number of places such as hospitals, industrial complexes, and even the household. In the hospitals, these gloves are commonly used for examination, treatment, and even in surgical procedures.

Since latex gloves offer a convenient and a strong barrier against infection transfer, they are also commonly used in food handling and food preparation. Basically, the use of these gloves has found its way into those services where person to person contact is inevitable or where there is even the slightest fear of transfer of infection.

The benefit of using these gloves is that it is relatively high in strength and is moderately flexible.  It is also economical and resists abrasions and cuts. However, it is unsuitable in circumstances where contact is to be made with certain mineral based solvents or some acids. However, they are generally preferred due to their ease of use and easy availability at most medical and surgical equipment stores in the country.

Latex gloves are usually powdered for ease of use. However, powder free latex gloves are also available. In recent years, there have been many instances of allergy to the powder in the gloves, or the gloves itself, so nitrile gloves as well as vinyl gloves are also becoming equally popular.

Disposable latex gloves are equally popular, so there are lots of options available to you when you will go ahead to buy disposable latex gloves in the market. As described earlier, a number of non powder options are available as well. Depending upon the type of job or profession you are into, you may require disposable or reusable latex gloves to suit your needs.

Disposable gloves are usually used in the medical profession and you will find that most healthcare workers such as doctors, nurses, and technicians use these as part of their routine work. Disposable gloves, as is the case with reusable gloves, prevent users from coming in contact with body fluids or harmful chemicals.

Therefore, powdered and non-powdered gloves find acceptable use in various industries and except in circumstances where individual users are susceptible to latex or powder allergies, these gloves will retain their utility for a long time to come.