Antimicrobial compounds applied to living body surfaces — chiefly skin — to reduce microbial load and prevent infection. In food contexts they underpin hand hygiene for food handlers, teat disinfection in dairy parlours and wound care for livestock. Common agents include chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine and alcohol-based rubs. They are distinct from disinfectants, which treat inanimate surfaces, and from antibiotics, which act systemically inside the body; the distinctions guide correct product choice and prevent misuse. Residues on food-contact skin must be managed so that antiseptic chemicals do not themselves contaminate food.