Do gloves protect from germs / chemicals if you feel the outside getting wet and slightly damp on inside of gloves?

Penetration: Depends on the materials the gloves are made of and what they are exposed too. Some materials are permeable to certain substances so need to check what the glove manufacturer says. Remember also that often some gloves may trap moisture released from your skin thus the damp feeling despite the fact that nothing may have penetrated the glove but may be your body’s own moisture.