In June the FDA warned consumers and healthcare providers about the dangers of hand sanitizers that were labeled to contain ethanol, but when tested were found to contain methanol. Methanol is dangerous when applied to the skin or ingested. It is known to cause nausea, headaches, vomiting, blindness, seizures, permanent damage to the nervous system and possibly death.
FDA June 2020 Consumer Advisory:
A second issue is with companies saving money by adding insufficient amounts of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol to their hand sanitizers. According to the CDC, hand sanitizers should contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Companies not using 60% may not be killing the germs giving their clients a false sense of security and possibly putting them in danger.
There are currently over 115 sanitizers on the FDA’s recall list
Washing with soap and water has always been the best option to prevent the spread of germs. If that’s not an option, choose wisely when buying hand sanitizer.
- Buy USA made
- Buy from a company you know and trust
- Use a sanitizer that does not cause your hands to dry-out and crack
CDC Handwashing Guidelines:
One less often thought about issue is with microtears in our skin caused by increased hand sanitizer use. Microtears give germs easy entry points into our bodies. Our Aloe Vera based formula prevents microtears, while containing 65% Ethanol Alcohol, and invigorating peppermint scent.