The FDA Just Expanded Its List Of Toxic Hand Sanitizers To 76 Products

Jennifer Nied
·4 min read
Photo credit: Photo by Katkami - Getty Images
Photo credit: Photo by Katkami - Getty Images

From Women's Health

  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an expanded warning to avoid 76 hand sanitizer brands and immediately dispose of any on hand.

  • The recalled hand sanitizers are made by Eskbiochem and other companies in Mexico and contain the potentially toxic alcohol, methanol.

  • Methanol exposure, including topical or ingestion, requires immediate medical attention.

Hand sanitizer is as much a part of daily life now as wearing a mask and social distancing.

However, you might want to double-check your stash: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just expanded its warning against using hand sanitizers manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV and additional Mexico-based brands due to potentially toxic alcohol, in a report updated in July.

The FDA warning says to avoid the following products:

  • Blumen Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer with 70% Alcohol

  • Blumen Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear Ethyl Alcohol 70%

  • BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear

  • BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear

  • KLAR AND DANVER Instant Hand Sanitizer (labeled with Greenbrier International Inc.)

  • MODESA Instant Hand Sanitizer Moisturizers and Vitamin E

  • BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer

  • BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer

  • BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe

  • BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender

  • BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer

  • BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer

  • BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer

  • BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer

  • The Honeykeeper Hand Sanitizer

  • BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Clear

  • BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer

  • BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe

  • BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender

  • BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol

  • BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol

  • Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Lavender, with 70% alcohol

  • Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe, with 70% alcohol

  • Blumen Antibacterial Fresh Citrus Hand Sanitizer

  • Blumen Hand Sanitizer Fresh Citrus

  • KLAR and DANVER Instant Hand Sanitizer

  • Hello Kitty by Sanrio Hand Sanitizer by 4E Brands North America, LLC

  • Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer (Vitamin E and Aloe)

  • Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer (Aloe and Moisturizers)

  • Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer Vitamin E and Aloe

  • Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe and Moisturizers

  • BLUMEN Instant Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free

  • BLUMEN Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe Vera

  • Assured Aloe

  • bio aaa Advance Hand Sanitizer

  • LumiSkin Advance Hand Sanitizer 4 oz

  • LumiSkin Advance Hand Sanitizer 16 oz

  • QualitaMed Hand Sanitizer

  • Earths Amenities Instant Unscented Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera Advanced

  • Hand Sanitizer Agavespa Skincare

  • Vidanos Easy Cleaning Rentals Hand Sanitizer Agavespa Skincare

  • All-Clean Hand Sanitizer

  • Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer

  • Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer

  • The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer

  • CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol

  • CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol

  • CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol

  • Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer

  • Hand sanitizer Gel Unscented 70% Alcohol

  • Andy’s Best

  • Andy’s

  • Gelclor

  • NeoNatural

  • Plus Advanced

  • Optimus Lubricants Instant Hand Sanitizer

  • Optimus Instant Hand Sanitizer

  • Shine and Clean Hand Sanitizer

  • Selecto Hand Sanitizer

  • Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl Alcohol (labeled with Resource Recovery & Trading LLC)

  • Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl Alcohol Rinse Free Hand Rub (labeled with Resource Recovery & Trading LLC)

  • Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer

  • Born Basic. Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer

  • Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer

  • Scent Theory – Keep It Clean – Pure Clean Anti-bacterial Hand Sanitizer

  • Cavalry

  • ENLIVEN Hand Sanitizing Gel

  • Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing Gel

  • Keep It Clean

  • Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 73710-102-11)

  • Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance Free

  • Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand sanitizer

  • Hand sanitizer (labeled with Wet Look Janitorial and Gardening Corp.)

  • Britz Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 70%

  • DAESI hand sanitizer

The FDA has continued updating the products included in the warning and recall since the initial report on June 19. Additional companies now include 4E Global, AAA Cosmetics, DDI Multinacional SA de CV, Grupo Insoma, S.A.P.I de CV, Limpo Quimicos SA de CV, Maquiladora Miniara, SA de CV, MXL Comercial SA de CV, Mystic International SA de CV, Real Clean Distribuciones SA de CV, Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV, Tropicosmeticos SA de CV, and Yara Elena De La Garza Perez Nieto.

These brands are not safe for use because the FDA discovered potentially toxic levels of methanol in samples. Methanol, unlike the ethyl alcohol commonly found in hand sanitizer, is not an approved ingredient for hand sanitizers and is not safe to use.

Substantial methanol exposure (including topical or ingestion) can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, or death according to the FDA.

If you may have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol, you should contact your doctor ASAP for treatment and dispose of the product, per the FDA. "Do not flush or pour these products down the drain," the agency advised.

Also, be on the lookout for false and misleading claims for hand sanitizers, like 24-hour protection against viruses including COVID-19. "There is no evidence to support these claims," per the FDA. As always, washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the best way to keep them clean and prevent the spread of germs.

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