Photo by Clay Banks
Thanks to the panic buying that precipitated the Covid-19 outbreak, one of the first things to fly off shelves was hand sanitizer, forcing consumers to either make their own or buy from brands they’ve never heard of before.
Today, the Food and Drug Administration dropped a warning that several types of hand sanitizers made in Mexico contain methanol, which is muy mal for your health. Methanol, for those not in the know, is a type of alcohol that can be toxic when it’s applied to skin or ingested.
Although the FDA did not say where these toxic hand sanitizers were sold, they did release the name of the Mexican manufacturer, Eskbiochem SA de CV, as well as the nine brand names the products were sold under:
- All-Clean Hand Sanitizer
- Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol
- 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
It’s important to note that no adverse reactions have been reported to the FDA and the methanol levels of these hand sanitizers were detected through random testing.
If you happen to own any of these hand sanitizers, the Center For Disease Control asks for you to dispose of them in hazardous waste containers. Do not flush or pour them down the drain.
Additionally, washing your hands for 20 seconds is still the best way to prevent Covid-19. However, if you’re going to be in a situation where you won’t have access to soap and water, the CDC recommends using a hand sanitizer with at the CDC-recommended 70% alcohol, like Simon Wolff’s Hanitizer.
It contains an Aloe Vera base to ambush germs, plus pure hypoallergenic CBD oil to moisturize and protect hands from dryness. Plus, the soothing power of CBD oil may ease your anxiety. Something all of us can use more of in a global pandemic.