FDA Warning: Avoid These 13 Toxic Hand Sanitizers

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the world, precautionary measures are becoming more and more critical. Since the beginning of coronavirus pandemic, the guidelines recommend washing your hands often and using hand sanitizer with a minimum 60% ethanol alcohol or 70% isopropanol. As we all know that the virus gets into your body quickly when you touch your face with unwashed hands. So it would be best if we keep our hands clean always.

But we need to be careful. In the market, few hand sanitizer brands contain methanol instead of ethanol. Both these liquids are colourless, but methanol which is also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol. If it gets absorbed through the skin, it can be toxic, and if ingested, it can be life-threatening.

Considerable methanol exposure can lead to nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, and damage the nervous system permanently or death.

"Consumers and health care providers should not use methanol-containing hand sanitizers," said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., in a statement. "The FDA remains committed to working with manufacturers, compounders, state boards of pharmacy and the public to increase the safe supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. This includes staying vigilant and continuing to take action when quality issues with hand sanitizers arise."

Last week, the FDA updated an earlier advisory from June that warned consumers not to use nine hand sanitizers (https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/health/warning-fda-asks-not-to-use-these-9-hand-sanitizers-631306) which are manufactured by a Mexican company. Since then, few distributors have conducted recalls, and the FDA is recommending other companies recall their hand sanitizer products as well.

The updated list of hand sanitizers brands to avoid includes (With related National Drug Codes):

 Grupo Insoma, S.A.P.I de CV Hand sanitizer Gel Unscented 70% Alcohol (NDC: 75744-0200-3, 75744-0200-4, 75744-0201-5, 75744-0202-1, 75744-0250-1, 75744-0250-2, 75744-0500-1, 75744-1000-1, 75744-1000-3, 75744-1001-1)

 Transliquid Technologies Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer (NDC: 75477-435-02, 75477-435-10, 75477-435-12, 75477-435-25, 75477-435-50, 75477-534-10)

 Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance Free (NDC: 75165-003-02, 75165-004-01, 75165-005-01, 75165-006-01, 75165-008-01, 75165-250-01, 75165-600-01)

 Soluciones Cosmetics SA de CV Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand sanitizer (No NDC)

 Tropicosmeticos SA de CV Britz Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 70%(NDC: 76676-402-01, 77676-402-02, 77676-402-03, 77676-402-04, 77676-402-05, 77676-402-06, 77676-402-07, 77676-402-08, 77676-402-09, 77676-402-10, 77676-402-11, 77676-402-12, 77676-402-13, 77676-402-14, 77676-402-16, 77676-402-17, 77676-402-18, 77676-402-19, 77676-402-20)

 All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)

 Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)

 CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)

 Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)

 The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)

 CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03, 74589-003-01)

 CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)

 Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)

Hahn said, "The FDA remains committed to working with manufacturers, compounders, state boards of pharmacy and the public to increase the safe supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. This includes staying vigilant and continuing to take action when quality issues with hand sanitizers arise."