I’ve ranted against these ubiquitous products for years. Yes, my daughter has heard my complaints. (Worse than the “Verizon” campaign, “Can you here me now”.) I’ve warned you folks about these products. Research has shown- that not only are they dangerous- they don’t perform the job you think they do, either.
Now, finally, the FDA is waking up.
What the heck am I talking about? Those dangerous little plastic bottles that moms (and it is mostly moms) and hospitals (yes, this is beyond belief) have around filled with “sanitizers”. Both the liquid kind and the hand wipes.
Supposedly, y’all reach for them because soap and water is not available. Yet, I’ve seen dozens of health practitioners walk right by the sink and use them. (I don’t watch that many moms, but I don’t doubt they are just as guilty.) Because these “trained professionals” believe they are better than plain soap and water. (As the second article above demonstrates, they don’t!)
These products have three active (sic) ingredients. (There is a deficit of data to convince me they are “actively” reducing microbial loads.) Benzalkonium chloride, isopropyl alcohol, and ethanol. And, finally, the FDA wants to know who has the data to demonstrate that these are safe- let along effective- against microbial populations on our skin. In particular, the doubts apply to pregnant women and children. But, y’all better recognize it affects everyone. Because these chemicals cross the skin barrier and are often present in the user’s blood- and urine!
There is also suspicion that these formulations may be creating superbugs. In other words, they don’t do an effective job of reducing the load- and the bugs that remain on our skins are even more powerfully able to withstand even the slight reduction in population that these snake oil concoctions ever produced.
We are supposed to see the results of these queries by the time school is back in session. I’m betting that there is going to be a major scramble among the providers of these palliatives to relabel and probably to reformulate their concoctions.
Because Dr. John’s Medicine Show is about to be cancelled.
I’m not a fan of these products either!
Super for you, Nick!
Keeps you clean AND healthy!
Thanks for the visit and the comment.
Ooh, very interested in this! I don’t use them ~ unless the cashier sneezes or coughs while handling my groceries. That makes me just nervous enough to grab one on my way out. And in general, I avoid chemical cleansers. I don’t trust them to be safe.
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Hmmm. That doesn’t sound too good. Another thing that I’ve noticed is that the “hand sanitizers” tend to make my skin dry and itchy. I’d rather use soap and water. Thank you for the helpful post.
Alice Gerard recently posted..Portrait of Bears in Buffalo’s Delaware Park
Glad to provide you the scientific data for your choice, Alice!
I have never been big on hand sanitizers. Growing up, we always used soap and water and that’s what I’ve stuck with.
Martha recently posted..713
That’s fantastic, Martha!
Not only because you manage to keep your hands and face sanitary, you don’t run the risk of absorbing the wrong chemicals into your bloodstream.
Hurray, I am vindicated too. I have always refused to use these, taught my son not to use them (I don’t know what he does, now that he doesn’t live with us). My primary health care provider washes at the sink.
WooHoo for you, Alana!
It’s great for you, your family, and your healthcare provider.
Yeah, I will use hand sanitizer when there is no option for washing my hands, but I know that you really still need soap and water whenever at all possible. Hospitals should know better, I’ve only been a CNA and I still was taught that hand washing is important and that sanitizer should never be considered a substitute for it.
There are two problems, VJ.
1. The sanitizers really do little in the way of microbial kill and nothing in the way of cleaning.
2. The sanitizers allow chemicals to cross the dermal barrier into your blood.
Hey, Roy!
I agree with your arguments. I don’t believe in these products myself and never bought any. My husband did until we both agreed not to anymore. Anyway… yes, I’ve heard about the superbug thing. These products, and there are many out there like Lysol, etc., kill about any bacteria, bad and good.
Cheers.
Thanks, Maria
Lysol, however, is very different from these objects
The key is to clean our hands, our food working surfaces, etc. Not simply to go through the motions, accomplishing nothing.
You’re using snake oil??? | https://t.co/ZqxOlxRDpS via @Adjuvancy
If you use those products at the grocery, DO NOT touch the grocery receipt. The ink chemicals will enter your bloodstream in (less than a) heartbeat.
Thanks for the visit, Jeanine