Your Hand Sanitizer could be a fake; How to guarantee it is not

As masks, gloves and hand sanitizers are a part of our routine, these products are being manufactured like any other FMCG item and the market has been flooded with little to no foresight. 

Hand sanitizers have been nothing but a true blessing in this “new normal” as most of us do not have the luxury to wash our hands with soap and water every time.

But are we choosing them right? What should your sanitizers contain to ensure they do what they are supposed to do – kill viruses?

Recently, US federal agency for drug approvals, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned customers and health care professionals that there has been a sharp rise in hand sanitizer products labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but primary contained prohibited amount of methanol.

Methanol, Carbinol, or Wood alcohol, is a substance that can be harmful if consumed or ingested through the skin and can be life-threatening if swallowed.

The FDA is a U.S federal agency, that is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions and medical devices among many others.

Recently, the FDA informed consumers that they should not use any hand sanitizer developed by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico because of the possible presence of methanol in them.

FDA has identified the following products manufactured by Eskbiochem as not safe:

• 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)
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
• Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)

Alarmingly, the FDA testing revealed that the Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer contained 81% of methanol and 0% of ethyl alcohol, while the latter’s content should be at least 60% in an ideal composition of hand sanitizer.

Recent updates of the FDA increased the number of “not safe” hand sanitizers to a whopping 59 products which have led to nearly 19,000 bottles of hand sanitizers to be recalled from the market.

Consumers who have been exposed to methanol-containing hand sanitizer should reach out for prompt care which is crucial to a future reversal of methanol poisoning toxic effects. Substantial exposure to methanol may cause nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent nervous system damage or even death.

Other notable manufacturers to keep an eye out for include;

• 4E Global SAPI de CV
• AAA Cosmetica
• DDI Multinacional SA de CV
• Grupo Insoma,
• S.A.P.I de CV
• Limpo Quimicos SA de CV
• Liqesa Exportacion or Liq-E-S.A. de CV
• Maquiladora Miniara
• SA de CV
• Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV
• Tropicosmeticos SA de CV and
• Yara Elena De La Garza Perez Nieto – some of which are responsible to manufacturing multiple products.

US users who used hand sanitizer products from any of these FDA disapproved brands have been advised to dispose of them immediately with due care in a hazardous waste container to ensure that the leftover doesn’t cause any safety issues to others.

To ensure that your product is safe, verify that the unit you use has a statutory clearance of FDA or an equivalent regional authority that authorizes and controls drug usage in your country. A glace at the back of the unit can also provide you an insight into the ingredients which are used to create the product.

What to look for when choosing hand sanitizers?

1. Effective hand sanitizers should contain 60%-85% of ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol)or 70% of isopropanol.
2. Take care of the expiration date as over time its potency to kill the virus wears off posing danger to us.

Don’t be misled by:

1. Claims of keeping coronavirus at bay for 24 hours as this has no scientific STUDY to support it.
2. Some sanitizers even sport the label “FDA Approved” but know that FDA does not approve hand sanitizers.

How to store them:

1. Keep the sanitizer bottles in cool, dry places.
2. Know that it is risky to leave them in your cars especially during the hot times of the day as it contains alcohol which is flammable.
3. Keep out of the reach of children and pets.

To ensure safety, always exercise caution before using any product advertised as an unrealistic solution. Our prevention is always better than a cure.