The FDA has recently warned us that some of the hand sanitizer we may use may be toxic. They have tested and found that some hand sanitizers are made with wood alcohol or methanol. According to the FDA, “Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxic effects”. Methanol or wood alcohol is used to create fuel which is harmful when inhaled or absorbed through the skin.The agency is still trying to warn the public and the manufacturers about the toxins being used and is having them recalled. The toxins methanol can cause blindness, death if it is ingested, dehydration to skin, and dermatitis.You are able to tell whether or not your hand sanitizer is toxic based on the percent of alcohol, which should only be at sixty percent ethanol alcohol, a specific manufactured label you should stay away from is 4E Global SAPI de CV Mexico. 

According to CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fifteen cases in Arizona and New Mexico of people who ingested hand sanitizer have been hospitalized due to methanol poisoning. Four people have died and three people were discharged with visual impairment, six were discharged with no sequelae, and the other four cases remain in the hospital. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers should only contain ethanol or isopropanol, but some products imported into the United States have been found to contain methanol. This is due to the demand for hand sanitizer, yet these cases and recent studies have brought the toxicity of these products to light. There are currently 220 hand sanitizers listed by the FDA as toxic, and not fit for consumer use. So while staying safe from Coronavirus, double check the ingredients on your hand sanitizer in order to stay away from methanol.

As many adults are being affected by these toxins, there are many cases of children being affected as well. According to, National Poison Data System, American Association of Poison Control Center, as of November 2020, over 22,778 cases of children ages 12 and under being affected by hand sanitizer. Sources:https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-consumers-should-not-use#productshttps://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/business/hand-sanitizer-ethanol-fda/index.html