Step Away from the Purell: The Possible Dangers of Hand Sanitizers
The conversation about hand sanitizer has been going on for years. Is it toxic? Does it really kill germs? Is it better than soap and water? (Yes, many sanitizers contain toxic ingredients, it does kill germs--both good ones and bad ones, and no, ultimately it's been decided by the FDA that it is not more effective than soap and water). Still, the product is readily available in dispensers at offices, airports and gyms, is marketed in dozens of fragrances and is on most elementary school classroom supply lists. I've always refused to use it on my own body and instruct my family not to use it. When offered sanitizer at the home of a new baby, I always elect to go to the bathroom and wash my hands with hot, soapy water. I just don't feel like spreading chemicals on my hands to kill germs is a smart health decision.
Most of the discussion about hand sanitizer revolves around its germ-killing abilities (or inabilities, as the case may be). I feel very strongly that the dangers of sanitizer have nothing to do with whether or not it kills germs. Triclosan and triclocarbon, the antibacterial agents used in non-alcohol based sanitizers which are considered safer for children to use, are known endocrine disruptors. That means they can affect the production and effect of hormones in the body. Triclosan can potentially block thyroid function, while triclocarbon is potentially responsible for altering the function and effects of estrogen and testosterone in the body, causing fertility issues, early puberty and increased testosterone levels. All this from a seemingly innocuous gel we've been conditioned to squirt on our hands umpteen times a day, leaving countless pathogens on our skin to seep into our bodies.
I've been alarmed to see small children walking around my neighborhood with mini bottles of sanitizer hanging from their backpacks, often in cute, toy-like clips that squeak or light up. Bath & Body Works has an entire tab on their website devoted to "soaps & sanitizers," and offers 34 different scents of its 1-ounce PocketBac mini sanitizer bottles.
I understand the need for occasional quick cleaning when soap and water just aren't possible, but I believe that teaching kids to sanitize on the go is unnecessary. I can only hope that their parents will seek out natural formulas, like the Honest Company's spray sanitizer, which combines alcohol with natural aloe and vegetable glycerin. As our society becomes more and more aware of the dangers of added chemicals in the products we use daily on our bodies, I can only hope that this product category gets a bit more attention, a lot more scrutiny and that good old soap and water come back into the limelight again soon. Until then, I'll keep refusing the squirts of gel, and I plan to teach my daughter to do the same.
By Biba Milioto
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The Dangers of Gel and Shellac Manicures
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