The FDA has expanded recalls of some brands of hand sanitizers that may contain methanol, or wood alcohol, that is toxic and can be absorbed through the skin. The sanitizers are labeled as made with ethyl alcohol, but contain methanol. Methanol can be life-threatening if ingested. Children may accidentally drink it, and some adults use it as a substitute for alcohol. The FDA knows of some cases of children and adults suffering blindness, who were hospitalized, and who died after drinking hand sanitizers.
Symptoms of substantial methanol exposure can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, or death. Properly made hand sanitizers are a substitute for hand-washing, but they must contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol.
The government is concerned about certain types of marketing associated with some of these brands. Some hand sanitizers are sold or offered for sale with false and misleading, unproven claims such as they can prevent the spread of COVID-19 or offer prolonged protection. Other products are fraudulently marketed as “FDA-approved.” There are no hand sanitizers approved by the FDA. And some products are packaged to look like drinks, candy, or liquor bottles, or are marketed as drinks or cocktails. Ingesting only a small amount of hand sanitizer can kill a young child.
Some of the brand names of the recalled products, which may not include all of the products sold under that brand, included Blumen, Klar and Danver, Modesa, The Honeykeeper, Assured, Earths Amenities, LumiSkin, QualitaMed, Assured Aloe, bio aaa, CleanCare, Saniderm, Vidanos, All-Clean, Eskbiochem Biochem, Lavar, Shine and Clean, Optimus, Gelclor, and Andy’s. The list is searchable.
Please look carefully at the long list of recalled hand sanitizers at the FDA site. You’ll find product dates and NDC numbers there too. If you did purchase any of the recalled products, stop using them immediately. Throw them away according to your locality’s hazardous waste disposal, or take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund.
