Hand sanitizers made by this company could be dangerous to your health.

In the age of coronavirus, hand sanitizers are a part of our daily (and sometimes hourly) lives. A couple months back, hand sanitizers were in short supply, and everyone from chemical companies to liquor distilleries was working overtime to produce it for consumer and commercial use. Now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sounding the alarm about hand sanitizer made in Mexico by a company called Eskbiochem. Sanitizers made under the Eskbiochem label could contain wood alcohol—methanol that can be toxic if ingested or absorbed into the skin.

Potential side effects from the use of this hand sanitizer include nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, headaches, seizures, coma, permanent blindness, and damage to the nervous system. If you have been exposed to these hand sanitizers, it is important to contact your doctor for treatment related to methanol poisoning.

Products under these names are affected:

  • 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)

hand washing

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

Two of these products, Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ, had methanol levels of 81 percent and 28 percent when tested by the FDA. On June 17, 2020, the FDA asked Eskbiochem to remove these products from the market, and they refused. Officials are recommending if you have any of these products in your possession, you should stop using them and throw them away. Do not pour the contents down the drain. The FDA and CDC recommend consumers use hand sanitizers that contain 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropanol. In lieu of hand sanitizer, the CDC recommends you wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Do you have any of these products? What hand sanitizer do you recommend? Tell us in the comments!