Day 5 of the 5 Day “Toss” the Toxins Challenge!
(Here’s all 5 days!)
DAY 5 – Hand Sanitizer
WHY IS IT TOXIC?
Conventional hand sanitizers can contain ingredients that are known to be harmful to humans or the environment like parabens, polyethylene glycol compounds (PEGs), fragrance, and artificial colors and dyes.
Triclosan, which is regulated as a pesticide under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), can still be found in consumer hand “sanitizers” or wipes, or antibacterial products used in health care settings.
There are many types of alcohol. Only ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol (also known as 2-propanol) are acceptable alcohols in hand sanitizer.
Other types of alcohol, including methanol (a substance often used to create fuel and antifreeze) and 1-propanol (used to make industrial solvents), are not acceptable in hand sanitizer because they can be toxic to humans. Recent FDA safety testing discovered some hand sanitizers contaminated with these potentially toxic types of alcohol.
8/27/2020: The FDA published a press release warning consumers about alcohol-based hand sanitizers that are being packaged in containers that may appear as food or drinks and may put consumers at risk of serious injury or death if ingested.
They also discovered that some hand sanitizers are being packaged in beer cans, children’s food pouches, water bottles, juice bottles and vodka bottles.
Additionally, the FDA has found hand sanitizers that contain food flavors, such as chocolate or raspberry.
SOLUTION:
“Toss” your toxic hand sanitizer and replace it with these alternatives instead:
-The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer products that contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or 70% isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) in community settings
-In health care settings, CDC recommends that alcohol-based hand sanitizer products should contain 60%–95% alcohol (≥60% ethanol or ≥70% isopropanol)
-Make your own hand sanitizer: recipes courtesy of Mom’s Clean Air Force
-Avoid products with methanol and 1-propanol ASAP since in most cases methanol does not appear on the product label, use the FDA’s step-by-step guide to search the still growing do-not-use list
If you have a hand sanitizer on the do-not-use list, or one made by a manufacturer on the list, stop using it immediately. Throw it away in a hazardous waste container, if you can. Do not flush or pour the product down the drain or mix it with other liquids. If you do not have hazardous waste disposal where you live, contact your trash or recycling company or your local government to ask where you can get rid of hazardous waste.
Hope you got to “toss” some really bad stuff over the last 5 days. If you missed the other days feel free to continue on with the challenge using the previous days. Also, feel free to share this challenge with friends and family!
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