The Food and Drug Administration issued another warning Monday to not use certain hand sanitizers that may contain methanol or wood alcohol, a toxic substance when absorbed through skin or ingested.
The FDA is continuing to update its “do-not-use list of dangerous hand sanitizer products,” which included 87 varieties of hand sanitizer that should be avoided, some which have already been recalled, and other products being recommended for recalls as they may contain the potentially fatal ingredient.
“Practicing good hand hygiene, which includes using alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available, is an important public health tool for all Americans to employ,” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said in a statement. “Consumers must also be vigilant about which hand sanitizers they use, and for their health and safety we urge consumers to immediately stop using all hand sanitizers on the FDA’s list of dangerous hand sanitizer products.”
In the new warning, the FDA says it is “urging consumers not to use any hand sanitizer products from the particular manufacturers on the list even if the product or particular lot number are not listed since some manufacturers are recalling only certain – but not all – of their hand sanitizer products.”
The agency says in most cases, methanol does not appear on the product label but that it is “not an acceptable ingredient in any drug, including hand sanitizer, even if methanol is listed as an ingredient on the product label.”
The FDA said it has taken steps to prevent the products from entering the country by placing them on an import alert. Most of the products appear to have been produced in Mexico and according to the alert should be detained because they pose a health risk.
“We remain extremely concerned about the potential serious risks of alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing methanol,” Hahn said. “Producing, importing and distributing toxic hand sanitizers poses a serious threat to the public and will not be tolerated.”
In June, the FDA warned consumers not to use nine kinds of hand sanitizers because they may contain methanol, and added to the list in early July and further expanded the list multiple times in July.
Methanol is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide and alternative fuel source, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exposure to it can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system and death.
The FDA says it has seen an increase in number of “adverse events, including blindness, cardiac effects, effects on the central nervous system, and hospitalizations and death, primarily reported to poison control centers and state departments of health.”
Hand sanitizer has been a popular product to combat the coronavirus since February, and many new types have entered the market after shortages of brands including Purell.
The FDA said Monday it has found methanol contamination in hand sanitizer products ranging from 1% to 80% in its testing.
Avoid these hand sanitizers that may contain methanol
The FDA is advising consumers not to use the following hand sanitizers because tests found them to contain methanol or that they were “purportedly made at the same facility as products in which FDA has tested and confirmed methanol contamination.” The FDA also says to avoid sanitizers from the companies.
Find more information, including the product code where available, on the FDA website.
- Eskbiochem’s All-Clean Hand Sanitizer
- Eskbiochem’s Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer
- Eskbiochem’s Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer
- Eskbiochem’s The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer
- Eskbiochem’s CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol
- Eskbiochem’s CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol
- Eskbiochem’s CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol
- Eskbiochem’s Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer
- Grupo Insoma’s Hand sanitizer Gel Unscented 70% Alcohol
- Mystic International’s Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer
- Cosmeticas’ Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand sanitizer
- Cosmeticas’ Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance Free
- Tropicosmeticos’ Be Safe Hand Sanitizer
- Tropicosmeticos’ Wave Hand Sanitizer Gel
- Tropicosmeticos’ Cleaner Hand Sanitizer Rinse Free 70%
- Tropicosmeticos’ Handzer Hand Sanitizer Rinse Free
- Tropicosmeticos’ Urbane Bath and Body Hand Sanitizer
- Tropicosmeticos’ Britz Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 70%
- Tropicosmeticos’ Parabola Hand Sanitizer
- Tropicosmeticos’ Kleanz Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer Advanced
- AAA Cosmetica’s bio aaa Advance Hand Sanitizer
- AAA Cosmetica’s QualitaMed Hand Sanitizer
- AAA Cosmetica’s LumiSkin Advance Hand Sanitizer 4 oz
- AAA Cosmetica’s LumiSkin Advance Hand Sanitizer 16 oz
- 4E Global’s Blumen Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear Ethyl Alcohol 70%
- 4E Global’s Blumen Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer with 70% Alcohol
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe
- 4E Global’s Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe, with 70% alcohol
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Clear
- 4E Global’s Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Lavender, with 70% alcohol
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol
- 4E Global’s Blumen Antibacterial Fresh Citrus Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s Blumen Hand Sanitizer Fresh Citrus
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe Vera
- 4E Global’s BLUMEN Instant Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free
- 4E Global’s Hello Kitty Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s The Honeykeeper Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s Assured Aloe
- 4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer (Aloe and Moisturizers)
- 4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer (Vitamin E and Aloe)
- 4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe and Moisturizers
- 4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer Vitamin E and Aloe
- 4E Global’s KLAR and DANVER Instant Hand Sanitizer
- 4E Global’s KLAR AND DANVER Instant Hand Sanitizer (labeled with Greenbrier International Inc.)
- 4E Global’s MODESA Instant Hand Sanitizer Moisturizers and Vitamin E
- DDI Multinacional’s Earths Amenities Instant Unscented Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera Advanced
- DDI Multinacional’s Hand Sanitizer Agavespa Skincare
- DDI Multinacional’s Vidanos Easy Cleaning Rentals Hand Sanitizer Agavespa Skincare
- Limpo Quimicos’ Andy’s
- Limpo Quimicos’ Andy’s Best
- Limpo Quimicos’ NeoNatural
- Limpo Quimicos’ Plus Advanced
- Liqesa Exportacion or Liq-E’s Optimus Lubricants Instant Hand Sanitizer
- Maquiladora Miniara’s Selecto Hand Sanitizer
- Maquiladora Miniara’s Shine and Clean Hand Sanitizer
- Cosmeticas’ Hand Sanitizer Gel Alcohol 70%
- Yara Elena De La Garza Perez Nieto’s DAESI Hand Sanitizer
- Real Clean Distribuciones’ Cavalry
- Real Clean Distribuciones’ ENLIVEN Hand Sanitizing Gel
- Real Clean Distribuciones’ Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing Gel
- Real Clean Distribuciones’ Born Basic Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer 65% Alcohol
- Real Clean Distribuciones’ Born Basic Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer 70% alcohol
- Real Clean Distribuciones’ Scent Theory – Keep It Clean – Pure Clean Anti-bacterial Hand Sanitizer
- Real Clean Distribuciones’ Scent Theory – Keep It Clean – Pure Clean Anti-bacterial Hand Sanitizer
- MXL Comercial’s Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl Alcohol
- MXL Comercial’s Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl Alcohol Rinse Free Hand Rub
- Liqesa Exportacion or Liq-E’s Optimus Instant Hand Sanitizer
- Liqesa Exportacion or Liq-E’s Optimus Instant Hand Sanitizer
- Broncolin’s Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% Alcohol
- Broncolin’s Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% Alcohol
- Broncolin’s Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% Alcohol
- Laboratorios Jaloma’s Jaloma Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 62% with Vitamin E
- Leiper’s Fork Distillery Bulk Disinfectant per 5 gallon
- Leiper’s Fork Distillery 16-ounce bottle
Recalled hand sanitizers
The following products have been recalled as of July 27:
- ITECH 361’s All Clean Hand Sanitizer, Moisturizer and Disinfectant: UPC code 628055370130.
- Transliquid Technologies’ Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer: NDC numbers include 75477-435-02, 75477-435-10, 75477-435-12, 75477-435-25, 75477-435-50 and 75477-534-10.
- Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer, 1-liter bottles: Two distributors. The UVT hand sanitizer is labeled with lot number 0530 and an expiration date of 04/2022 and the Saniderm Products hand sanitizer is labeled with lot number 53131626 and “Manufactured on April/1/20.”
- 4e Brands North America’s Blumen brand is voluntarily recalling 10 bottle sizes of hand sanitizers to the consumer level.
- Real Clean Distribuciones is voluntarily recalling all lots it manufactured within expiry of the following brand names of hand sanitizers: Born Basic ANTI-BAC HAND SANITIZER, Scent Theory KEEP CLEAN Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer, Scent Theory KEEP IT CLEAN Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer and Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing Gel to the consumer level.
- LIQ-E S.A. de C.V. is voluntarily recalling all lots and all bottle sizes of “The OPTIMUS Instant Hand Sanitizer” manufactured between April 27 and May 8.
