FDA Update On Hand Sanitizers You Should Avoid

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration urged people to avoid using a potentially harmful brand of hand sanitizer.

According to the FDA, they've tested certain artnaturals scent-free hand sanitizer labeled with “DIST. by artnaturals Gardena, CA 90248” and found unacceptable levels of benzene, acetaldehyde, and acetal contaminants.

The FDA's warning went into greater detail:

Benzene may cause certain types of cancer in humans. Animal studies show acetaldehyde may cause cancer in humans and may cause serious illness or death. Acetal can irritate the upper respiratory tract, eyes, and skin.

As of this moment, artnaturals has not responded to repeated FDA attempts to discuss the contaminated hand sanitizers. Therefore, the FDA is urging consumers to avoid using this contaminated product.

If you already own this product, the FDA asks that you properly dispose of it in an adequate waste container. If you are unsure about the proper containers to use for disposal, please reach out to a local waste management center and DO NOT dump the product down the sink or flush it down the toilet.

The updated list of hand sanitizers to avoid is pretty extensive and is currently more than 250 products in length. You may want to check out the list for yourself if you haven't already done so.

If you do need to clean your hands but soap and water are not available, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.