Is hand sanitizer really poison?

Hand Sanitizer Or Hand Poison – A Fun Facebook Convo

Hello friends.

I recently had a great conversation with my Scratch Mommy Facebook friends. It began when I had a trip to a doctor’s office earlier this week. As I checked out, I noticed a bottle of hand sanitizer on the counter. I read the ingredients. Ummmm, not okay. Could it really be poison!??

So, what would any good little researcher looking to keep toxic ingredients out of our homes do? Well, snap a picture and take to Facebook (and now my blog), of course. 😉


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Late last night I posted the following on my Facebook page…

Ooooo, let’s play a game!

I snapped this pic [the picture posted above] while checking out with the receptionist at my doctor’s office yesterday.

What do you see that is wrong in this picture?

I’m off to bed. Can’t wait to check responses in the AM. Good night, all. xoxo

Before we get to the awesome responses I received, take a good look at the picture above. What do YOU think?

I received the following responses…

  • 6 people commented on the added colors (it’s clear…why is it clear with 3 added colors) and also just comments on colors being in there…period.

  • A few people thought that there were misspellings (I don’t actually think that there are…but please correct me if I’m wrong).
  • 1 person said, “Aloe. The aloe will be carried through all the layers of the skin carrying all that other stuff with it. Aloe is wonderful but avoid it in these type things.”
  • There were 2 conversations about hand washing vs. using hand sanitizers.
  • 1 person asked where the active ingredients in the product are listed.

I did want to bring a few other things to light, so I responded with those thoughts on my Facebook page this morning. Because I think that these conversations are very important, I am now sharing my same thoughts from this morning with all of you (with a little more elaboration).


Hand Sanitizer (…or hand poison!??)

1. Carbomer– “They” say they are a necessary part of lotions, gels, etc…however, they aren’t in mine. 😉 Carbomers thicken things. On their own, they seem to be safe, but they need something else added to them to do their thickening job…it’s the other things we aren’t sure about for safety and “they” aren’t required to tell us what those things are.

2. This one is super FREAKY! Diisopropylamine– You’ve GOT to read this (it’s a very short chart…seriously…check it out).

3. Glycerin– While I use glycerin in some Pronounce creations, I know where, how, why it was sourced and manufactured. Here, I don’t. What kind? From where does it come?? We don’t know because “they” don’t tell us. Those will contact allergies, steer clear! (…and, it probably has GMOs).

4. Fragrance– Always steer clear of something that just says “Fragrance.” Who knows what it is!??

5. Phenoxyethanol– The FDA has warned that this chemical is toxic for infants via ingestion, and “…can depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea.”2 No thank you!

6. Tocopheryl Acetate– “…potentially irritating to skin, causing redness, rashes, and potential allergic reactions.”3 Again, no thank you!!! This is a basically taking vitamin E (which I use and love as a antioxidant) and adding acetic acid (known to be irritating).

7. Coloring– NEVER necessary!!!!!!!! And you guys are right (I didn’t even catch this)…why is it clear if it has these colors? Not very much in there, I guess…so WHY even put it in!??

Oh…about the aloe. Yes, aloe on its own is great, but with these other toxic ingredients it serves as a way for them to enter the skin and bloodstream more quickly. YUCK! Great job, reader.

Also, I didn’t get a picture of the active ingredient list (good catch, reader). It was a super quick pic while checking out and I didn’t want to the nice woman to think that I was some weirdo taking pictures of her desk. Hehe. if we knew the active ingredient list, that could make this concoction even worse!

If you want to read more from me like this, check out this post to help you learn more about what’s in your skincare products.

Also, check out my Pronounce Skincare products line here.


Soooooo, hand sanitizer or poison?

My vote –> POISON!

I think that we should all wash our hands properly (go on…you know the tune..sing it while you wash!), but we should NOT be so afraid of dirt and germs! I (along with many others and a lot of in depth research) believe that a healthy amount of dirt and germs will help build up our immune systems. Remember my post on Earthing? YES! Get a little dirty, then wash your hands, and SKIP the poison.

Better yet, check out my handcrafted Pronounce Skincare Hand Sanitizer!

Until next time…

xoxo,
Jess, aka Scratch Mommy

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