I understand, we have two young kids. Their hands are everywhere, in the dirt, in the toilet and then in their mouths and the easiest thing to do is grab some gel hand sanitizer and wipe the bugs away. However, please take heed and stop using hand sanitizer on your kids. While they may work well to kill germs, you are exposing them to a litany of toxins. There are two main toxins that are in almost all hand sanitizers that you should avoid at all costs.
The first is Triclosan. Triclosan is a nasty chemical. When applied it sticks to you like glue and will stay on the skin for hours. This gives it ample time to be absorbed into the bloodstream. It works similarly to a pesticide and disrupts hormones. In pregnant women it has been linked with infertility and birth defects. In kids it can cause impaired development and even organ damage if exposed to high amounts. Breastfeeding women need to be particularly careful because it has been detected in human breast milk.
The other is alcohol or ethyl alcohol. It’s in so many hand sanitizers and often deemed safe and natural. While this may sound like a benign ingredient, it is actually incredibly toxic. Alcohol has been linked to birth defects, developmental delays, reproductive problems, and organ damage.
Of course these aren't all of the chemicals that should be avoided.
Here’s a short list of others:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Parabens
- Ureas: also known as Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl, DMDM hydantoin, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
- Synthetic Colors
- Diethanolamine (DEA)
- Propylene Glycol, Propylene Oxide, Polyethylene Glycol
- Synthetic Fragrance: yes they may smell nice but it’s not worth it
- 1,4-Dioxane
- Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC)
- Synthetic Fragrance
Be Careful with Labels:
Did you now labelling a product “Natural” or “Organic” doesn’t really mean a whole lot. You can still have some combination of the above toxins even in “Natural” or “Organic” products. How they get away with that, I’m not sure. There was a study by the Organic Consumer Association (OCA) that showed some of the most popular brands of hand sanitizer that were labeled “Natural” or “Organic” actually tested positive for 1,4 Dioxane. So, don’t let them fool you, make sure you read the hand sanitizer ingredients carefully.
There is an easier way to pick a hand sanitizer that is safe for you if you are pregnant, nursing, and if you have small children. Look for the ToxicFree® seal. If the product has this seal all of the ingredients used in the product and all of the ingredients ever used by the manufacturer have been proven to be safe and toxic-free, hence the name.
Unfortunately, Emily and I couldn’t find a ToxicFree® hand sanitizer that we liked. You would think that there would be one by now but we couldn’t find it. That’s why we decided to make our own.
Our Raise Them Well hand and surface sanitizer is certified ToxicFree®. The active ingredient is stabilized oxygen which is safe for kids, pets, even around eyes. While it is safe, it is still very effective. Oxygen bursts are actually the way that our cells naturally kill bad things like bacteria and viruses. Whenever pathogens are exposed to oxygen they cannot survive. They also cannot develop resistance like to the “antibacterial” products out there.
So, like I said I understand. Our kids' hands are filthy, but I urge you not to use a hand sanitizer that could cause more harm than good. Choose our ToxicFree hand sanitizer for you and your family.
You can get yours HERE.
Be well,
Dr. Wiggy
Take our quiz and discover if your
child has been exposed to toxins.