5 Hidden Dangers of Hand Sanitizers

Hand sanitizer seems like the 21st Century’s answer to filth. It’s fast, portable, and it won’t do you any harm. It’s basically a handwash in a bottle with no bad side effects. Right?

Well, not exactly. Actually, it’s the total opposite.

New FDA research into the handy stuff (ok, bad pun) is discovering how some chemicals in hand sanitizer may be spreading trouble instead of health. That’s why we’re offering you a list about all the ways hand sanitizer might be doing you more harm than good.

A chemical called triclosan is one of the possible offenders. This pungent compound is the main ingredient in many hand sanitizers and works to destroy dangerous bacteria. It’s been used for decades as a hospital sanitizing scrub, and it’s even incorporated into icemaking machines, fire hoses, and HVAC equipment as a potent antibacterial agent.

But should you be slathering it on your skin day after day? Research shows you absorb a little bit of that chemical each time you use hand sanitizer. And since those science brains have proven hand sanitizer is no more effective than basic handwashing for personal hygiene, it’s time to ask yourself whether the risk is worth it.

Speaking of grime, could there be too little of a good thing? As gross as it sounds, it’s possible to be too clean. That’s where hand sanitizer hides a silent danger.

As kids, most of us got dirty—a lot. We played in the mud, sat next to sneezy kids in class, and often “forgot” to wash our hands before dinner (much to mom’s vexation). The result: identifying and defeating all those little nasties pumped up our immune systems like Schwarzenegger.

But these days, hand sanitizer is given out like cookies on Christmas, and young people are suffering the consequences: higher incidences of allergies, greater susceptibility to cold, flu, and other infections, and greater vulnerability to certain plastics (which are pretty much everywhere these days). Believe it or not, cleanliness is becoming an epidemic.

So before reaching for that little vial of instant hygiene, take a good look at this list of how hand sanitizer might be doing you more harm than good. And remember: your mom was right when she said staying clean takes nothing more than a little soap and water.

And mom was always right. Wasn’t she?