In America today, Alcohol is widely used and abused. People carry it with them and use it in a variety of places; Schools, Stores, Hospitals, on the Bus, at Restaurants and at Home. Some people have an addiction to it and can't go very long without using it. This presents a very dangerous issue in today's society. Now, I am sure you all assume I am talking about the consumption of alcoholic beverages... I am not. Alcohol hand sanitizers are the most widely used form of personal hand sanitization on the market today.
According to an article presented on Slate.com,
"Three-quarters of
all Americans use
six or more antimicrobial
products each day" while alcohol sanitizers lead the
charge. Most people don't think too deeply nor do they look closely enough at
the actual ingredients in those alcohol sanitizers and what they do. In this
post, I will break down, piece by piece, the main ingredients and how they
are dangerous.
Ethyl Alcohol 65%:
Ethyl Alcohol (EA)
is one of the most common active ingredients in hand sanitizers. Curiously, it
is also the same exact alcohol that is found in alcoholic beverages (Ethanol).
This type of alcohol leads to very easy absorption into the skin which is why
it is also commonly used in cosmetics. This is also the same reason ethanol
leads to dry and cracking skin. When you allow something to absorb into the
skin, you have to displace or dissolve the natural, lubricating, oils
in your skin. In the healthcare setting, healthcare workers are urged to not
place patients into rooms with EA sanitizers who are known alcoholics. This is
due to the fact that they can consume the sanitizers to become intoxicated.
There is also evidence of prisoners consumption for the purpose of
getting inebriated and, sadly, children in daycare licking their hands
after use causing them to become inebriated. Taking consumption out
of the equation, there is also evidence from research to show the blood
alcohol content (BAC) in adults can become elevated from repeated use of EA
sanitizers, but not to the point of intoxication.
Isopropyl Alcohol:
Isopropyl Alcohol (IA) is best known by
it's more commonly used name... Rubbing Alcohol. It is best absorbed through
the skin or inhalation. One of the scariest things about IA is that it is a
known neurotoxin, meaning it is toxic to your nervous system. IA even shows
toxicity when used around eyes and lips. Lastly, I want to point one more thing
out... NEUROTOXIN.
On the back of your sanitizers, you
will see a list of ingredients. Every ingredient is very clearly spelled out,
most of the time in confusing scientific mumbo-jumbo. Every ingredient except
one... FRAGRANCE. Fragrance is that one ingredient that they are NOT required
to advise of what is within it. For a simple fragrance of Lavender, for
items using chemicals in place of essential oils, can have dozens of
unregulated chemicals to artificially create a lavender scent. The
companies that create products that add artificial scents justify this by
saying, " But, they're only in small amounts". That may be true, but
what about the doctors, nurses, daycare workers or protective mothers use these
products a lot more frequently than normal suggested usage. That "small
amount" now compounds upon itself to dangerous and unknown levels. One of
the known ingredients in fragrances is a compound called phthalates. phthalates
are the plastics that allow fragrances to hold on longer. The scary thing about
this compound is that it is a KNOWN endocrine disruptor. Known endocrine
disruptor, in plain English, means it affects sex hormones, especially in
infants. There have been some experts in endocrine research who have openly
stated that they believe the chronic exposure to phthalates can lead to
feminizing boys. Many fragrances have been proven to be a lung irritant as
well, which stands to questions... is asthma on the rise due largely to the
amount of respiratory irritants we are being surrounded with on a daily basis.
Propylene Glycol (PG) is a petroleum or
plant based chemical that is used in anything from antifreeze to processed
foods. For some people it can be extremely irritating to their eyes, skin or
lungs. The main purpose of this ingredient is to thicken a liquid. When you
thicken a liquid, it makes it even more difficult to get down into the
crevasses on your skin. You may have complete coverage on the surface, but a
lot of bacteria live deep down in your pores and repopulate your skins surface
not too long after using hand sanitizers.
Using alcohol hand sanitizers on a
regular basis is the equivalent to playing Craps and betting your life and
health on rolling a seven over and over and over again. We all know, the odds
are against you rolling them forever and when you roll a five, that five could
be a cold or it could be something deadly. sanitizing your hands with Safe-T-San, produced by Viking Pure
Electrolyzed Water would be like rolling 1 die with all fours and another with
all threes. You will ALWAYS roll a seven. Safe-T-San does not use alcohol
(Ethyl Alcohol & Isopropyl Alcohol), does not add fragrances and does not
add thickening agents (Propylene Glycol). When you use Safe-T-San, you are using a Pure, 100% Non-Toxic and Effective alternative. Because
it is simply water, you will kill those pesky germs that set up shop deep down
in your pores and truly sanitize your hands. Lastly, did you know that alcohol does not even TOUCH C-Diff (a horrible bacteria that causes intestinal issues and can be deadly). I repeat, Alcohol DOES NOT TOUCH C-Diff, but Safe-T-San kills it in under 20 seconds! Choose safety... choose effectiveness... choose Viking Pure!
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