I routinely tell my kids to pass when they are offered hand sanitizers. Not only are we forcing germs to get stronger and more resistant by using all of the anti-bacterial products that we use, we are also doing our bodies a disservice by exposing ourselves to more chemicals that will stress our immune function instead of just making choices that build our immune system so we can naturally withstand germs on a daily basis.  If we are in a situation that requires instant sanitation and good old water isn’t around, I will have them use either a special essential oil blend i carry in my purse or we will on occasions use a silver gel on our hands. The gel you can purchase here, or contact me, I can order it for you and I also carry it in my office.

Healthy Blessings, Shari

Beware of Alcohol Poisoning via Hand Sanitizers   By Dr. Ben Kim on March 05, 2009

–>

Some brands of hand sanitizers, including gels and wipes, contain levels of alcohol that can potentially cause alcohol poisoning if ingested.

This warning is especially relevant for parents and teachers at day cares, preschools, and elementary schools, as young children who don’t know better than to lick curious-smelling substances from their hands can experience alcohol poisoning from accidental ingestion of common hand sanitizers like Germ-X and Purell.

Common symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

• Dazed, glassy-eyed look
• Wobbly gait
• Mental confusion
• Fussiness
• Exhaustion
• Weakness

Hand sanitizers that contain alcohol should never be accessible to children without supervision. And whenever possible, it’s best to use plain soap and water to promote good hygiene rather than rely on gels and wipes that contain alcohol.

Many years ago, I worked at a multidisciplinary clinic where a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine routinely recommended using rubbing alcohol as an agent to apply various herbs to the skin of patients. Unfortunately, it took a young child patient to suffer serious alcohol poisoning for that practitioner to understand the dangers of using any substance with alcohol around the mouth and other major pores.

Please share this warning on the potential dangers of using hand sanitizers and other substances that contain alcohol with family members, friends, and any teachers and day care staff members that you know. Thank you.

• Digg this post
• Recomend on Facebook
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend