We are a clean society, no doubt. And now, after all the Swine Flu attention in the media, hand sanitizers are everywhere. They are in bathrooms next to traditional soap machines, on counters in day centers, on the teacher’s desks and by the entrance of most stores. The main company who has these units up has specific instructions on using their product. According to their FAQ’s page, you can use their product, which is mostly ‘ethyl alcohol’ (62%) “as often as you like”, and that “no alcohol is left behind because it mostly evaporates”.
I most recently was thinking about ‘alcohol baths’ which have been strongly discouraged because of possible alcohol poisoning. You may have never heard of alcohol baths used for lowering a fever unless you were a nurse 30+ years ago or know someone who was. My mom was a nurse and was trained to use alcohol baths as an option. In time this practice was eliminated because of the potential harm it may cause and is no longer taught in medical school. There are many articles on the dangers of alcohol baths and ethyl alcohol because the alcohol is absorbed through the skin. Could this same effect result from applying an alcohol based hand sanitizer on the hands “as often as you like”, more quickly with a small child of 20-30 pounds? I’d rather not find out, so I use essential oil based hand sanitizers which have no alcohol.
Young Living makes the Thieves Hand Sanitizer which is based on the Thieves essential oils of clove, cinnamon, rosemary, lemon and Eucalyptus radiata. Clean Well is another brand that offers a spray sanitizer, alcohol-free, based on Thyme essential oil and aloe. If you have been using essential oils for any time, you know that skin absorption is one of the benefits of using the oils, especially on children. The essential oils penetrate the skin barrier and go directly to the bloodstream. The skin is our largest organ and capable of absorbing many substances.
Hand sanitizers are a convenient way to cleanse the hands in a pinch if there is no running water, but even the CDC advises to keep the hands clean with soap and running water. The CDC even advises that hand sanitizers “should not be used in lieu of hand washing”. Check out this link for proper hand washing techniques. And use old fashioned soap – not anti-bacterial, chemical laden versions adding to the chemical absorption through your skin. Young Living also makes some nice foaming hand soaps in a Thieves blend or Lavender.
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