Ditch the Purell and Decline the Receipt

Ditch the Purell and Decline the Receipt

POSTED BY KELLY BROGAN MD IN SNIPPET

Harmful Hand Sanitizers

A principal short-coming in modern toxicologic research is that novel chemicals are not study for their synergistic effects, chronic exposure, or for their effects on mitochondrial function and microbiota. A practical real life applicable study by Hormann et al. confirms that there is more to the story on industrial chemicals than can be reported from a “dose makes the poison” short-term animal study.

In this study, they found that:

“hand sanitizers, as well as other skin care products, contain mixtures of dermal penetration enhancing chemicals that can increase by up to 100 fold the dermal absorption of lipophilic compounds such as BPA.”

This estrogen-mimicking BPA was then transferred to french fries that the subjects consumed (never mind the risks of the distorted GMO canola oil they were fried in!). The authors make the point that toxicity studies introduce chemicals through a tube into the stomach neglecting alternate routes of more direct exposure such as the skin and under the tongue.

Because harmful hand sanitizers that are alcohol based have been proven to be ineffective, and likely kill beneficial bacteria that is our most potent ally, the practical guidance that comes from this study is – ditch the Purell and decline your receipt!