Hand Sanitizers for Baby – Not as Safe as You Think

from www.safemama.com

We’ve made no secret that we’re opposed to hand sanitizers, but we realize that sometimes you’re in a pinch and you just need to use them.  We’ve also gotten tons of emails regarding CleanWell, so I figured I’d look into it more and report my findings.

CleanWell is an all natural sanitizer that is free of alcohol, triclosan and other such toxic chemicals.  It works by naturally killing bacteria and is safe for all ages. I first gave this stuff a whirl while I was at the aquarium with my son.  He had just had his hands in the please touch shark tank, and given that he’s (still) teething, his hands gravitate immediately towards his mouth all.the.time.  I could have easily walked him over to the bathroom which was down the hall, but I figured that CleanWell was probably the lesser of two evils, given that the soap in the bathroom was probably loaded with triclosan anyway.   I can’t say that I’m a fan of the smell, and who knows if it really actually helped or not.  It pleased my OCD husband to be able to kill germs on his hands.  CleanWell isn’t sticky or tacky like conventional hand sanitizers can be, and one small bottle has over 200 sprays.  It’s inexpensive and easy to stick in a handbag or diaper bag.

While I DO promote soap and water over hand sanitizers, there are some instances where I’m sure I’ll be glad to have it. What I don’t like about CleanWell is the fact that they use a “proprietary” formula called Ingenium, which is their own patented formula.  Look, I’m all for patents, but to me “proprietary” screams “we don’t have to tell you.”   I’m sure that CleanWell is perfectly safe, just like they say, but I don’t dig the term “proprietary” when I’m using a product that goes on or into my family’s body.   Again, I’ll use it in a pinch, but I may just invest in a bottle of Clean George instead.

You can find CleanWell in Target, some Whole Foods stores, or on Amazon.

Many will argue that hand sanitizers do more harm than good, and I tend to agree in terms of preventing illnesses.  Immunity tolerance is an important part of a developing child’s life.  However I can appreciate the need for something in a pinch, say after visiting a rest stop on I-95? Ick.  The ingredients in typical hand sanitizers like Purell are less than desirable.  Just to give you an idea, Purell rates a 7 in the Skin Deep Database.  And there is the whole “it could kill you if swallowed” factor due to the concentrated amount of alcohol.

I came across Clean George and I breathed a sigh of relief that I found something safe and kid-friendly.  Clean George is a hand purifier as opposed to a sanitizer.  Traditional alcohol based sanitizers kill good and bad bacteria alike, which can actually make you susceptible to germs that make you sick.   Clean George uses tea tree oil for its natural antibacterial properties.  One squirt cleans off hands and leaves them feeling soft and moisturized, instead of dried out like some alcohol based ones tend to do.  It’s list of certified organic ingredients aid to clean hands without promoting germ resistance.

Clean George is a very eco-conscious company using 100% post recycled plastic for their containers use only 100% recycled “save a tree” paper with vegetable ink, even for their business cards!  Clean George is not tested on animals and is certified by EcoCert.  It contains no icky synthetic ingredients, which is what I love the most!

I have used CleanWell with my baby and I have to say that I love the small packets of wipes that I can throw in my diaper bag and keep in my car. They are perfecting for cleaning little hands after trips to the park, the store, and before eating. I feel much better about using these than traditional hand sanitizers since I know his little hands are always going directly in his mouth.