Why You Must Stop Using Hand Sanitizers

Using hand sanitizer could seem like an ideal, and perhaps, more civilized way to keep the hands clean and fragrance. Cashiers, bank tellers, and even teachers, would probably give it a thumb up. Hand sanitizers can exterminate a lot of bacteria on the skin. When it comes to safety and effectiveness, the main concern with hand sanitizers
is triclosan, which is the main anti-bacteria ingredient in non alcoholic sanitizers. But the thing about triclosan, though, is that the solution is known to kill bacteria indiscriminately. We need certain "good bacteria" to maintain our overall health, but these can be wiped out with the harmful ones when we use sanitizers that contain triclosan. And a further concern, is that triclosan doesn't protect against viruses and fungi.

Alcohol- based sanitizers are fairly effective and safe, according to some experts. Hand sanitizers that are 60% alcohol are good at killing bacterial pathogens. They can also kill some virus but not all.
But you need to check the alcoholic content of the sanitizer before buying or using, because for it to be functional, the alcoholic concentration in the bottle needs to be 60% , anything lower is just not good enough.

However, the problem with alcohol-based sanitizer is that it isn't particularly good for children, because they might put their hands in their mouth after washing their hands with it, and it could be very harmful if they ingest it. There have been a number if reported incidences of alcohol poisoning in children due to hand sanitizers. an adult may need to swallow a fair large amount for it to have effect, but for children, it can take just a small amount to do the damage.
In a study published in Science Daily carried out by the Northwest Research Centre, found that a child's immunity is seriously affected by the use of hand sanitizers.

Now, a more alarming concern is that a new study, published in PLOS one, suggests using hand sanitizer increase your absorption of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to mess with the body's endocrine system. Scientist have even linked higher levels of BPA to all kinds of health problems ranging from heart disease cancer, infertility, and diabetes.
The paper used for printing receipts contain high level of BPA, and new research from the University of Missouri suggests that handling of receipts and using hand sanitizers does emphatically increase the body's absorption of BPA.

So you may want to stick to your soap and water, though it doesn't necessarily kill bacteria, but at least you won't burden yourself with the side effects of hand sanitizers.

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