The Food and Drug Administration has added to the list of suspect hand sanitizers, bringing to 59 the varieties that should be avoided due to their use of methanol, a potentially fatal chemical that can be absorbed through the skin.
Reporting in USA Today notes that many of these products promote the use of ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, which is a safe and effect ingredient, but they also contain the dangerous methanol, a type of wood alcohol.
All the products on the FDA warning list appear to have been made in Mexico.
According to the FDA statement, “The agency is aware of adults and children ingesting hand sanitizer products contaminated with methanol that has led to recent adverse events including blindness, hospitalizations and death.”