Study prompts concerns about hand sanitizer safety
Triclosan linked to muscle weakness
A study from the University of California-Davis has prompted a warning about hand sanitizers and what can happened to people who use too much of it.
Researchers said hand sanitizers that contain an ingredient called triclosan can cause muscle weakness when overused.
The Food and Drug Administration, which for years has said triclosan doesn't pose a danger to people, is now in the process of reviewing that stance. FDA scientists have said that washing hands with regular soap is just as effective as using antibacterial soaps.
Jamie Borgman has children playing soccer in her Lenexa yard use hand sanitizer before helping themselves to a snack afterward.
She said she'd prefer using soap and water, but hand sanitizer offers an alternative when she and her children are on the go.
"When you're running from one thing to the next and they have to eat a snack in the car or eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the car, it's just so convenient to have your hand sanitizer right there," she said.
Borgman said she's aware of the issues surrounding hand sanitizer and triclosan. She said she realizes that using soap and water and hand sanitizer is a balancing act.