Warning: These hand sanitisers are now BANNED in South Africa

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) confirmed on Wednesday that a range of hand sanitisers have been banned in Mzansi – following a lengthy investigation into the effects some alcohol-based products have on the human body.

What hand sanitisers are now banned in South Africa?

It was determined that several types of spirits are ‘too toxic’ to be rubbed into the skin, meaning that some products will have to be recalled. Lengthy directives have been issued this week, summarising what contents are classed as ‘harmful’.

• – Products containing acetone, methanol and methylated spirits are now prohibited.

• – This is because they produce ‘extraneous toxicity levels’ – causing damage to the body when absorbed by the skin.

• – All hand sanitisers with ‘cork closure lids’ must also be removed from shelves.

• – Any product which fails to feature the registration number or full address of the manufacturer will be deemed ‘illegal’.

• – Legitimate bottles must feature the alcohol percentage, a ‘flammable’ warning, and a ‘do not ingest warning’.

• – Labels that don’t feature storage temperature warnings, information about whether the sanitiser is a gel or liquid, the volume of the products, and the specification of alcohol types will also land a hand sanitiser on the banned list.

• – Featured below is a diagram of what every hand sanitiser bottle sold in South Africa SHOULD look like:

“High risk” to humans – SABS

Jodi Scholtz is the lead administrator at SABS. The executive told CapeTalk on Thursday that the toxicity of some alcoholic spirits could cause fatalities in humans. The dangers of absorbing these substances through the skin pose too great a risk for rules to be left unchanged, and Scholtz said they were left with little choice but to amend their standards.

“Solvents such as acetone (propanone), methanol, methylated spirits or other spirits are not allowed to be used as they can cause toxicity and even fatalities, if absorbed through one’s skin. We’ve made a few amendments to those standards, particularly the inclusion of an alcohol percentage, and the type of alcohol that should be contained in the hand sanitisers.“