The best type of hand sanitizer for kids and toddlers

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand hygiene has been top of mind for all families, especially those with little ones. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular handwashing is one of the most effective ways to zap germs and avoid getting sick. But if you don’t have access to soap and water when out and about with the child, what is your next best bet?

It’s essential that children need to be equipped with their own hygiene and safety essentials—not just a face mask, they need hand sanitizer. There are many options available from alcohol-based gels and wipes to all-natural formulas, but some are more effective than others. Mindful parents like yourself might also be wondering if hand sanitizer may be too abrasive and irritative for their little one’s delicate hands. What ingredients should you steer away from? Not sure where to begin your search? Here, you’ll find our top tips for keeping your kid’s hands clean on the go, hand-hygiene safety that you might not have considered, and how to keep your child safe from harmful ingredients along the way.

in this article:

  • is hand sanitizer safe for kids?
  • skin irritation from hand sanitizer
  • different types of hand sanitizer
  • gentle cleaning option for kids and toddlers

is hand sanitizer safe for kids?

You want to protect your little one from germs and illnesses at all costs, but you may be wondering: Is hand sanitizer safe for kids and toddlers? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t quite as definitive as you may think… As we mentioned earlier, growing is messy and we both know the scary things kids can get into as they venture through day-to-day activities. With that being said, you must consider the danger of hand sanitizer: “Infants and young children can get alcohol poisoning from hand sanitizer, especially if they drink it,” says Alexis Phillips, DO, a pediatrician at Memorial Hermann Medical Group Pediatrics in Atascocita, Texas. What’s more, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ingesting just a small amount of sanitizer is dangerous for children, and can lead to alcohol poisoning. There’s even a risk if they put a wet sanitizer hand in their mouth. To that end, Phillips strongly advises against using alcohol-based sanitizers on kid and toddler hands. Reports from the National Poison Data System in the United States show a staggering 46 percent increase in the average number of daily calls to poison control centers about sanitizer exposure in children 12 years and younger during the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

skin irritation from hand sanitizer

Along with the risk of young children accidentally consuming hand sanitizers, there’s also concern about what everyday use can do to the skin. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are “drying agents” and when heavily used could be irritating to children with eczema or sensitive skin, according to Dr. Anna Banerji, pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. In more severe cases, hand sanitizers could dry skin to the point of cracking, which could be a risk for infection, she said.

There’s also the risk of over-sanitizing hands.

“It kills bad and good bacteria,” Banerji said. “It may change the flora of bacteria on your skin and allow aggressive drug-resistant bacteria to grow.”

hand-sanitizer-for-toddlers

gentle cleaning

Yipes!® wipes are perfect for kids’ hygiene! As mentioned earlier, accidental ingestion of alcohol is harmful to kids. Yipes!® wipes are free of alcohol and are perfect for kids to wipe their hands and faces during messy meals, and clean the gook from their noses, eyes, and ears! Yipes!® is made in the USA and its ingredients are 99% plant-based and responsibly sourced.

The goal of Yipes!® is to get kids to take the initiative and learn the habit of hygiene, make it a fun and approachable topic, and have it be something they actually look forward to.

Products are great for kids and adults too! While Yipes!® are designed for kids, adults can use them and enjoy clean hands and faces. The generous size of the wipes means that they can be used by adults as well as kids.

Allergens are a big concern for parents and known allergens are always changing. The formulas are free of known allergens. In a 200-subject clinical Yipes!® Wipes prove that they did not cause skin allergies. None of the participating subjects had skin irritation (no redness or rashes).

Please note: Yipes! and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.