Cleanwell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer

The information about the Thyme Oil active ingredient is incorrect, it is Thymol which is identified as moderately toxic by the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database and highly toxic by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) The PAN lists it as a Bad Actor ... PAN Bad Actors are chemicals that are one or more of the following: highly acutely toxic, cholinesterase inhibitor, known/probable carcinogen, known groundwater pollutant or known reproductive or developmental toxicant. Also the company says the product meets FDA requirements. When I contacted the FDA they indicated that they don't regard Thymol as an effective antiseptic or sanitizer, particularly at the levels found in CleanWell and based on their Tenative Final Monograph, hand sanitizers containing Thyme Oil (Thymol) face regulatory action. As far as Children Healthline.com indicates that there is no safe exposure level for Thymol identified for Children or Adults. Saying something is Natural does not mean it is SAFE.

I have used the CleanWell products and like it very much. Yes, at first spritz you get a strong wiff of Thyme but it goes away within seconds.

I have also tried the Nature's Paradise sanitizer which smells like fruit and is very nice. It's the same idea as the CleanWell spray, but offered in hawaiin like scents. You can read a very detailed product review on this product at: http://bit.ly/d7p0B0

I haven't had the spray for very long but so far, I'm quite pleased.  I find that one or two sprays and some fast action rubbing is enough to cover both of my palms.  It also dries nicely and doesn't leave your hands feeling all coated or sticky.  Nor does it seem to dry out my skin (but time will tell on that one).

The fragrance might take a little getting used to, but I don't really mind it.  Since the active ingredient is essential oil of thyme...well...it smells like thyme!  More or less anyway.  It's really just kind of herbal smelling (if that makes any sense).  I find it to be quite light and after a few minutes I don't smell much of it any more anyway.

The cost is a tad steep when you think about it.  You can get an 8 ounce bottle of Purell for the same price (and for the spray I just got you only get 1 ounce).  But I think I'd rather pay a little more and use something natural (and hopefully something that won't come with the whole super-germ problem).  And they do say "4x more uses per ounce than alcohol gel" on the back.

Oh, the sparklies thing is a joke, just to get that out of the way.

This hand sanitizer is TERRIFIC.  It's the first eco-friendly sanitizer I've ever used.  I have been addicted to those alcohol-based conventional sanitizing gels for many years.  This is a marked improvement.

First and foremost, it's 100% natural and more efficient in terms of volume of product used (4x more uses per ounce than the gel stuff).  Beyond these perks, it also just works so much better -- it doesn't leave a sticky residue, dries quickly, and doesn't contain alcohol so it's not drying.  It also doesn't leave a leftover strong scent that I used to experience with the gels.  So great!  I'm officially a convert.  :)