Toxic Soap Recall & Healthy Alternatives

Last Friday, August 8, DermaRite Industries issued a voluntary nationwide recall of multiple over‑the‑counter hand hygiene and skincare products due to contamination with the bacterium Burkholderia cepacia.

What’s Being Recalled?

The affected products include:

• DermaKleen lotion soaps (with Vitamin E)
• KleenFoam antibacterial foam soap (with aloe vera)
• DermaSarra external analgesic lotion
• PeriGiene antiseptic cleanser (rinse‑free spray)

These were distributed via major retailers - including Walmart - and used in healthcare settings like hospitals and nursing homes.

Why the Recall?

The products are contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia, a bacteria commonly found in soil and water. It's known to be resistant to antibiotics and can cause serious infections, particularly in people with weakened immune systems.

• For healthy individuals, especially those with minor skin lesions, the contamination may cause local infections.
• For immunocompromised individuals, there's a real hazard: the bacteria may invade the bloodstream and trigger life‑threatening sepsis, potentially escalating to septic shock, organ failure, and even death.

What You Should Do

• Check product labels closely—brand names, lot numbers, and expiration dates (ranging from July 2025 to February 2027) to confirm if your item is affected. 
• Thankfully, most of us don’t use this brand and won’t be affected. But if you happen to have any of these products, throw them away!

Takeaways

While this recall may not directly impact most households, it’s a timely reminder that safety concerns in everyday products aren’t limited to rare bacterial contamination. Many conventional soaps and cleaners contain potentially harmful ingredients—such as harsh surfactants, detergents, solvents, degreasers, synthetic fragrances, dyes, and even manufacturing contaminants—that can burden the body over time.

When Mara was diagnosed with cancer, one of my first steps was to remove as many toxins from our home as possible to reduce the load on her body’s detox systems. That meant replacing traditional soaps and cleaning products with healthier, non-toxic options.

Here are a few clean, reputable alternatives I personally recommend:

Bronner’s Castile Soap

Branch Basics

 Hypochlorous

 Shaklee Hand Wash Concentrate

Shaklee Basic H2 Biodegradable Cleaner

This list is far from exhaustive, but these brands are trustworthy and effective—proof that you can keep your home clean without compromising your health.