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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Does the human body build up a tolerance to hand sanitizer after multiple uses?

By Lauralei Singsank
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NO

The human body doesn't build up a tolerance to hand sanitizer—but bacteria does.

Alcohol-based sanitizers can help kill staph infections and some bacteria. But the widespread use of hand sanitizer has been proven to increase enterococcal infections, caused by bacteria in the digestive tract, bladder and heart, which become resistant to alcohol-based disinfectant.

Hand sanitizer also comes with other risks. It can be toxic when accidentally ingested, a particular worry with children. In May and June 2020, four patients died after swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and three became visually impaired.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible. Hand-washing is most effective at removing certain germs, including norovirus. When washing isn't available, the agency recommends using hand sanitizer that's at least 60% alcohol.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Science: Increasing tolerance of hospital enterococcus faecium to handwash alcohols
NPR: Bacteria becoming more tolerant of hand sanitizer
National Library of Medicine: COVID-19 and frequent use of hand sanitizers—Human health and environmental hazards by exposure pathways
CDC: Reported adverse health effects in children from ingestion of alcohol-based hand sanitizers — United States, 2011–2014
CDC: Serious adverse health effects, including death, associated with ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing methanol—Arizona and New Mexico, May–June 2020
CDC: When and how to use hand sanitizer in community settings
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.