Updated April 2025

Ordinary products, ranging from food and over-the-counter medications to hand sanitizers and sunscreens, can pose a health or safety risk. Senior consumers can protect themselves by checking product recall lists and safety alerts from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as warnings about unsafe foods posted on the government’s FoodSafety website.

Benadryl

Over-the-counter medications containing diphenhydramine are marketed for allergy relief and as sleep aids. It is the primary ingredient in Benadryl, an allergy medication that causes sleepiness as a side effect. It is also the key ingredient in ZzzQuil and many other over-the-counter products that promise consumers a restful night of sleep. Pain relievers that end with PM (such as Tylenol PM and Advil PM) include diphenhydramine to promote sleep.

The side effects of diphenhydramine appear to be more pronounced as consumers age. Cognitive impairment, including confusion, is one of the most serious side effects. Evidence suggests that long-term use of drugs containing diphenhydramine might increase the risk of developing dementia. Seniors might want to obtain medical advice before using a product that contains diphenhydramine.

Better Homes and Gardens Aromatherapy Spray

An aromatherapy spray imported from India may contain bacteria that can cause melioidosis. The tropical disease is widespread in South Asia and northern Australia, but uncommon in the United States. The illness causes a high fever, a dry cough, and respiratory difficulty.

Four recent deaths in four states have been caused by melioidosis. None of the victims had traveled to a place where they were likely to contract the disease. The CDC believes the disease was caused by bacteria in an aromatherapy product sold in Walmart stores and on its website.

The bacteria was detected in ““Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones.” The CDC is investigating whether other scents of the same product are contaminated.

Walmart has recalled the product and removed it from store shelves. All scents have been recalled. Seniors who have the spray in their homes should dispose of it or return it to Walmart.

ArtNaturals Hand Sanitizers

Using a hand sanitizer has become a reflex action since the pandemic began. Hand sanitizers are a safety precaution that may prevent transmission of a virus by killing the virus before it can be transmitted from the hands to the face (where it is one step closer to entering the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes).

At least some ArtNaturals scent-free hand sanitizer products have been voluntarily recalled, but only after the FDA warned consumers not to use any ArtNaturals hand sanitizers. The tested products contained unacceptable levels of cancer-causing chemicals.

Sunscreen

The CDC recommends that seniors use sunscreen to reduce the risk of skin cancer. While the CDC suggests applying sunscreen when seniors are outside on a warm day for more than an hour, less than half of all seniors do so.

Seniors should nevertheless be careful about the sunscreen they select. Several brands of sunscreen, including Coppertone, Neutrogena, and Banana Boat, recalled sunscreen spray products because they were contaminated with benzene. Because manufacturers do not deliberately add benzene to aerosol sunscreens, consumers cannot determine whether a product is contaminated by checking its label. It may be safest to avoid aerosol sunscreens and instead use sunscreen lotions.

Space Heaters

Seniors who live in colder climates may be tempted to use a space heater to take the chill from the air. Several space heaters have been recalled in recent years, usually because they overheat, creating a fire hazard.

Some people use kerosene heaters in workspaces, garages, or basements.  Kerosene heaters can be dangerous in enclosed spaces because they consume oxygen and produce carbon monoxide.

Contaminated Food

Consumers can find information about contaminated food products on the government’s Food Safety website, linked above. Consumers can also visit the FDA’s list of product recalls. To search specifically for current food recalls, filter the list by searching in the category of “Food & Beverages” while setting “Terminated Recall” to “No.”

(This article has been updated April 2025 since it was originally published November 2021.)