Recalled Wound Care Soaps Pose Sepsis Risk, FDA Says
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FDA Warns of Sepsis Risk From Recalled Soap Sold Nationwide

Antibacterial and antiseptic soaps common in healthcare settings are contaminated with life-threatening bacteria.
FDA Warns of Sepsis Risk From Recalled Soap Sold Nationwide
Everyday Health
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a recall of soaps and lotions commonly used in healthcare settings owing to contamination with a potentially deadly bacteria called Burkholderia cepecia complex.

These products are commonly used by people with compromised immune systems and those who take care of them.

In healthy people, broken skin exposed to B. cepecia would likely result in local infections, but for people with lowered immunity, the infection could spread to the bloodstream and cause sepsis, which can be fatal.

What Is B. Cepecia?

B. cepecia are a group of bacteria usually found in water and soil. Infection with B. cepecia may cause no symptoms, but for some, especially people with cystic fibrosis and other chronic lung conditions, it can cause serious respiratory infections. Fever and fatigue are also possible symptoms.

Infection with B. cepecia can spread between people, and it can be difficult to treat because these species are resistant to antibiotics.

Which Soaps and Lotions Are Recalled?

DermaRite Industries is voluntarily recalling individual lots of the following products:

  • DermaKleen, a healthcare antiseptic lotion soap. Recalled lots came in 800 mL or 1,000 mL bags with expiration dates between 7/2025 and 2/2027.
  • DermaSarra, an over-the-counter anti-itch lotion. The recalled lotion comes in a 7.5 ounce (oz) tube with the expiration date 2/2026.
  • KleenFoam, a healthcare antimicrobial foam soap. Recalled lots came in 1,000 mL bags with expiration dates between 8/2025 and 1/2027.
  • PeriGiene, an antiseptic cleanser for use in the perineal area (the space between the anus and the genitalia). Recalled lots came in 7.5 oz tubes with expiration dates between 11/2025 and 1/2027.

So far, DermaRite has not received any reports of infections related to the recalled products. The company has notified its distributors and customers about the recall, and instructed them to destroy the recalled products.

You should contact your healthcare provider if you suspect you are experiencing symptoms that may be related to using any of the recalled products.

DermaKleen
FDA
DermaKleen
FDA
Dermasarra
FDA
Perigiene
FDA
Kleenfoam
FDA


EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. DermaRite Industries Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of DermaKleen, Dermasarra, Kleenfoam, and Perigiene Products Due to Burkholderia cepacia Contamination. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. August 9, 2025.
  2. About Burkholderia Cepacia Complex. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 12, 2025.

Emily Kay Votruba

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Emily Kay Votruba has copyedited and fact-checked for national magazines, websites, and books since 1997, including Self, GQ, Gourmet, Golf Magazine, Outside, Cornell University Press, Penguin Random House, and Harper's Magazine. Her projects have included cookbooks (Padma Lakshmi's Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet), self-help and advice titles (Mika Brzezinski's Know Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You're Worth), memoirs (Larry King's My Remarkable Journey), and science (Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Learn, by Cathy Davidson). She started freelancing for Everyday Health in 2016.
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Monroe Hammond

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Monroe Hammond joined Everyday Health in 2021 and now runs the news desk as an editor. They received a master’s degree from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, as well as a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Emory University in Atlanta.

Hammond has written and edited explainers on a number of health and wellness topics, including racial disparities in HIV treatment, the metabolic benefits of cold exposure, how the flu shot works, and solutions for seasonal dermatology woes. They have also edited pieces on the latest developments from NASA, the health repercussions of climate change, and the cutting edge of quantum physics. Their work has appeared in Popular Science, Insider, Psychology Today, and Health Digest, among other outlets.

Before turning to journalism, Hammond taught English while living in Thailand and Malaysia. They were born and raised in the American South, and currently live in Brooklyn with their spouse, three cats, and too many houseplants to count.