Antibacterial Soap + Triclosan: Why It’s A Huge Deal

Recently the FDA announced they are banning ingredients found in anti-bacterial soap AND many are being pulled from the shelves based off this new information. Why is this important? Well for starters, it turns out, scientific research shows that antibacterial soap is no better than regular soap and water. And the added ingredients of triclosan and similar chemicals used in these soaps are ineffective but used as a marketing ploy to make the product seem better than regular soap. It makes it seem like product will be safer for you and your family. yd you know triclosan is a pesticide that disrupts the endocrine function and negatively affects muscle concentration? As of 1969, it was registered as a pesticide. Pesticide turned antibacterial hand sanitizer.

I remember when antibacterial soaps first came out, there were naysayers who threw flags to say they hadn’t been tested at proper lengths. and not complex enough to target bad bacteria only. That perhaps these types of anti-bacteria soaps would cause super bacteria leading to superbugs our western medications (aka: antibiotics) couldn’t beat. Remember the slogan: “Kills 99.9% of germs”. At that time, I stopped  purchasing them. Yet, I’ve had some “on the go” moments or times when I thought “just this once”. Even then, I noticed how drying the solution made my hands and the smell of alcohol turned me off a bit. I’ve since switched to plain soap and water, even some DIY recipes with the powers of nature. And wouldn’t you know, 10+ years later, we’re witnessing superbugs and antibiotic resistant bacteria, viruses, etc. Not to mention, a connection between lack of germs and eczema. I’m not creating a conspiracy theory, just highlighting a few correlations I’m noticing. At that time, I had no idea Triclosan was a pesticide. See FDA statements below.

Flash forward to this huge FDA announcement, I cringe now at the times I used, even bought them in the past. All of the synthetic ingredients, health risks and marketing I’ve been slathering on my hands. If nothing else, this is a reminder to continue reviewing ingredients to make sure we know what’s going on our bodies to the best of our abilities.

Here’s a snippet from the 2013 FDA statement: (yes, 2013 was 3 years ago but that’s a separate blog post)

Millions of Americans use antibacterial hand soap and body wash products. Although consumers generally view these products as effective tools to help prevent the spread of germs, there is currently no evidence that they are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water.

Full FDA article.

Antibacterial Soap Triclosan

Did you catch the “health risk” concern above? Yep same 2013 FDA release:

Further, some data suggest that long-term exposure to certain active ingredients used in antibacterial products—for example, triclosan (liquid soaps) and triclocarban (bar soaps)—could pose health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effects.

I could go on and on, but more importantly, as we take a moment to look at the products you use everyday, at home and on the go, it’s a great time to make a few simple changes and shift to natural solutions.

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