Can Antibacterial Soap Actually Harm You?

October 03, 2011, By Avery Hurt 1 comment

Avery Hurt

Not long ago I was in a friend’s house and noticed a hand-pump dispenser of antibacterial soap next to the bathroom sink. I jumped back in alarm and became so flustered that I neglected to wash my hands at all. When I came out of the bathroom, my friend asked me if I had used the antibacterial soap. I cleverly avoided the question by pointing out that the antibiotic soap was the only soap available in her bathroom. She proudly explained that since flu and cold season was almost upon us, she was encouraging her family and friends to use this stuff. She had a bottle of it in the kitchen, too.

I didn’t want to come off all wonky and pedantic by explaining to her why I thought this was not only a waste of money, but a very, very, very poor idea. After all, I was a guest in her house. So I’ll explain it to you instead.

The active ingredient in most antibacterial products available today is a chemical called Triclosan. The jury is still out on the safety of Triclosan, but questions about it are serious and disturbing. More than a few studies have shown that it disrupts thyroid and sex hormones in lab animals, and there is compelling evidence that it contributes to antibiotic resistance (a very serious issue that warrants its own discussion, one I will get to in a subsequent article). Of course, industry representatives disagree, but there has been enough concern among scientists and interested members of the public that the FDA is conducting an ongoing review of the data on Triclosan.

The FDA is not yet convinced that Triclosan poses a serious health risk, just that the data so far is robust enough to warrant further investigation. However, the FDA has stated that the evidence is clear that Tricolan offers no health benefit over washing with soap and water. Meanwhile this stuff is everywhere. Hand soaps are just the most obvious. You can find it in toothpaste, socks, kitchen gadgets, even plastic toys come impregnated with this stuff. It is so ubiquitous in our world that a CDC study found traces of it in the urine of 75 percent of Americans over age five. It has turned up in many lakes and streams where, in addition to more subtle yet just as serious problems at the microbial level, it has been shown to muck with the reproductive systems of fish and amphibians.

NEXT: So What’s the Benefit?