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Say no to antibacterial soaps

By Lori Bongiorno

Posted Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:01pm PDT

More from The Conscious Consumer blog

Global Handwashing Day, held every October, was established to promote a simple message: Wash your hands with soap and water to prevent disease. It's also the perfect time to visit the topic of what kind of soap you're lathering up with. This is an important decision that many of us don't think twice about.

The main ingredient in most liquid soaps lining store shelves is triclosan, a pesticide that kills bacteria. Turns out you just need to banish germs from your hands, not kill them. Studies show that antibacterial soaps aren't more effective at preventing illness or removing germs than good old-fashioned soap and water.

In fact, antibacterial soaps may do more harm than good.

There are concerns that triclosan may contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It's also present in human bodies and breast milk, as well as in streams. The Environmental Working Group says triclosan has been linked to developmental defects, liver toxicity, and cancer in lab studies. It also may affect thyroid and other hormones that are crucial to normal development.

The best thing you can do is avoid soaps that claim to be "antibacterial" while we wait for more research to be done. A quick read of the label will tell you if triclosan or triclocarban (a similar compound that's found more commonly in bar soaps) are active ingredients. If so, move onto another product.

Here's a small sampling of triclosan-free liquid hand soaps to get you started:

Trader Joe's Lavender & Chamomile Hand Soap
Method Hand Wash (Pink Grapefruit)
Softsoap Soothing Aloe Vera Moisturizing Hand Soap
Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Soap (Hemp-Peppermint)
Terraessentials Organic Real Soap for Hands
Desert Essence Castile Liquid Soap with Organic Tea Tree Oil

For more suggestions, visit the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping.

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Showing 16 - 30 of 312 comments

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Posted by thelma h Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:16pm PDT
knew this I have rain soft water and rain soft soap no need for any thing else
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Posted by thelma h Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:16pm PDT
knew this I have rain soft water and rain soft soap no need for any thing else
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Posted by rileylover03 Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:19pm PDT
WOW!! AMAZING! CAN'T WAIT TO PRINT THIS OUT AND MAKE A SUMMARY OUT OF IT!! GOOD THING I ALWAYS WASHED MY HANDS WITH HOT WATER AND A LIL SOAP!! PEACE OUT!!
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Posted by Eliceo C Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:25pm PDT
triclosan is now, what's next?
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Posted by Mary C Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:25pm PDT
Not only are they bad for people and the environment. They are also harder on the check book, since anti-bacterial are usually more expensive for the amount of soap you get in a purchase. So avoid them and save money!!!
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Posted by TAMARA Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:42pm PDT
With all of the important medical and environmental issues facing the world today, I would think that Yahoo could provide us something other than information that has been publicized to death.
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Posted by LauraG Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:51pm PDT
Be on the alert, folks! I just discovered there's triclosan in my Colgate Advanced toothpaste! In the trash it went but we've been using that brand for years! Yikes!
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Posted by WhiteDove Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:54pm PDT
Excellent article. I knew this many years ago, and knew this would be a problem. Not only are these soaps BAD for you, but BAD for environment. Yuck...dont use them. The rule is....20 seconds with plain soap and water!! Thanks for the info. And I agree, finding regular soaps are hard. So.....I shop natural shops or get glycerin soaps I KNOW are laden with crap!!
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Posted by Steve R Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:56pm PDT
I am a nurse and we have no choice but to use this type of soap at the hospital. Maybe it COULD be linked to this MRSA mutating and becoming such an issue. Also, it is also found in some toothpastes and other products. I hear it's even in some shoe inserts,gloves and plastic! It's doing harm to our environment also, so I never buy anything with it, plus I found a new job where it's not required.
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Posted by BRYAN H Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:00pm PDT
Check out your toothpaste. Colgate Total contains triclosan. Hmmmmm.
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Posted by fettalini Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:14pm PDT
they told us this when antibacterials first came out. but people are so paranoid that they have to use antibacterials, & we can now thank them for more bacterial resistance. there's already problematic resistance issues with oral & parenteral antibiotics, why are we creating more of a problem?
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Posted by suziesells@verizon.net Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:30pm PDT
I've got sorbitol, hydrated silica, glycerin, PEG-12, pertsodium triphosphate, terasodium pyrophospate, sodium lauryl sulfate, flavor, sodium hydroxide, sodium saccharin, cellulose gum, titanium dioxide, et...in my toothpaste. What was that I was not supposed to have in it and my hand soap??? :)
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Posted by Bettie L Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:31pm PDT
Okay... I didn't know this... thanks yahoo.
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Posted by tracy l Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:33pm PDT
I was one to fall into the anti-bacteria craze. I would not buy a soap unless it said anti bacteria for the past two years, now I know we only have to wash the germs away. By the way humans have survived so long without it.
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Posted by John A B Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:57pm PDT
I think this story is crap! It's just promotion for companies that make the other kinds of soap. I use antibacterial soap and I get sick far less than I did before using it. Don't be fooled people! You are being lied to...again!!
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