What is antibacterial soap?
An antibacterial soap or handwash includes ingredients with active antimicrobial activity. Triclosan has been the most common active antiseptic ingredient used in these products since its introduction in the 1960s. Plain soaps do not contain these ingredients or make claims of being active against harmful microbes.
What Makes Soap 'Antibacterial'
Antibacterial soaps (sometimes called antimicrobial or antiseptic soaps) contain certain chemicals not found in plain soaps. Those ingredients are added to many consumer products with the intent of reducing or preventing bacterial infection.
"No data is demonstrating that these drugs provide additional protection from diseases and infections. Using these products might give people a false sense of security," Michele says. "If you use these products because you think they protect you more than soap and water, that's not correct. If you use them because of how they feel, many other products have similar formulations but won't expose your family to unnecessary chemicals."
How do you tell if a product is antibacterial? For non-prescription drugs, antibacterial products generally have the word "antibacterial" on the label. Also, a Drug Facts label on a soap or body wash is a sign a product contains antibacterial ingredients.
What are the benefits of antibacterial soap?
Some studies using experimental models of deliberate hand contamination with bacteria report a greater reduction in colony count following the use of an antimicrobial soap or handwash compared to plain soap and water or water alone.
What are the side effects and risks of antibacterial soaps and handwashes?
- Triclosan has been reported to cause:
- Allergies
- Antibiotic resistance
- Effects on hormones (endocrine system)
Acute and chronic toxicity, as triclosan is found in many other products and household items, resulting in it being detected in the urine of over 70% of children and adults in one study
Carcinogenic risks.
Benzalkonium chloride can cause irritant and allergic contact dermatitis and has been implicated in the development of granular parakeratosis and antibiotic resistance.
