Antibacterial soaps do more harm than good?
That is what the Food and Drug Administration just announced last week concluding that the manufacturers fail to establish them as “safe and effective” for use by the public. In total, nineteen ingredients commonly used in bacterial soaps will be phased out with the publication of a new federal rule.
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodstock, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”
It is expected that all antibacterial hand wash products will no longer exist by this time next year, that is September 2017. One of the ingredients found in the bacterial hand wash products, triclosan, is a known endocrine disruptor that has demonstrated in animal studies to weaken heart muscle function, alter the shape of sperm, impair brain development, and contribute to bone defamation.
A 2007 study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases concluded triclosan-containing soaps offered no additional benefit over basic soap and water. Rather, regularly using these soaps may lead a growth in dangerous drug-resistant bacteria.
The FDA’s ruling, however, does not affect the countless products still on the market containing the same harmful bacterial ingredients, including toothpaste, clothing, kitchenware, office and school products, and first aid products. It also does not apply to the ubiquitous hand sanitizers and wipes commonly used on airplanes, trains, buses by travelers worried about catching pathogens.
In the end, while the ban is a step in the right direction, it feels oddly incomplete.
