Ditch the Antibacterial Soaps

Last week the FDA announced that the use of antibacterial agents in soaps will no longer be permitted in the US.

Why?

The manufacturers of antibacterial soap products have failed to establish that they are any more effective than just regular soap and water, and there is also some question of their safety. There are 19 different ingredients on the list including triclosan and triclocarban, which have been linked to microbial resistance and hormone disruption.

Health Canada has not followed suit with this ban, though we hope they do in short order. In the meantime, read labels and vote with your dollars. Avoid all products with these ingredients in them.

The 19 banned ingredients are:

  • Cloflucarban
  • Fluorosalan
  • Hexachlorophene
  • Hexylresorcinol
  • Iodophors, which are iodine-containing ingredients
  • Iodine complex, which is ammonium ether sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate
  • Iodine complex of phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy polyethylene glycol
  • Nonylphenoxypoly, or ethyleneoxy, ethanoliodine
  • Poloxamer, an iodine complex of Povidone-iodine 5 percent to 10 percent
  • Undecoylium chloride iodine complex
  • Methylbenzethonium chloride
  • Phenol greater than 1.5 percent
  • Phenol less than 1.5 percent
  • Secondary amyltricresols
  • Sodium oxychlorosene
  • Tribromsalan
  • Triclocarban
  • Triclosan
  • Triple dye

Alternatives are easy to find. Visit our local farmers’ markets, Georgian Health Foods, Good Health Mart, The Environment Network, Creemore 100 Mile Store, From the Blue House in Creemore for a wide array of safe and natural soaps and skin care products.