Antibacterical soaps do more harm than good

By Ashley Curtin

NationofChange / News Report

Published: Tuesday 17 December 2013
nationofchange.org

“New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits.”

Antibacterial soaps might not actually prevent the spread of germs. In a recent study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency said that antibacterial soap products don’t prove to be any better than using regular soap during hand washing. The FDA will further review the safety and benefits of antibacterial soap in order to propose new rules that would require manufactures to provide more on the “effectiveness of antibacterial ingredients.”

In a consumer update published yesterday, the FDA stated that because so many consumers use antibacterial products it “believes that there should be clearly demonstrated benefits to balance any potential risks.”

Over-the-counter (OTC) antibacterial soaps include chemical ingredient, such as triclosan and triclocarban, to try and reduce or “prevent bacterial contamination.” But these chemical ingredients pose a concern to both environmental and industry groups, according to the FDA’s consumer update.

“In fact, there currently is no evidence that over-the-counter (OTC) antibacterial soap products are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water,” Colleen Rogers, lead microbiologist at the FDA said in the consumer update. 

Historically published laboratory studies, which were mainly conducted on animals, showed that triclosan “may alter the way hormones work in the body,” according to the FDA. The agency said that it would further investigate these findings since effects in animals don’t always measure out to be the same in humans.

Another study on the chemical found that triclosan makes “bacteria resistant to antibiotics,” which could impact the “effectiveness of medical treatment” the FDA reported in the consumer update. While this poses potential health risks to humans, the FDA is also concerned about the risks associated with regular use of antibacterial soaps.

"New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits," Rogers said.

With many consumers using antibacterial products regularly at home along with various public settings, the FDA proposed a rule on Tuesday that requires manufactures of antibacterial soaps that are used with water must provide more information about the active ingredients in the soaps and data on the safety of the products. This new rule does not include hand sanitizers, hand wipes or antibacterial soaps used in “health care settings,” according to the FDA.

The new proposal will require more studies be done on antibacterial products in order to test the ability of antibacterial soap providing more clinical benefits than washing with non-antibacterial soap Rogers said in the FDA’s consumer update.
Along with the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing the chemical, triclosan, in an effort to ensure government-wide collaboration to protect human health.

While the FDA is asking for others to weigh in on the proposed rule and discussion surrounding the effectiveness of antibacterial products, the agency said that hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of germs and offers up information about hand washing with soap and water on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.