Alert: Antibacterial Soap Ineffective, Maybe Even Making Us Sick

Suck it up germaphobes, time to say farewell to antibacterial soap.

Regular soap trumps wipes, antibacterial soaps and even sanitisers. Turns out there is no scientific evidence that antibacterial soaps are better than regular soaps. (Photo: iStock)

Your mum has told you a thousand times — Wash Your Hands.

Probably the most potent, powerful advice for keeping a bunch of diseases at bay. But cleanliness freaks, if your poison for the critters crawling on your skin is ‘antibacterial’ products, it’s time to let go of these dubious products and claims which have been warming your heart for years now.

In a landmark new ruling, the US Food and Drug Administration has banned 19 chemicals which are present in over 76 percent of all antibacterial soaps, stating they are not only ineffective but also harmful.

Wait, what? Then what do we germaphobes do to ward off contagious diseases?

Turns out, good old, regular soap and water are enough to keep you clean.

Why Is US FDA Cleaning Up the Soap?

Soap manufacturers have to either remove these banned chemicals from soaps by 2017 or remove the product from the shelves. (Photo: iStock)

The US FDA is targeting 19 chemicals, the most notorious of the lot, triclosan and triclocarban, have troubled public health experts for years now.

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. In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.

Dr Janet Woodcock, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US FDA

Effect On Your Health

1. Superbugs: This is the biggest concern — the ingredients which wipe off the bacteria leave an open ground for bigger, badder bacteria to wreck havoc.

2. Cellular Changes: Innumerable studies have shown that these banned chemicals are rapidly absorbed by the skin and can cause changes in the skeletal and cardiac muscle function.

3. Allergies: There are a lot of studies which show that when children live in a bacteria-proof environment, there is a much higher chance of developing allergies, like peanut allergy and hay fever. Most studies conclude that this is because excessive use kills the bacteria necessary for developing a proper immune system.

4. Hormonal Changes: Even if a trillionth per gram of this seeps in your body, it can block your normal thyroid function, damage your brain lining, cause infertility and is co-related to a host of chronic health issues like childhood obesity, diabetes among others.

5. Corrupt the Food Chain: In addition to the above, these nasty chemicals end up in sewage sludge, can damage the soil and re-enter the food chain through the crops that grow on them.

Should You Discard Your Wipes, Soaps Too?

What should you do? Planning on giving up antibacterial-any-cleaning-agent is a good idea, scrub your hands for at least 30 seconds, plain soap and water will do just fine. (Photo: The Quint/Nikita Mishra)

The alcohol-based hand sanitisers (with more than 50 percent alcohol) are safe. They kill germs but not cut through grime.

The FDA is separately evaluating the chemical ones which have less than 40 percent alcohol but until a ruling on them comes out, read our complete analysis on what’s better between soap and sanitisers.

Odds are that your regular face wipe is layered with triclosan or tricarban — go check the label. These chemicals are widely used by doctors to treat skin and hair-follicle infections, and it is stopped when the infection goes away. So when these are used in soaps and other products, it is an unnecessary over-use of chemicals on our body. These remove the ‘good bacteria’ present on our skin. 

Dr Shefali Trasi, Dermatologist, La Piel Clinic, Mumbai

Interestingly, till the early 80s these chemicals were only used in hospital settings, by doctors to scrub before and after surgery.

But fear is the most powerful tool in advertising. Soap manufacturers saw a massive opportunity to reach households across the world offering a germ-free environment, equating dirt and dust to disease.

The world was suddenly riddled with contamination, the solution to everything came in gels, soaps and wipes labelled antibacterial or antimicrobial.

From kitchen tops, floors, walls, toilet seats to door knobs and children (oh they are the messiest, filthiest creatures), EVERYTHING was being wiped clean with a product containing triclosan to kill 99.99 percent germs.

And though the FDA in India has never taken cognisance of such health risks, leading doctors in Mumbai recommend the time-tested advice you’ve heard a gazillion times since childhood — wash your hands with soap and water.

The best way to keep germs at bay is to wash with water and normal soap. Remember, staying clean is more a matter of rubbing and rinsing for 30 seconds rather than the type or brand of soap you use.

Dr Reema Arora, <i>Medical Head &amp; Facial Aesthetic,</i><i> Cocoona Centre for Aesthetic Transformation, New Delhi</i>

BRB.
*Scrubbing*
Plain, old soap to the rescue!

Also Read: Busted! 7 Places You Didn’t Know Were Germ Bombs