As the leaves change and the weather turns colder, we begin preparing for cold and flu season. You might find yourself reaching for the bottle of antibacterial soap that says it will “kill 99.99% of bacteria, leaving your skin clean and protected”. I get it, you want to take every precaution to ensure you don’t get sick. However, I encourage you to ditch the antibacterial soaps for several reasons. There’s no scientific evidence showing they kill more bacteria than regular soap, they may contribute to antibiotic resistance and the ingredients making them antibacterial may even be harmful to your health and our environment. 

The Science Doesn’t Lie

Antibacterial soap is usually marketed to be the best at killing germs, better than any other regular soap you could find. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any scientific evidence showing that antibacterial soap kills more germs than regular soap. In fact, a study from 2016 tested this theory. They found that there was no significant difference in the bacteria killed between the two soaps. 

Antibiotic Resistance

In recent years there has also been concern around antibacterial soaps causing antibiotic resistance. This means the use of these soaps would cause consumers to not respond to certain antibiotic treatment. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much research to back up this claim. There has been one notable study that tracked soap use and antibiotic resistance over the course of a year. They did not find a significant difference in resistance between the antibacterial users and regular soap users. They did mention over time with chronic long-term use, there could be the potential for resistance to develop.

While the verdict is still out on if they cause antibiotic resistance, we do know they impact the good bacteria on our skin. Regular soap doesn’t actually kill bacteria on our skin. It suspends them in bubbles where they are then removed when we wash them off. The antibacterial soap ingredients dry out our hands over time, removing the natural oils and the beneficial bacteria with it. These are the bacteria we need to keep our immune system robust and able to fight off pathogens. The removal of beneficial bacteria impacts our immune system and leads to the potential for antibiotic resistance. 

Harmful Ingredients

There has also been controversy over the ingredients in antibacterial products. In 2016, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the production of wash products containing triclosan and triclocarban, two active antibacterial agents. This includes all forms of hand wash (foam, liquid, gel) and body wash (liquid, bar). They were banned due to the health concerns associated with exposure to them. They are endocrine disruptors, are linked to birth defects and reproductive issues, cause eye, skin, and lung irritation, and could potentially cause cancer. 

These ingredients can still be found in many other personal care products including toothpaste, mouthwash, and hand sanitizer to name three big ones. It’s also still present in antibacterial soaps found in health care settings (hospitals, nursing homes) as the FDA ban did not apply to those areas.

Antibacterial products also commonly contain PEG’s, fragrance, food dyes, and other harmful endocrine-disrupting ingredients. You can read this blog post to learn more about endocrine disruptors and their impact on our health. 

Environmental Toxicity

Not only can these ingredients be harmful to our health, but they’re also harmful to the environment. The widespread use of antimicrobials means they often end up in our water supplies, where they are likely to kill algae, crustaceans, and fish. Their persistence can lead plants, animals and other organisms to be chronically exposed over long periods, leading to toxin accumulation over multiple generations. 

The Solution

What’s the best way to avoid these ingredients? Put anything that uses the words “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial” back on the shelf and opt for something without it. If you’re looking for a hand wash that contains vegan ingredients that get the job done without drying out your hands, try out Plaine Products hand wash. There are 4 amazing scents to get you through all seasons while keeping you and your family safe from germs!

If learning about ingredients in your personal care products is interesting to you, stay tuned for our monthly ingredients blog posts!