Stop Using Anti-Bacterial Soaps: May Affect Sex Hormones, Increase Resistance to Antibiotics

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned antibacterial soaps from next year, since soap manufacturers have failed to prove that they are more effective than plain soap and water. In fact, experts claim that the these soaps may actually be doing more harms to us than good. They might affect our sex drive, thyroid, and other hormones in a bad way, and are making us more resistant to antibiotics.

Dr Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's center for evaluation and research, revealed that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that antibacterial ingredients in these soaps were more effective in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections than the normal products.

The new federal rule by the US FDA bans the use of nineteen chemical compounds, including Triclosan, Triclocarbon, Triple dye, Secondary amyltricresols, Phenol and Iodophors. Among these, Triclosan is a popular ingredient found in 93% of liquid soaps and deodorants that are labeled as 'antibacterial' or 'antimicrobial'. It is also commonly found in toothpastes that claim to 'fight against bacteria' and help cure gum diseases. Triclocaron is often found in bar soaps.

Triclosan has been found to be an effective bacteria killer for a sustained length of time. However, a University of Chicago study published in July 2016 found that the over-exposure to the chemical could damage developing fetuses. Another study published by the NCBI in 2015 found that Triclosan might increase our resistance to antibiotics, which means that we become increasingly immune to drugs and treatments.

Besides, there is a possibility that Triclosan might interfere with our hormones too, specifically estrogen (that controls female sex characteristics) and thyroid hormones. A 2012 study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) also indicated that chemical can impair function of muscles in both humans and animals.

The FDA has asked the manufacturers to pull of their products off the shelves before September 2017. In the state of Minnesota though, the products are banned from January 2017 onwards.