Antibacterial soaps were first
developed for use in hospitals and clinics where sterile environments are often
necessary. In recent years, these soaps have made their way onto the shelves of
nearly every store that sells body care products. While the claims of killing
up to 99.99% of bacteria on your body may seem attractive, in reality they may
cause more harm than good.
Known harmful effects:
- Antibiotics kill bacteria, but not viruses which
are the cause of colds and the flu.
- Using antibacterial soap will kill both good and
bad bacteria
- Bacteria evolve quickly and can develop
resistance to antibiotics in the soap. This leads to strains of bacteria that
are multidrug resistant such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA.
- Exposure to bacteria helps to strengthen our
immune systems. Using antibacterial
soaps on a regular basis may make you more prone to bacterial infections. It is
very important for young children to be exposed to bacteria so that they can
develop a strong immune system.
- Researchers are finding a link between allergies
and the use of antibacterial soaps. This is again due to a weakened immune
system caused by a reduced exposure to bacteria.
One of the most common
antibacterial agents found in commercial hand soap is triclosan. In addition to
the harmful effects stated above, triclosan produces some harmful effects of
its own:
- When triclosan is mixed with chlorinated water
(plain tap water) they combine and produce chloroform gas. Chloroform can cause
a person to loose consciousness and thus could cause drowning when taking a
bath. In addition, chloroform is toxic and is listed as a carcinogen.
- Triclosan can cause accumulate in fat cells and cause
hormonal problems and liver damage.
- Triclosan is also linked to eczema, asthma, and
allergic reactions.
So what can you do to keep yourself and your
family safe from germs? It has been shown that regular soap is just as
effective in removing bacteria and viruses from the skin as antibacterial
soaps. While regular soap does not kill bacteria, it does make it easier for
the bacteria to be washed away. Soap is an amphipathic molecule meaning that one
end of the molecule is hydrophobic (water-hating) and the other end is hydrophilic
(water-loving). Since bacterial cells are encased in a lipid membrane, the
hydrophobic end of the soap molecule will bind to the lipids and the hydrophilic
end of the soap will bind to the water. This allows the bacteria to be easily removed
from your body by washing with water.
