After doing some research, I was surprised to discover that in 1984, two gentlemen were known to patent anti-bacterial soap. However, by 2013, manufacturers started phasing out the use of certain active ingredients, saying that they posed health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effects.
If you google the FDA final rule on safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps, you will find that they have found certain active ingredients in the soaps are banned because they are not considered safe. Apparently, there may be many ingredients to be aware of, but the two most commonly used are triclosan and triclocarban. This does not apply to hand sanitizers or wipes, just soap. In a nutshell, there was never any scientific data demonstrating that over the counter anti-bacterial soaps are better at preventing illness or spreading germs. The name itself simply tricks consumers into thinking that they are helping themselves get rid of unwanted germs more efficiently. Not true!
As a naturopath, these anti-bacterial soaps never made sense to me. The chemicals added to these soaps just adds more toxicity to your body. I always encourage my clients to wash their hands well and use soaps or hand sanitizers with essential oils as much as possible. Is one way better than another to wash hands? One recommendation is to rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds, but most importantly dry well. If you are in a foreign place outside your home, grab a paper towel to turn off the faucet.
Here is a great article with some nice essential oil recipes that you can easily add to your soap.
The opinions shared in this article are those of the contributor and not Total Gym Direct.
