Soap Opera: Is Anti-bacterial Hand Soap Really Necessary?
A quick look at how chemicals are not always the best medicine
Originally published on: willpollock.com
Filed in: Health & Wellness | Good Stuff
Posted by Will Pollock
(BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. :: 1 July 2012) - If you’re dizzy with details on how anti-bacterial hand soap affects our lives, you’re not alone. According to the Discovery Fit & Health website, 75 percent of liquid soap contains some sort of germ-killing chemical. But does it really help us?
Not only is the answer a solid “No” from most research studies and articles on the subject - the truth is that fear of germs may be driving us to something that’s harmful to our bodies. Click through to that Discovery Health link to read why. The CDC reports that the common chemical in anti-bacterial soap, triclosan, has ultimately no effect on germs.
“The results from our study do not implicate use of antibacterial cleaning and hygiene products as an influential factor in carriage of antimicrobial drug–resistant bacteria on the hands of household members.”
The basic consensus is: washing with warm water and soap is actually more effective than using soap with chemicals. Given those facts - and coupled with testing that shows the chemicals are affecting our waterways - what should we be using?
There are myriad choices. Here are the ones we use daily in our household that I recommend:
- Method hand soap and refill bags. Highly recommended - they are pleasant to use and very effective, while not containing any harmful additives.
- Clorox GreenWorks. This line of products is naturally derived and is actually pretty mean on dirt and grease, too.
- Lothantique hand soap. While not noted for its green footprint, this is high-quality soap. The Green Tea line of liquid soap is the best I’ve ever used. You’ll be sniffing your fingers long after you wash.
What are your thoughts? Do you keep these soaps in your household? Why or why not?
Moral of the story: Don’t fall for the antibacterial sales-push hogwash. Put your money and your health into products that don’t harm you, the environment and that give you an easy way to wash.
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“The results from our study do not implicate use of antibacterial cleaning and hygiene products as an influential factor in carriage of antimicrobial drug–resistant bacteria on the hands of household members.”