Triclosan – a TOXIC Antibacterial Skin Care Ingredient
Who knew that cleaning your skin could harm your health and the environment? Thanks to the chemical industry, a hazardous antibacterial compound called triclosan is now an ingredient in many household and personal care products – such as soaps, cleansers and cosmetics.
While consumers might think triclosan can protect them from harmful bacteria, it turns out that the use of this dangerous chemical in household products isno more effective than soap and water – and may be doing more harm than good.
Triclosan can create more potent strains of bacteria, increasing antibacterial and antibiotic resistance – so its use in household products may actually contribute to more illnesses. That is because triclosan kills most of – but not all -the bacteria it encounters. The germs that survive a triclosan onslaught emerge stronger and harder to kill in the future.
With the increasing prevalence of triclosan, common bacteria can become more resistant, and if they infect people, treatment with antibiotics could be more difficult. Because antibacterial resistance is a growing health concern, the American Medical Association in 2000 said “there is little evidence to support the use of antimicrobials in consumer products,” and that given the risk of antimicrobial resistance, “it may be prudent to avoid the use of antimicrobial agents in consumer products.”
British researchers found that triclosan has estrogenic and androgenic hormone properties and exposure could potentially contribute to the development of breast cancer.
Triclosan also poses a threat to the environment. It is toxic to algae, phytoplankton and other aquatic life. This is a major problem, as many products that contain triclosan are now washing down our drains and into our water systems, making triclosan a common contaminant of streams and rivers.
Because triclosan is a contaminant in sewage sludge that is often spread on land, the chemical is now showing up in earthworms. Triclosan bio-accumulates in these organisms and researchers are concerned that it will accumulate and spread through aquatic and terrestrial food webs.
Regular bar soap and water – sometimes the old fashioned way is and always will be the best.
I hope this information is beneficial to you, and I urge you to research this and other upcoming topics on your own!
Source: Emily Fritchey, SUNSHINEBOTANICALS, INC.