Antibacterial soap

Antibacterial soap is a type of cleaning product which contain chemical ingredients that purportedly assist in killing bacteria. Such chemicals frequently include triclosan, triclocarban, and chloroxylenol.

The effectiveness of products branded as being antibacterial has been disputed, with studies finding that these chemicals are no more effective at deactivating viruses than any other kind of soap or detergent. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also asserted that products which contain triclosan do not show that they reduce the transmission of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. In September 2016, the FDA banned the use of nineteen chemicals frequently used in such products due to this and insufficient information on the long-term health effects of their use.

Triclosan and triclocarban are the most common compounds used as antibacterials in soaps, however several other compounds are also common.

Studies have examined the purported benefits of antibacterial soap without clear consensus about the results. Some studies have concluded that simply washing thoroughly with plain soap is sufficient to reduce bacteria and, further, is effective against viruses. Other studies have found that soaps containing antimicrobial active ingredients remove more bacteria than simply washing with plain soap and water. A study by Dr. Elaine Larson of Columbia University's School of Nursing found that the use of antibacterial products had no noticeable effects over a 48-week period. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published reports that question the use of antibacterial soap and hand sanitizers saying that it found no medical studies that showed a link between a specific consumer antibacterial product and a decline in infection rates.

Stuart Levy, a microbiologist at Tufts University, cited these studies to compare antibacterial action with antibiotic resistance: "Dousing everything we touch with antibacterial soaps and taking antibiotic medications at the first sign of a cold can upset the natural balance of microorganisms in and around us, leaving behind only the 'superbugs'." It has since been shown that the laboratory method used by Levy was not effective in predicting bacterial resistance for biocides like triclosan. At least seven peer-reviewed and published studies have been conducted demonstrating that triclosan is not significantly associated with bacterial resistance over the short term, including one study coauthored by Levy.

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