Is antibacterial soap bad for you?

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Is antibacterial soap good or bad for you? As the US Food and Drug Administration proposes a ruling that would require soap manufacturers to prove the safety and effectiveness of antimicrobials like triclosan and triclocarban, Risk Bites takes a look at some of the issues around these consumer products.

Please check the links below for more information -- especially on the FDA proposal, which is out for comment for the next six months.

And don't forget to join the conversation in the comments.

The Risk Bites Team:
Producer: Andrew Maynard
Research Director: David Faulkner
Research: Alyssa Berry

Also, many thanks to the University of Michigan Environmental Health Sciences Master in Public Health team working on triclosan: Anna Sadovnikova, Hao Xu, Charles ZhouKathryn Surnow, Elizabeth Wetzel and Kelly Serfling.


Risk Bites is supported by:
University of Michigan School of Public Health.
University of Michigan Risk Science Center.

FURTHER READING

FDA: FDA Taking Closer Look at 'Antibacterial' Soap.

FDA Press Release: FDA issues proposed rule to determine safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps.

FDA: Federal Register notice of proposed rule. Safety and Effectiveness of Consumer Antiseptics; Topical Antimicrobial Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use; Proposed Amendment of the Tentative Final Monograph; Reopening of Administrative Record.

EPA pesticides reregistration: Triclosan

CDC Triclosan factsheet:

Mayo Clinic: Triclosan: Is it safe?

Mind The Science Gap: Is Antibacterial Soap Bad For You? Part 1: Part 2:

National Toxicology Program supporting information for toxicological evaluation of triclosan (PDF):

Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky? Allison Aiello, Elaine Larson and Stuart Levy, Clin Infect Dis. (2007) 45 (Supplement 2): S137-S147

Washington Post: Antibacterial soap makers would need to prove efficacy under proposed FDA rules

New York Times: F.D.A. Questions Safety of Antibacterial Soaps

Risk Bites is your guide to making sense of risk. We cover everything from understanding and balancing the risks and benefits of everyday products, to health science more broadly, to the potential impacts of emerging technologies, to making sense of risk perception. If you enjoy our videos, please subscribe, and spread the word!