Sunday, June 09, 2013

Safety & Effectiveness of Triclosan in Household Products

I saw this interesting article about the antibacterial ingredient triclosan (5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol)  by CBS news.   http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57582621/does-antibacterial-soap-cause-more-harm-than-good-fda-to-decide-after-four-decades/ 

Triclosan is in all sorts of household products including antibacterial hand soap, acne wash, mouthwash, and even toothpaste.   Although used in household products for 40 years, the FDA has yet to decide if triclosan is actually effective as an antibacterial ingredient or safe for those that use these products.  It appears some recent animal studies are showing an increased risk of hormone related problems such as infertility and early puberty.  I’ll be interested to see what they decide.