By Dr. Charles-Davies
There’s no doubt that antibacterial soaps have become quite popular in recent times, with many people opting for it as a better and safer alternative to regular soap in preventing illnesses and diseases in their homes.
Because of the name ‘antibacterial’ and the fact that many germs are easily killed by these chemicals is a reason why people trust these soaps when deciding what cleaning agent to use when caring for their homes.
But the question is: “Do these antibacterial soaps really work to prevent diseases at home or is this just another marketing stunt by big companies trying to sell their products?”
Well, the answer is quite simple: They are not better than regular soaps in preventing diseases. Even the American Food and Drug Administration released a warning to the public to avoid these soaps and stick to regular soaps. If this is surprising to you, well, we will be explaining the reasons why they are not better and why you should avoid them.
1. There Is No Proven Benefit Of Antibacterial Soaps Over Regular Soaps
The label ‘antibacterial’ does not necessary mean that it is better for your use. There’s been some research but no evidence that antibacterial soaps are better than regular soaps in preventing diseases. The fact is that just washing your hands with soap is hygienic enough to keep you safe from unnecessary infections, you don’t need any extra chemicals. Even for activities like taking a shower, washing clothes, or using a dishwasher to handle the dishes, you should stick with regular soap.
2. There Are Safety Concerns Over Long-Term Exposure
These antibacterial soaps contain chemicals, one of these is triclosan. This chemical has been known to affect the way hormones work in the body of animals during studies and its long-term effects on humans is not known. For this reason, it is important to be cautious and stick with regular soaps.
3. They Kill ‘Good Bacteria’
If you didn’t know, all bacteria are not bad, some of them are beneficial to our bodies. Our skin, intestines, mouths, and other body parts are home to many types of bacteria that live without causing diseases. These are good bacteria.
They colonize these parts of our bodies and sometimes assist us in staying healthy. If they are killed by antibacterial soaps, this can give room for disease-causing germs to colonize our skin.
4. They Can Contribute To Antibiotic Resistance
There is a growing concern about antibiotic resistance, so much that the World Health Organization has been championing several campaigns against the unnecessary use of antibiotics. The concern is that when we keep using antibiotics and other antibacterial agents when they are not necessary, bacteria get to adjust and become resistant to medication that should normally kill them off. This happens a lot and is a reason why we must use these agents only when they are necessary. So, regular hand washing does not require antibacterial soaps, also
5. They Can Affect The Environment Negatively
Triclosan is often used as a pesticide and has raised concerns about its safety in the environment. When you wash your plates in a dishwasher with antibacterial soap, the active chemicals get into the drain and into sewage intact and can destroy algae- an important part of the ecosystem.
So, this is another reason why you should not pick any soap with the word ‘antibacterial’ when next you are at the mall buying groceries.
Guest article by Dr. Charles-Davies, a medical doctor based in Lagos.
