How to Choose Safer Soap

With research suggesting concerns about a common antibacterial ingredient, a child development expert offers tips for choosing better soaps.

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Photo: Don Bayley / istock

By Dan Shapley

Adding to a growing list of concerns about the common antibacterial ingredient triclosan, new research from the University of California at Davis showed a link between triclosan exposure and muscle weakness in laboratory animals, prompting a warning from one of The Daily Green's past Heart of Green Award winners, Dr. Phillip Landrigan, a pioneer in the effort to protect children from toxic chemicals.

Triclosan is found in many products, including some soaps, detergents and personal care products like some toothpastes and deodorants.

Dr. Landrigan recommends these steps for avoiding triclosan:

Avoid antibacterial soap or products labeled "antibacterial."
Avoid products with the words triclosan and triclocarban on the ingredient labels of personal care products.
Avoid products with words like "odor-fighting" and "keeps fresher, longer."

Parents worried about dirty hands should remember that both the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend simple handwashing, without antibacterial soap, for effective protection against germs and pathogens. Wash your hands in hot soapy water for 20 to 30 seconds, and scrub surfaces regularly.

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