We all use soap in our daily life to clean our body and hands from dirt and dust.  But recently a new kind of soap called antibacterial soap has become an integral part of our washroom, which was earlier only used in hospitals. Most of the soap brands offer antibacterial soaps, and they claim that these soaps remove germs and bacteria from the body. They also claim that these soaps reduce the chances of getting sick significantly. Even after these claims, questions have been always raised that how effective they are at doing this – among a host of other potential criticisms.

What is antibacterial soap:

Anti-bacterial soap has long been purported as the new standard in domestic sanitation.  As the name suggests, they are made for killing bacteria. These soaps contain ingredient like triclosan which is a popular for its bacteria killing effects.

Is Anti-bacterial Soap Harmful?

A main culprit is one of the most popular antibiotic ingredients of these soaps – triclosan. It has been criticized for its rapid breakdown (in less than 60 seconds) when used with  standard chlorinated tap water and its tendency to make chloroform – a toxic chemical – through reactions with the chlorine used to purify the water. This rapid breakdown means that triclosan soaps may not perform nearly as well as they are expected to. Rather, they may simply be introducing chloroform, and other toxic substances, into our homes and back into the environment.

On that note, the second criticism of antibacterial soaps comes to mind. When people used antibacterial soap, the water finds its way back into the environment where all the antibiotic ingredients are now exposed – in small concentrations – to all forms of bacteria. Some of these bacteria are disease-causing and – through prolonged exposure to these antibacterial agents – may establish a natural immunity to them, and similar antibiotics. This has the potential to make an awful problem in which a new infectious strain of bacteria emerges that does not respond to known antibiotics and, thus, presents a new – very difficult to treat – illness.

Dangers of antibacterial soap:

1. These soaps contain triclosan which is dangerous for human cell.
2. They don’t provide protection from most common germs cause by a virus.
3. Use of antibacterial soaps results in environmental imbalance.
4. Little kids develop their immunity slowly by exposure to bacteria. These soaps can hinder this process and result in kids being more susceptible to diseases.

Benefits of antibacterial soaps:

1. They reduce the spread of bacteria and germs.
2. Washing hand before meals with these soap prevents harmful bacteria to get into stomach.
3. They provide protection from the bacteria found in your surroundings and help in reducing the spread of diseases.