I have a pet peeve and it's this whole antibacterial hand soap craze! I can't understand why, in an age where superbugs are starting to emerge and kill people and everyone is talking about the overuse of antibiotics in medicine, people would jump on another antibacterial craze.
Do you know what has been used for hundreds of years, is safe (at least when you leave out colours and fragrances), doesn't lead to antibacterial resistance and eliminates enough bacteria to keep you healthy? It's called soap!
A review of various scientific studies has found that your average made-for-home use antibacterial soaps were no more effective than plain soaps.[1] In addition, researchers say that the main active ingredient in many antibacterial soaps "may cause some bacteria to become resistant to commonly used drugs such as amoxicillin."[1]
If that's not enough to discourage you from using antibacterial soaps, another study has shown that a common antibacterial chemical used in soaps interfere with normal hormone action in a way that may contribute to health problems including cancer, reproductive failure and developmental anomalies.[2] This hormone interruption may not be a "big deal" on its own but there are lots of chemicals out there that can affect us so we hardly need one more, especially one that is not really providing us with any benefit.
So please consider doing your body a favour... Throw out your antibacterial soaps and stick with plain old soap.
[1] The Risk. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070815173055.htm.
[2] Activities, Study Finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071207150713.htm.
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