Triclosan

Today the newsletter I received from Larry over at Vermont Soap works and The Green Products Alliance, of which I am a member, was about anti-bacterial ingredient triclosan and its dangers. This got me too thinking about all those unnecessary anti-bacterial soaps, and other triclosan containing products on the market.

As if issues such as how nasty theses products are for your skin over time and how potentially damaging they are for your general health (terms such as neurotoxin and carcinogen come to mind) aren't bad enough, I would think the fact that the growing popularity and widespread (over)use of commercial anti-bacterial soaps/detergents, which contain triclosan, is adding to the growing, deadly epidemic of drug resistant bacteria would be incentive for the consumer masses to steer clear! Click here to read more about the issue.

Natural soap and water is an effective germ removing tool for the average person (basically unless you're a surgeon, its good enough ;) , and if the soap contains an essential oil such as tea tree, which has natural bactericidal properties (that due to enough natural variance per batch, do not promote the existence of superbugs), even the most squeamish germaphobe can cleanse themselves confidently.