Triclosan which is also called TCS is an anti-bacterial agent. This ingredient is widely used in cleaning products to give it a cleansing boost. The intent of adding this agent to products is to prevent the accumulation of contaminants. The first time this chemical or agent was used with humans was back in 1972. At that time, it has been used for cleaning after surgery has been conducted.
It is clear that the Triclosan agent has good intentions on the surface. However, digging deeper only reveals that its use is simply not good enough for us in the long run.
Why is Triclosan bad?
There are many reasons why Triclosan might not be so clean after all (pun intended).
Endocrine disruptor
Triclosan can disrupt our endocrine. This means that it disrupts our hormones and can cause malignant tumors to grow. The end result of endocrine disruptors is that it leads to cancer. Yes, it is ironic that something designed to make us clean can cause tumors to grow.
Bacteria Resistance
When you overuse triclosan the bacteria on our body can buildup a resistance to it. This means the bacteria mutate in such a way that triclosan is no longer effective in killing it. Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial or antibacterial applications is one of the global health threats we face in the near future. Imagine coming down with a bacterial infection and find that traditional drugs will not be able to treat it.
Lipophilic
Triclosan can be stored in fat cells and hides in your blood and even a woman’s breast milk. The body doesn’t readily get rid of it and it can continue to build. This will allow it to contribute to long term effects long after you have used it.
Dioxin
Which products is it found in?
There are many products in which this agent can be found. It is very popular in soaps and cleaning products such as dishwashing liquids. However, triclosan can even be added to toothpaste which is quite scary seeing that this goes directly in your mouth.
How to recognize Triclosan on products?
Triclosan is usually stated as such on the ingredient lists of a product or drug. There might be rare cases when using triclosan is better than not using it, but for the majority of cases, it appears that you would be better off avoiding it. It is most definitely not needed just for regular cleaning. Regular soap and water clean very well.
There are plenty of plant-based antibacterial alternatives for the cases when this is required. Other than that, it is simply not needed for everyday applications. The risk certainly outweighs the benefits.
What are the alternatives
In 99% of situations, you will not need antibacterial soap for everyday use. Regular soap and water are good enough. A side effect of learning about germs is that now we can’t wait to get rid of them. But that might not do what you expect.
Plant-based hand soap, toothpaste, and detergents from companies whose mission is to produce quality all-natural or organic products are the chosen alternatives.
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