The fight against microbes has been in full effect for some time now and rightfully so! Considering the nearly immeasurable number of bacteria we are exposed to on a daily basis, cleaning your hands, body, and environment regularly is definitely a good idea. However, using antibacterial soaps or cleaners to clean is NOT such a good idea.

What makes the soap Antibacterial?

Have you ever wondered what makes antibacterial soap antibacterial? The answer is a specific ingredient called triclosan. Triclosan specialises in destroying potentially harmful bacteria found on skin, under nails, and on a variety of other surfaces. Nevertheless, triclosan has also been linked to causing:

• Allergies
• Endocrine disruption
• Inflammation
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Weight gain

Avoid Bacterial Infection and increase Cancer risk?!

Studies have shown that triclosan also promotes tumour growth. Therefore, when you combine that effect with triclosan’s ability to cause inflammation, it may create the ideal conditions for the development of cancer.

Triclosan: A plague to your Hormones

It is important to add that triclosan classifies as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. In other words, triclosan not only disrupts hormone function, but also poses lasting effects that compromise the entire endocrine system. As a result, consistent triclosan exposure can trigger cancer in the:

• Breasts
• Ovaries
• Prostate
• Testes

Such hormonal disturbance can also produce premature birth, low birth weight in infants, early puberty in girls, and undescended testicles in boys. Researchers believe that triclosan is so influential on hormones because its structure is similar to thyroid hormones and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). That similarity in structure allows triclosan to bind to hormone receptors throughout the body.

What you can do to protect your Immune and Endocrine Systems

Clearly, using antibacterial products that contain triclosan provides a service to your immune system, but yields a disservice to your endocrine system. Thus, you may feel frustrated trying to figure out what you can do to protect yourself from every angle. Well, don’t worry. Warm water and mild soap go a long way in cleaning your body and home as well as eliminating bad microbes. Just ‘Ask a Naturopath’ for more advice on healthy cleaning and body care.