$5 billion of soap, bath and shower products were sold in the United States last year. According to Mintel Group a market-research company, two-thirds of these consumers were looking for anti-bacterial hand soaps.
Soaps and body washes with an “antibacterial” label may cause more harm than good. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the potential risks outweigh benefits in antibacterial soaps. It continued by quoting Colleen Rogers, Ph.D, a lead microbiologist at FDA:
In fact, there currently is no evidence that over-the-counter (OTC) antibacterial soap products are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water. New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use may outweigh the benefits.
If you are thinking these products will keep you cleaner and reduce the risk of getting sick or passing on germs, think again!
FDA said it is not necessarily keeping you away from sickness or germs because the benefits were never proven. Antibacterial soap products contain triclosan and triclocarban. In the same FDA report, it says that laboratory studies have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. It also shows that triclosan and triclocarban will affect human hormones.
In addition, some of these cleaning products that are marketed as hand sanitizers that do not require water are heavily laden with alcohol.
Here are four alternatives if you are looking for safer way to wash and clean-
Thieves Foaming Hand Soap – cleanse, defend and condition the skin with the therapeutic-grade essential oil blend Thieves, lemon and orange essential oils, aloe, Ginkgo biloba and vitamin E. These natural ingredients won’t dry the skin.
Young Living Thieves is a proprietary blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, Eucalyptus radiata and rosemary essential oils. It has been documented to be highly antibacterial and antimicrobial in nature. (Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils).
Thieves wipes-when you are out and about and are concern with hygiene, bring along Thieves wipes. These wipes are ideal for cleaning door handles, toilet seats and any surface. It is safe to use as a hand wipe in the kitchen, car, office, while shopping or traveling.
Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier– is an all-natural hand purifier without the alcohol. It is designed to clean and refresh the hands when water is not available. Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier’s natural ingredients includes denatured ethanol (denatured with peppermint oil), water, aloe barbadensis leaf, vegetable glycerin, clove flower bud oil, lemon peel oil, cinnamon bark oil, eucalyptus radiate leaf oil, rosemary leaf oil and hydroxylpropyl cellulose.
Lavender Foaming Hand Soap– this is a gentle cleansing soap that soothes and rejuvenates even the most sensitive skin. You only need a small amount to clean and condition your skin. Lavender foaming hand soap contains natural ingredients of lavender oil, green tea leaf extract, myrrh oil, Vitamin A, aloe vera leaf juice, lemon oil and more.
Manufacturers have until 2016 to pull all the antibacterial products from the shelves because of these reasons (Read more here)-
1. They are no more effective in killing germs than the regular soap and water.
2. They have the potential to create antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
3. They may act as endocrine disruptors because triclosan will interfere with thyroid hormones, lead to infertility, artificially-advanced early puberty, cancer and obesity.
4. May lead to developing allergies like peanut allergies and hay fever.
5. They are bad for the environment.
Is it time to make a change? For more information about Young Living’s hygiene and household cleaning products, please contact me at betterliving@yadtel.net. I’m here to answer any questions you have about getting the products for less.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It is for informational or educational purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek qualified health professionals and do your own research.