FDA (The Food and Drug Administration) forbid the commercialization of many antibacterial soaps in the USA, explaining that there are no evidences that these soaps would be more efficient than the normal ones and they could cause hormonal problems as well as the immunity’s decreasing (through the increasing of the resistance to bacteria). Janet Woodcock, the director of the Drug Evaluation and Research Center says that the consumers may be tempted to think that the antibacterial soaps are more efficient in the prevention of the germs’ spreading, but there are no scientific evidences that these are better than the water and the normal soap. Actually, some information suggests that the antibacterial ingredients could do more harm than good, on long term.

The new regulation applies to any soap or antiseptic product that contains one or more of the 19 forbidden chemical compounds, like triclosan, which often gets into the composition of the liquid soaps. There are studies showing that this chemical substance could affect the hormones and the organism’s capacity of fighting against the bacteria. More, there are researchers who consider that usage of these soaps contributes to the apparition of some super bacteria, with other words, the chemical substances from the antibacterial products cause the mutation of the bacteria and these become more resistant.

Triclosan is an antibacterial agent that can cause the perturbation of the endocrine system. It alters the sexual and thyroid hormones, like the estrogen and the testosterone. 93% of the liquid soaps, labeled as antibacterial contain triclosan, according to the FDA. The same FDA offered one year to the traders to modify the composition of the soaps. If anything, they were announced that will be coerced to recall the soaps from the market. Before this interdiction announcement, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble decided to withdraw the triclosan from their products.