The agency says manufacturers have not shown that these products are any more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness or stopping the spread of certain infection.
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The FDA banned 19 active ingredients commonly found in antibacterial soaps – including triclosan and triclocarban – because they’ve been linked to antibiotic resistance and hormone disruption.
Manufacturers will have one year to remove the ingredients from their products or to take them off the market.
In 2013, the agency proposed a rule issuing new requirements to investigate the safety of several ingredients in the soaps, including the relatively common ingredients triclosan and triclocarbon, reiterating the concerns in calls issued in 2015 to manufacturers of healthcare antiseptics and again in June regarding hand sanitizers.
The finding led to Health Canada and Environment Canada to propose that industry voluntarily cut the amount of triclosan it uses, particularly in personal-care products that tend to get rinsed away into lakes and rivers. The rule covers 19 specific ingredients, including triclosan and triclocarban, the active ingredients in most consumer soaps that are used with water and rinsed off.
The release said some companies have already begun removing the banned ingredients from their products. Hand sanitizers and wipes are also immune from the ban.
About 40 percent of bar and liquid hand soaps contain the chemicals in question. “We can’t advise this enough”.
The group’s spokesman said companies are planning to submit data on three chemicals now used by industry: benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol. For triclosan, regulators said they didn’t receive human or animal studies demonstrating the drug is safe or effective.
People should remain diligent about washing their hands with regular soap and water “to avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of germs, especially during the start of the school year”, Michele said.
What do you think about the FDA’s rule banning antibacterial soaps?
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Antibacterial soaps containing benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol will remain on the market while manufacturers develop additional safety and effectiveness data for these ingredients, she said.
