After years of concerns about potential triclosan risks, the FDA has finally banned the use of triclosan, triclocarban in hand soaps, beginning in 2017. This comes because of an FDA proposed rule in 2013 which stated that the use of products containing these ingredients “could pose health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effects.”
What’s curious is that the FDA says that triclosan risks are serious, but they allow it to still be used in toothpaste, hand sanitizers, and as a preservative in lots of other personal care products like cosmetics, shave cream and deodorants. How is it detrimental in one use but not in another?
I’m thinking that if a chemical is bad to put on you, it’s bad to put on you. Or in you.
Poking around the net to do some research shows a significant number of triclosan risks.
Triclosan Health Risks
For example, low levels of triclosan may disrupt thyroid function.
Besides potentially screwing with your endocrine system, triclosan interferes with muscle function. A study done at UC Davis demonstrated heart muscle function being reduced by 25% after lab mice were exposed to one dose of triclosan. When individual human muscle cells (both from heart and from skeletal muscle) were exposed to triclosan muscle function was disrupted in both samples.
The lead author of the UC Davis study, Isaac Pessah, stated, “Triclosan is found in virtually everyone’s home and is pervasive in the environment. These findings provide strong evidence that the chemical is of concern to both human and environmental health.”
More kids have allergies today than they did 40 years ago. Is it possible that since triclosan has been shown to have a positive association with allergy or hay fever diagnoses, that part of the cause is the omnipresence of this chemical?
And if the triclosan risks to our health wasn’t enough, it is also causing damage to the environment.
Triclosan Environmental Risks
Triclosan isn’t removed by wastewater treatment, so ends up in our water supply. Flowing from our hands to our drains to our lakes and rivers, it is toxic to aquatic life.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention detected triclosan in 58% of US waterways. We lose twice.
So here’s a suggestion:
Stop using products that contain triclosan.
It will be better for your health, better for your kids’ health and better for the environment.
The average person in America is exposed to dozens of toxic chemicals every day.
There are safe, effective products available that can protect you from this assault on your health.
Stop the soak. Join the movement.
If you want to start protecting your family from toxic products, add a comment below and let’s talk about it.
