Antibacterial Hand And Body Wash Products No More Effective Than Soap, FDA Says

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned over-the-counter products that contain one of the 19 ingredients that are not proven safe. They consist of 2,100 products that make up 40 percent of the market. According to FDA, these products are actually no more effective than soap and water and could even cause harm.

According to Reuters, antibacterial products including alcohol-based sanitizers used in clinics and hospitals are not affected. Among the companies that used to contain some of the 19 ingredients were Procter & Gamble Co, Colgate-Palmolive Co, and Johnson & Johnson. All companies said they are either reformulating or have reformulated their products to remove the most common ingredients which include triclocarban and triclosan.

CBS News reported that the chemicals have been scrutinized for quite a long time already and some manufacturers have removed the ingredients from their items. In 2013, FDA proposed banning the ingredients unless companies could provide proofs that they are effective and safe. However, the data presented were unsatisfactory. On the other hand, the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) insisted that their products are effective. Its members include Dial Corp.

Certain companies released their statements. As for Colgate-Palmolive, spokesman Thomas DiPiazza, their U.S. products are not affected; however, some of their bar soaps in Puerto Rico are currently being reformulated. As for Procter & Gamble, spokeswoman Tressi Rose said the company will replace a small quantity of their products in advance of the deadline set by the FDA.

According to Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, the industry needed "a good, swift kick in the triclosan" and that it took far too long. Environmental Working Group is a non-profit environmental research organization. At present, manufacturers are doing a research that aims to fill data gaps that were identified by the FDA.

Meanwhile, a ruling on three additional ingredients — benzethonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, and chloroxylenol (PCMX) — was deferred by a year. Products containing these ingredients may still be sold during this time.