The following is part of an Organic Living Journey Guest Post Series now written by Mariana who has a mother’s heart and scientist’s brain.

We’re coming in out of the sun to start exploring body care products…a market with endless choices! Today, we’re starting this body care journey with the most basic of hygiene products: soap.

Confession time: when I started researching soap, I had a plan. I thought I’d research some “red flag” ingredients, find some natural alternatives, and move on my happy, healthy way. Instead, I quickly found a red flag ingredient that’s easy to avoid and easy to live without. Please forgive the tangent, but we’re going to focus on antibacterial soaps this week. Bath soaps and shower gels next week! Pinkie swear.

Why do we use soap?

For the most part, we use soap to remove dirt and prevent odors. Some smart scientist discovered that soap and water also kills and prevents the spread of bacteria. Then someone realized that they can market “antibacterial” soaps by adding a chemical that is designed to kill bacteria. Triclosan kills bacteria all by itself, even without soap. What is triclosan?

Triclosan – a pesticide that is a commonly used antibacterial agent. The FDA gave triclosan a “pass” (meaning they didn’t research it too thoroughly), and it has been in our products, unregulated, since 1972. However, The FDA has been promising to take another look at triclosan for years now. A review is expected this year.

How does triclosan work? Other disinfectants, like alcohol or peroxide, work by destroying bacterial cell walls, popping them open like a piñata and killing it on the spot. Triclosan works by sneaking into the cell, messing with one of the bacterium’s enzymes that will lead to its eventual demise. Triclosan attacks a pathway; bacteria learn to defend this pathway.

What happens when, for example, they expose the tuberculosis bacteria (TB) to triclosan? The bacterium will learn to block triclosan’s pathway. The kicker? Several vaccines, including the TB vaccine, use the same pathway as triclosan to kill the cell, rendering the TB vaccine (and triclosan) worthless. The result? Triclosan can create strains of vaccine-resistant tuberculosis and other diseases.

Are there health concerns?

Besides creating superhero-strength TB and other “super bugs”, studies have shown that triclosan is a known hormone disruptor, interfering with normal hormone development and affecting how the brain and reproductive systems work. Yikes. Not to mention…

Triclosan produces what?!

Chloroform. As it turns out, when triclosan comes in contact with chlorinated water (tap water) it reacts and forms chloroform. In 1994 (yes, almost TEN years ago), the CDC issued an IDLH on chloroform. IDLH? Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health.

Read More→