Think Green Live Clean

Vimages- Pierre Vignau

The next time you wash your hands, take a look at the soap you  use.  If that bottle has the word “antibacterial” on it, pause. Think. Bacteria’s bad, right? So something anti-bad is good, right? Not necessarily so. Our automatic reach for products that carry the antibacterial claim needs to be examined, and there are two main reasons why.

First of all, the antibacterial drug in hand soaps is not fully broken down by water treatment systems and is building up in our environment and food chain. Called triclosan, the chemical was first registered as a pesticide back in 1969. Triclosan is turning up more and more in lakes and streams, and in the water our food is grown with. All by itself that’s harmful. Oh, and hey, sunlight and chlorine exposure may also transform those compounds into dioxins (a.k.a. one of the most toxic chemicals known to science).

Secondly, the more we expose bacteria to the drug, the greater become their defenses to it; drug-immune, hard-to-kill deadly super-bugs can evolve. And it weakens our immune systems, since fighting off bugs in the first place is what gives us antibodies. And the stuff might not even be better than regular soap, which doesn’t have toxic chemicals in it.

Hardly the squeaky clean you were going for, with your lovely Bath & Body Works® Sunburst Tangerine Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap with Fresh Source™ Technology, was it? Well, just call me Erin Brockovich, and you’re welcome.

Truth is, I’m no sleuth- this stuff is so widely discussed we should all know it by now. But we’re still buying antibacterial soaps, and other products, if the aisles of the supermarket are any indication. But don’t despair, switching is easy! Just pick the pretty bottle or bar without the word ‘antibacterial.’ Use plain old rubbing alcohol to sanitize things (this hand spray is my personal favorite).  And spread the word.