I must admit that in my house we might be thought to be a little lax when it comes to germs. I am not saying that we don’t wash our hands when we go to the bathroom or before we eat. We play in the yard digging for bugs and worms and get big slobbery kisses from our dog. We are not afraid of dirt, and follow the “five second rule”. That said, we are a very clean family. We focus on washing our hands to ensure that there is no, as my 2 year-old says, “durt” when we touch food.
Now, I have never been big on anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizer because I believe that we need to build up our immunity to bacteria and viruses to make us stronger. When the kids were infants I did use these types of cleaning products but now that they are older, these products are basically non-existent in our house.
So when I was asked to test out a new, natural, non-toxic hand sanitizer, I was little disinterested, but began a dialog with the company because I was willing to learn more. One of the key points of this new product was they do not use triclosan, a widely used anti-bacterial agent.
What is triclosan you ask? Well, this is what I learned, and it is not a pleasant story…
Triclosan is antimicrobial and antifungal pesticide that is used in a wide variety of products found in retail stores across the country including soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics, deodorants, personal care products, first aid, kitchenware, computer electronics, toys, plastics, paints and clothing. It is widely known as Microban which is infused into everything from cutting boards, pillows and shoes because it inhibits the growth of microbes, such as bacteria, mold and mildew. Ok, that does not sound that bad…yet.
However, according to Beyond Pesticides, a group dedicated to eliminating toxic and harmful pesticides from our environment, “Studies have increasingly linked one of the most common antimicrobial, triclosan (and its chemical cousin triclocarban), to a range of adverse health and environmental effects, from skin irritation, allergy susceptibility, bacterial and compounded antibiotic resistance, tainted water, and dioxin contamination to destruction of fragile aquatic ecosystems.”
As explained on Wikipedia:
During wastewater treatment, a portion of triclosan is degraded while the remaining adsorbs to sewage sludge or exits the plant in wastewater effluent. In the environment, triclosan may be degraded by microorganisms or react with sunlight forming other compounds which may include chlorophenols and dioxin, or it may adsorb to particles that settle out of the water column and form sediment. Triclosan was found in Greifensee, a small lake in Switzerland, sediment that was over 30 years old, suggesting that triclosan is degraded or removed slowly in sediment.
Whoa….wait a minute, Triclosan degrades into dioxins and chlorophenols, both are known carcinogens. Studies have shown that ultraviolet light converts triclosan to dioxins and it is believed that sunlight could transform triclosan to dioxins naturally. Scientist at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA tested 16 products including soaps, lotions and body wash with triclosan and without. They discovered that the triclosan products reacted with chlorinated water to produce chloroform, another carcinogen. So this stuff breaks down into cancer causing agents. I think we’ll keep our hands a bit dirtier and live longer.
In a press release from the Environmental Working Group, the organization states:
Triclosan has been linked to cancer in lab animals, has been targeted for removal from some stores in Europe for its health and environmental risks, and the American Medical Association recommends against its use in the home. It is also linked to liver and inhalation toxicity, and low levels of triclosan may disrupt the thyroid hormone system. Thyroid hormones are essential to proper growth and development, particularly for brain growth in utero and during infancy.
Triclosan breaks down into very toxic chemicals, including a form of dioxin; methyl triclosan, which is acutely toxic to aquatic life; and chloroform, a carcinogen formed when triclosan mixes with tap water that has been treated with chlorine. Scientists surveyed 85 U.S. rivers and streams, and found traces of triclosan in more than half.
Just last month, Beyond Pesticides, along with Food and Water Watch, Greenpeace US, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and dozens of public health and environmental groups filed a comment/letter with the Environmental Protection Agency, urging the the agency to stop all non-medical use of triclosan because of its detrimental effects on our health and the environment. You can read the press release and comments submitted to the EPA by clicking here [PDF] and here [PDF].
As I mentioned, triclosan can be found in many, many everyday products. To see a detailed list of products and brands, check out the list on Beyond Pesticides by clicking here. Some very well known brands are on the list like Colgate Total toothpaste. Toothpaste? How scary is that? You are putting triclosan and therefore carcinogens directly into your mouth and your body! So rinse and spit, and now you have chloroform. The Colgate website touts: “Colgate Total® formula is so revolutionary it’s even patented. One of its active ingredients is triclosan, which is used to help prevent plaque and gingivitis. The formula’s copolymer enables triclosan to continue working in the mouth for 12 hours.” Great! So use this toothpaste and triclosan will stay in your mouth for 12 hours! That’s 12 more hours of exposure to a potential cancer causing agent than I want.
So how do we get rid of those unwanted germs when we really need to? Well let’s go back to that product I dismissed at first. It is called Clean Well made from Ingenium, a natural germ killing product derived from thyme and other essential oils. According to the company, Clean Well kills 99.99% of germs on contact including E. Coli, Salmonella, Staph (MRSA) and Pseudomonas. Clean Well is made from a renewable resource that is sustainably grown with no pesticides, irrigation or fertilizer and there are no toxic byproducts from the manufacturing process. Clean Well comes in a spray, as hand wipes and hand wash foam. So for when you have a house full of sick kids or are cooking with chicken and want to kill germs, you know can avoid triclosan.
To read more about triclosan check out the Environmental Working Group site where they give detailed information on the effects of triclosan on our health and the environment, what products contain triclosan and much, much more.
Those germs don’t look so bad anymore….so are you gonna give up your anti-bacterial soaps, or are you gonna to keep on using triclosan-based products?
To read more of my post, check out my blog, Green Luvin’.
I could not agree more, well said.
Being an acupuncturist and natural medicine practitioner for over 10 years, I had a chance to see many similar things. You are probably aware of materials such as SLS (Sodium lauryl sulfate) and few of its family members that can be found practically in every common shampoo and soap, and have very similar dangers as the Triclosan. and there are quite a few other similar materials out there. I think it is important to bring it out for the awareness of the public, and to give immediate alternatives as you did, since there are very nice alternatives out there.
On a different note, I had the pleasure of walking with some of my friends and patients through the most difficult tiles of their lives, sometimes in the end crossing over to the other side, but, many times, staying here much longer than expected.
One particular woman who was my close friend, Terry, had a similar approach to the one you are describing, focusing on the cancer and building natural immunity with regards to the germs. Being in remission from cancer, having the same attitude is much harder to have, and, when it re-appear, it is even harder.
But, she kept having a balanced life, full of yoga, healthy living, and constant growth of mind body and soul. Fighting like a lioness with every breath, since she was the last one left for her 3 young kids.
She was able to live for quite a few more years, much longer than they ever expected her to. Her last few years were full of inner and outer strength which was spreading around her to anyone she met. I have met quite a few gurus in my life, and without a doubt, Terry was, in her own way, no less than any of them.
Thank you for the post, I believe we need more like it.
Green Samurai
08/21/08 » 7:45 pm »
You are correct that triclosan is one solution created by Microban to protect against the growth of microbes on product surfaces. However, if you do more research you will realize that this is only one of the many unique solutions that Microban utilizes, therefore, it cannot be said that triclosan is synonymous with Microban, seeing as they produce many more options beyond that … and seeing that no Microban technology is infused into the toothpastes and soaps that you aforementioned. Additionally, Microban technology has undergone extensive independent laboratory testing and has a long history of safe use. It is registered with the EPA for all applications in which it is used. I think that before we discontinue use of products that are protected against bacteria and other microbes, we should do more research to see if they really are harmful in any way.
08/22/08 » 4:43 am »
I recently realised just how much carcegenic chemicals there are in my house (it was shocking) and replaced almost every beauty and cleaning products, especially antibacterial products. I am going back to just baking powder and vinegar for cleaning.
You managed to explain the dangers of these chemicals much more eliquently, and in much much more detail, thank you.
08/22/08 » 5:58 am »
Furry Slippers » Blog Archive » Cancer or Germs? I’ll take the germs.
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08/22/08 » 2:47 pm »
Hi there – brilliant post, in fact, I penned a piece about ‘My Toxic Moment’ recently and was trawling through these very same facts.
There’s so much re-education needed for the regular folks in the high street who ‘trust’ the chemist and supermarkets for selling them ‘kind to nature’ products for everyday cleaning of the house and the body – the facts about respiratory problems, skin problems and more besides if phenomenal.
Well done for being a shining chicky light doing just that!
Wicked girlie blog by the way – too right Mother Nature is a woman!
Tracey Smith
Author of ‘The Book of Rubbish Ideas’
08/24/08 » 9:42 am »
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