Is Antibacterial Soap Good or Bad?

All of us are bothered about our health. Therefore, we take utmost care to protect ourselves from germs and keep ourselves and our surroundings clean. The soaps have an important role to play in cleanliness. There are primarily two types of soaps available in the market, namely the regular soaps and the antibacterial soaps. If statistics are to be believed, about 75% of the soaps available in the market today are antibacterial soaps.

This brings us to the question, if these soaps are really good and do they actually provide what they claim. If one has to survey the market, then it is clearly seen that there are not only soaps, but also laundry detergents, shampoos, body washes, dish soaps, household cleaning products, etc., all available in the antibacterial versions.

The debate arises due to the way the antibacterial soaps have been marketed these days. It is said that they are necessary to reduce the chances of infection. Due to the constant hammering about the importance of these soaps, very few people wonder if these soaps good or bad. However, research is treading along the lines, whether antibacterial soaps are more harmful as opposed to the benefits.

Scientists are of the opinion, that the constant use of antibacterial soaps, there are chances that the bacteria may become resistant to the medicines, which are used to counter the bacteria in case of an infection. There have been incidences of the bacteria becoming resistant to drugs as well. If one has to look at the different advertisements, one will see that the antibacterial soaps are able to kill as many as 99.9% of the bacteria. Often people consider this to be a good sign that maximum of the bacteria are killed.

However, the 0.1% bacteria that remain continue to breed and the genetics which allowed them to survive the antibacterial properties of the soap makes the next generation of the bacteria resistant to the drugs. At the same time, it is important to note that these soaps kill not only the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria. According to some studies conducted, these soaps prove to be of no use, when it comes to different viruses, which cause runny nose, sore throat, fever, cough vomiting, etc.

Another line of thought is that humans should be exposed to some bacteria. The exposure to bacteria helps in strengthening the immune system. With the constant use of soaps with antibacterial properties, the body may not have the resistant power to kill the germs. The study also points to the fact, that people who constantly use antibacterial products are more prone to allergies and asthma.

A research was conducted to find out how well did the antibacterial soaps score over the regular soaps. After a yearlong research, it was found that there was hardly any difference between two the types of soaps.

Some of the ingredients used to make the antibacterial soaps can have other side effects as well. Triclosan is used to make the soaps, which may be responsible for causing cancer. Research is being conducted to find the same. Also it is important to note that triclosan causes damage to the aquatic ecosystems.

From the above discussion, it is clear that there are not too many benefits of using antibacterial soap. Therefore, one may not necessarily have to be bothered about the use of the said soap all the time. However, I would like to bring it to your notice, that if you suffer from any particular ailment, like allergies, etc., then it is best to consult your health care professional about the use of the said soap. The health care professional will be in a better position to tell you about the use of the said soap.