Federal regulators on Friday banned antibacterial soaps that contain certain harmful ingredients, and gave companies one year to come up with new formulations of these products.
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that after a year, it will no longer allow antiseptic soaps and washes to be sold that include any of 19 active ingredients, such as the commonly used ingredients triclosan and triclocarban.
Antibacterial soaps are made by a slew of popular brands such as Dial and Softsoap. Many of these have already started switching over to new ingredients.
Hand sanitizers such as Purell or wipes are not affected by the ruling, neither are antibacterial products used in hospitals, FDA said.
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, head of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement.
The FDA proposed the rule about three years ago, in response to concerns about the long-term health effects of active ingredients, namely triclosan, which is found in liquid soaps, and triclocarban in bar soaps. The health risks of these ingredients include developing bacterial resistance and interfering with hormones.
The agency noted that since the proposed rule was released in 2013, “manufacturers already started phasing out the use of certain active ingredients in antibacterial washes, including triclosan and triclocarban.”
