Plain soap and water is enough

When SARS-CoV-2 began to spread in England, antibacterial/antiviral hand wash and hand sanitizer became a target of panic buyers. While hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol to kill germs is important when we are outdoors and have no proper facilities to wash our hands, have you ever wondered whether it is necessary for us to use hand washing liquid, or soap with antibacterial/antiviral ingredients, at the sink or basin? Well, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says no to this.¹ Instead, they said "plain soap and water" is enough to kill germs.

In 2016, the U.S. FDA announced the banning of 19 common ingredients,² including triclosan and triclocarbon, in "antibacterial" soaps and body washes that are used with water. The FDA were concerned about the effects of these antibacterial ingredients in hand soaps and body washes when they are used on a long-term regular basis by consumers.

According to the FDA, "the benefits of using antibacterial hand soap haven't been proven." In 2013, the FDA proposed a rule requiring safety and efficacy data from manufacturers, consumers, and others if they wanted to continue marketing antibacterial products containing those ingredients, but very little information has been provided.

What is more, according to the FDA, the "wide use" of antibacterial products "over a long time has raised the question of potential negative effects on your health." "The manufacturers have not proven that those antibacterial active ingredients-including triclosan and triclocarban-are safe for daily use over a long period of time." Triclosan is an ingredient of concern to many environmental, academic and regulatory groups. Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters the way some hormones work in the body and raises potential concerns for the effects of use in humans. "We don't yet know how triclosan affects humans and more research is needed." In addition, laboratory studies have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. This resistance may have a significant impact on the effectiveness of medical treatments, such as antibiotics.

As "there isn't enough science to show that antibacterial soaps are better at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water," in the undesirable event of another pandemic, we don't need to panic or feel desperate if no antibacterial/antiviral hand wash or antibacterial soap can be found on the shelves of the shops. Plain soap is enough to kill germs if you wash your hands properly. And if you don't have alcoholic hand sanitizer with you, just simply stay at home as much as possible. Unnecessary outdoor activity exposes you to the virus environment and increases your risk of being infected whether or not you have alcoholic hand sanitizer with you.

References

1. "Antibacterial soap? You can skip it, use plain soap and water" The US FDA. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/antibacterial-soap-you-can-skip-it-use-plain-soap-and-water

2. "Consumer antiseptic wash final rule questions and answers. Guidance for industry" The US FDA. https://www.fda.gov/media/106652/download