Toxic Awareness Ingredient for the Week: Triclosan

Triclosan:

A synthetic “antibacterial” ingredient with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange! The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. It is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion; that is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools! Hormone disruptors pose enormous long-term chronic health risks by interfering with the way hormones perform, such as changing genetic material, decreasing fertility and sexual function, and fostering birth defects. Tufts University School of Medicine says that triclosan is capable of forcing the emergence of ‘super bugs’ that it cannot kill. Its widespread use in popular antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes and household products may have nightmare implications for our future.

Our Comments: Grab your garbage can and start throwing away all the antibacterial soaps that are in your bathroom, kitchen, family room, and garage! If the EPA registers Triclosan as a pesticide, my question is “Why in the world is it allowed in our hand soap?” Triclosan is known to cause cancer so in my opinion, this is outrageous! Here’s a question to ask yourself: “How often do you wash your hands with these antibacterial soaps?” How often are you exposing yourself to a highly toxic ingredient that is filtering right into your body?

Please comment and share your thoughts.