F.D.A. takes action against 19 different chemicals in soaps

robert99

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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/03/science/fda-bans-sale-of-many-antibacterial-soaps-saying-risks-outweigh-benefits.html
“This stuff makes no sense.”
The Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of soaps containing certain antibacterial chemicals on Friday, saying industry had failed to prove they were safe to use over the long term or more effective than using ordinary soap and water.

In all the F.D.A. took action against 19 different chemicals and has given industry a year to take them out of their products. About 40 percent of soaps — including liquid hand soap and bar soap – contain the chemicals. Triclosan, mostly used in liquid soap, and triclocarban, in bar soaps, are by far the most common.

The rule applies only to consumer hand washes and soaps. Other products may still contain the chemicals. At least one toothpaste, Colgate Total, still does, but the F.D.A. says its maker proved that the benefits of using it — reducing plaque and gum disease — outweigh the risks.

The 19 chemicals are -
  • Cloflucarban
  • Fluorosalan
  • Hexachlorophene
  • Hexylresorcinol
  • Iodophors (Iodine-containing ingredients)
○ Iodine complex (ammonium ether sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate)

○ Iodine complex (phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy polyethylene glycol)

○ Nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanoliodine

○ Poloxamer—iodine complex

○ Povidone-iodine 5 to 10 percent

○ Undecoylium chloride iodine complex

  • Methylbenzethonium chloride
  • Phenol (greater than 1.5 percent)
  • Phenol (less than 1.5 percent)
  • Secondary amyltricresols
  • Sodium oxychlorosene
  • Tribromsalan
  • Triclocarban
  • Triclosan
  • Triple dye
(have fun googling those beauties and finding out what they do to your body!)

FDA's news release at FDA issues final rule on safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps
The whole legal blah blah blah small print etc at Federal Register | Safety and Effectiveness of Consumer Antiseptics; Topical Antimicrobial Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use
 
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I've spent much of the past half-dozen years hectoring people at the shared offices of my environmental group to remove the antibacterial soaps from the bathrooms and kitchen. This has been done, but rather grudgingly. "We have some people who won't use antibacterial soaps." (Sotto voce, "you know, nut jobs!")

I am glad the FDA has finally come through on this--where common sense had mostly failed.