It sounds like it's time to throw out the antibacterial soap in your house. The Food and Drug Administration is banning 19 chemicals commonly found in such products, including triclosan and triclocarban, due to potentially harmful side effects. "If the product makes antibacterial claims, chances are pretty good it contains one of these ingredients," Theresa Michele, the FDA's director of the Division of Nonprescription Drug Products, told reporters.
Evidence suggests that the chemicals used in antibacterial soaps can alter hormone cycles and cause muscle weakness, NPR reports. Triclosan also kills good bacteria and could help create germs that are resistant to antibiotics; the chemical has been known to contaminate streams and has been found in human milk and dolphin's blood, according to Vitals.
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