It started right after Thanksgiving -- a stomach flu that first hit Alden, my two-year-old. Then it got me, and then Graham (the baby), and finally my husband Chris. After the stomach flu completed its cycle, next up was this awful cold with a barking cough, which made the full round of our family twice and cut short our recent Christmas vacation.
The second time it hit Graham was the worst. My normally social and smiley baby didn't smile for almost a week. He could barely keep any food down and was hacking like a pack-a-day smoker with a 20-year habit.
With all this suffering, I'm sure you can understand why I've become obsessed with washing hands. My kids' hands, my hands, and your hands, too. Anyone who sets foot in my apartment will be politely requested to wash their hands thoroughly before touching anything, especially the baby.
But hand-washing obsessive though I might be, I won't use antibacterial soaps or antibacterial hand sanitizers as an extra precaution. They're not any better than washing with regular soap and water, and they contain something normal soap doesn't -- hormone-disrupting chemicals called triclosan and triclocarban.
Having had trouble becoming pregnant, I am only too aware of the studies demonstrating that triclosan interferes with thyroid hormone, and triclocarban can enhance the activity of male and female sex hormones. This is especially consequential for the growing bodies of children -- amplified hormonal effects at the wrong time may increase the risk of breast and prostate cancers as well as infertility. Scientists are also concerned that the overuse of antimicrobial chemicals like these could promote antibiotic resistance, leading to the creation of superbugs that are difficult to vanquish with today's antibiotics.
Am I putting my family at risk by not using a more "powerful" soap? Not at all. Scientific studies have shown, and the FDA agrees, that antibacterial soaps are no more effective than washing with regular soap and water. All that stuff you read on the label is marketing hype.
Why are these unnecessary chemicals in our soap in the first place? Because for more than 33 years, the FDA has been looking into antimicrobials like triclosan without coming to any conclusions, despite growing scientific evidence that there is cause for concern. NRDC filed a lawsuit in 2010 to pressure the FDA to complete its review. The agency was supposed to finally announce its findings on the safety of triclosan and triclocarban in the spring of 2011, but has since delayed the release of the findings to later this year.
NRDC is continuing to push the case in court, and meanwhile, in the absence of action by the FDA, consumer groups and some members of Congress have taken up the call. At their urging, some companies, such as Colgate-Palmolive and Reckitt-Benckiser, have voluntarily removed triclosan from some of their products, including dish soap, hand soap, and some face washes.
While the FDA continues to delay, these chemicals are finding their way into more and more products, like yoga mats, towels, footwear, and cutting boards. I steer clear of any product labeled "antibacterial" or "antimicrobial," or that has triclosan listed as an ingredient (because it is classed as a pesticide, triclosan must be listed on labels; triclocarban, however, does not have to be listed). For my family, good old soap and water and a thorough scrubbing do the trick.
Thorough scrubbing is key. A proper hand-washing should take a full 20 seconds and include the webbing of your fingers, the base of your wrists, and around your fingernails. Dr. Gina Solomon has recommended teaching your children to sing "Row Your Boat" while handwashing to ensure they do so long enough. If you're on the go and just can't get to a sink, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers or hand wipes. I carry Giovanni Organic Recharge or Herban Essentials brand wipes, which use plant-based essential oils for germ-killing power. (They smell good, too.)
Image: Lucille Pine
