A recent study confirms that there is no link between use of antibacterial soaps and antibiotic resistance. A newly published research reaffirms that the use of antibacterial wash products does not contribute to antibiotic or antibacterial resistance. The study published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Microbiology Research, compared the use of over-the-counter antibacterial liquid hand and body cleansers and antibacterial bar soaps – containing the germ-killing ingredients triclosan and triclocarban – against the use of non-antibacterial cleansers.
Dr. Eugene Cole, who has spent more than 35 years in the field of environmental health research claims that the use of antibacterial wash products have contributed to the selection and spread of drug-resistant bacteria on human skin. From a pool of more than 450 individuals, 210 study participants were randomly selected, 70 for each of three groups:
* Those that frequently used liquid bath or shower products containing triclosan
* Those that frequently used bar soaps containing triclocarban
* Those that did not use any antibacterial wash products and thus served as the control group.
A standard method for swabbing both forearms of all participants was used to collect samples of Staphylococcus bacteria, which were then tested against several different types of antibiotics that are commonly used to treat Staphinfections. The experimental results showed that there was no increase in the antibiotic resistance of the Staph strains isolated from either group that had been using antibacterial wash products. The research was supported by the American Cleaning Institute and the Personal Care Products Council.
