Consumers don't need to use antibacterial soaps, and some of them may even be dangerous, the Food and Drug Administration says.
On Friday, the FDA issued a rule banning the use of triclosan, triclocarban and 17 other chemicals in hand and body washes. which are marketed as being more effective than simple soap.
The FDA issued a proposed rule in 2013 that required companies to provide data on products' safety and effectiveness.For these ingredients, either no additional data were submitted or the data and information that were submitted were not sufficient for the agency to find that these ingredients are Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective.
Companies have a year to take these ingredients out of their products or remove the products from the market, the agency said.
"If the product makes antibacterial claims, chances are pretty good that it contains one of these ingredients," Theresa Michele, director of the FDA's Division of Nonprescription Drug Products, said Friday in a conference call with reporters.
There is some evidence that triclosan, triclocarban and the other chemicals can disrupt hormone cycles and cause muscle weakness, says Mae Wu, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, which originally asked the FDA to ban the ingredients.