Antibacterial Soap - Should You Use It or Avoid It?
Friday May 23, 2008
Do you use antibacterial hand soap? I personally don't buy it for my family. I'm one of those crazy moms who think that a few germs to get the immune system a boost might actually be helpful for my children in the long run. That's not to say I think you're crazy if you use them. If you do use them, you may want to think again. The smart women (aka scientists) over at Beauty Brains fill us in on some clinical studies on antibacterial soap which may make you think again before stocking up.
Do you use antibacterial soap? Weigh in on my poll, and feel free to elaborate with a comment.
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Comments
Wow! I was surprised at the results, but pleasantly so. As someone with a cluster of auto-immune disorders, I’m very aware of what can happen if our immune systems cease to function correctly. By not giving it something to work against, we are in essence atrophying our immune systems, just as a muscle that doesn’t get used atrophies.
Never really understood the distinction. I mean, isn’t all soap anti-bacterial, to some degree?
It’s soap. If using it to wash your hands doesn’t eliminate bacteria, what’s the point?
We mostly use it for the convenience. We keep it around the house for those spot hand cleanings before handling food in the kitchen or the baby’s items.