Video Series: Antibacterial Soap?
Should I be using antibacterial soap at home?
In this micro-video clip, Dr. O’Connell answers the question saying: “The FDA a couple of years ago made a statement a couple of years ago and just said, use soap and water, you don’t need the antibacterial ingredient.”
The following article on the FDA website Antibacterial Soap? You Can Skip It, Use Plain Soap and Water says:
“According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there isn’t enough science to show that over-the-counter (OTC) antibacterial soaps are better at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water.”
The article dives much deeper into the chemistry of “antibacterial soap”, use of chemicals like “Triclosan”, and discussion of three additional long-named chemicals that were not addressed in the recent FDA rule.
Hand sanitizers, however, were not part of this FDA ruling.
What’s the difference between Antibacterial Soap and Hand Sanitizers?
The FDA has a dedicated page to explain the difference between Antibacterial Soap and Hand Sanitizers. In addition to different ingredients, a key difference is that antibacterial soap gets washed off and hand sanitizers are usually not rinsed off.
In April 2019, the FDA issued a rule about over-the-ccounter-santizers restricting “certain active ingredients” from them.
On a page dedicated to handwashing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that using soap and water is still the first line of defense, but that hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol were an alternative. The FDA supports that recommendation.
Dr. O’Connell covers a variety of Healthy Living topics on this blog. You can also watch the doctor’s “Health Tips” playlist directly on the Sentinel YouTube Channel.
About Sentinel Primary Care
Sentinel Primary Care has offices in Brier Creek, just off the highways for easy access. Dr. O’Connell has been seeing patients who needed testing for COVID-19, and his office has adopted protocols that protect patients and staff during the pandemic. As a “direct primary care” practice, members can schedule a tele-health appointment for no extra charge. Those considering Sentinel Primary Care are invited to contact us to schedule a tele-health call.
To learn more about our practice view our “Meet Sentinel Primary Care” video playlist.