Triclosan is an antibacterial agent found in many consumer products and is prevalent in the environment. It has now also been detected in a wide variety of human fluids.
A study in the journal MBI investigated whether the presence of triclosan in nasal secretions increased the risk of nasal colonization of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria — the microorganism that causes staph infection.
The doctors collected secretions from 90 healthy adults and found that 41 percent had detectable levels of triclosan. Next, they swabbed the nasal areas of the sample population and tested for S. aureus.
Individuals with higher triclosan levels were found to have significantly more colonization.
The authors also found that triclosan-exposed rats were more susceptible to colonization by S. aureus when compared to rats not exposed to triclosan.
The authors concluded, “Together, our data demonstrate that triclosan can be present in the nasal secretions of healthy human adults and its presence in nasal secretions trends positively with S. aureus nasal colonization.”
Triclosan has never been proven to provide any benefit in any consumer product except toothpaste, where it is thought to have an anti-gingivitis effect.
Triclosan is an endocrine disruptor, as exposure can lower both thyroid hormones and testosterone levels. Triclosan has been shown to cause/worsen allergies, and it is easily absorbed through the skin.
Avoid antibacterial products that have triclosan. That includes most antibacterial soaps. I use an herbal soap with essential oils to wash my hands.
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