Oxford University Press (OUP)
Scientists in Korea have discovered that using antibacterial
soap when hand-washing is no more effective than using plain soap, according to
a paper published today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
The study examined the effect of triclosan (the most commonly
used active antiseptic ingredient used in soap) on bacteria in two ways.
The
first was to examine the bactericidal effects of triclosan in soaps against all
20 strains, and the second compared the ability of antibacterial and
non-antibacterial soap to remove bacteria from human hands, by using 16 healthy
adult volunteers.
The scientists recreated the conditions of human hand washing by
exposing the bacteria for 20 seconds at 22°C (room temperature) and 40°C (warm
temperature) to triclosan with a concentration of 0.3% - the maximum allowed by
law.
There were significantly great effects after more than nine hours, but not
during the short time required for hand washing.
Lead author on the paper, Dr.
Rhee, commented that: “advertisement and consumer belief regarding the
effectiveness of antibacterial soaps needs to be addressed.”