Dr. Eric

Triclosan is a chemical that is commonly used in personal care products, as well as in household products, and even some medical devices. It has broad-spectrum anti-microbial activity against most gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Because of this, one of the most common uses of triclosan is in hand sanitizer products. Millions of people use hand sanitizer to kill the germs they’re exposed to, but most don’t realize that there are some potential risks of using products with triclosan.

In addition to commonly being found in hand sanitizer, triclosan is also commonly found in antibacterial soap, as well as in some toothpastes. The research shows that triclosan has been detected in breast milk, urine and plasma, with levels of triclosan in the blood correlating with consumer use patterns of the antimicrobial.