The Controversy with Triclosan

I recently purchased a product containing the ingredient Triclosan in my never ending quest to find the best face wash for the occasional breakout. I have had plenty of experience with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, but triclosan was new to me. I hit the Internet and began my research to find out what it is and how it helps to treat acne. What I discovered was quite shocking - Triclosan is a source of much controversy. Depending on which side you take, it can be a dangerous cancer causing agent or a harmless chemical.

Triclosan is an anti-bacterial agent found in a number of household items and personal health products. It can be found in toothpaste, deodorants, mouthwash and detergents among other items. It is also common in hand soaps and cleansers designed to treat acne. www.acnetreatment.org explains that triclosan works by killing harmful bacteria on the skin and protecting the skin from infection. It does this by clearing away buildup of bacteria under the skin's surface that causes acne to develop. A major benefit of triclosan is its ability to stay on the skin for long periods of time. Although some research claims that overuse of the product may lead to the development of new antibiotic resistant bacteria strains.

According to www.health-report.co.uk Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. It can cause skin irritations, cold sweats, circulatory damage, convulsions and even death. The website states that reports have suggested triclosan can combine with the chlorine in tap water to form chloroform gas and other compounds. When these compounds are exposed to UV radiation they convert into toxic dioxins which are eliminated from the body slowly and persist in the environment for long periods of time. This website further states that while triclosan has not been completely tested and analyzed for all health and environmental risks, it is questionable to use it daily.

www.ciba.com disputes claims made by websites such as the above by discussing experiments conducted by scientists to measure the chloroform released from both triclosan containing and triclosan free products. Their study showed that it can be concluded that the amounts of chloroform potentially generated from personal care products have little significance and do not reflect real world use. It further states that the amount of chloroform generated under the worst case conditions assumed is well below the level regarded safe by the US EPA.

Triclosan has currently been approved for use in acne washes in Europe, Australia, Japan and other places around the world according to www.ciba.com. In the US, it can be used as a product preservative and is under review by the FDA for other uses. I personally did not experience any negative side effects during my use of the product but did not notice any difference in my skin either. Maybe this is because www.acnetreatment.org claims that triclosan is most successful in treating acne when combined with other skin care products like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Whatever your stance on this product may be, do the research and find out if triclosan is right for you.