TBT: Love it When my Students do Projects that Make a Difference!

Don’t buy antibacterial soap! See what Natalie did to get this movement going!

Stop using and buying antibacterial soap!  Why? Because it doesn’t kill more germs than regular soap.  Yup!  One of my students, Natalie Kassel, set out to get all public schools in Santa Cruz County to switch from using antibacterial soap to regular soap back in 2008.  She created an educational outreach program, worked with the press, and stood on a soap box (no pun intended!) to educate the public.  What’s really exciting today is that the Food and Drug Administration finally – albeit 8 years later – stated that “…they (antibacterial soap) do little or nothing to make soap work any better and the industry has failed to prove they’re safe.”

Triclosan and triclocarban are the ingredients that are used in over 2,000 antibacterial soaps and products.  The FDA is giving soapmakers one year to remove these ingredients from their soaps. YES!  I’m so proud of Natalie for starting a movement here in Santa Cruz way back in 2008. 

The FDA says that washing with plain soap and running water remains one of the most important steps consumers can take to avoid getting sick and to prevent spreading germs to others. And good ol’ Ivory or other soaps are a lot less expensive, too!