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Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

Alright! We are at this again to introduce a Toxic Tuesday ingredient that you should take note off: TRICLOSAN.


Technically, triclosan (also known as Ultra-Fresh, Irgasan, Irgacare, Viv-20, and Microba) is an ingredient that is in consumer products used to prevent or reduce bacterial contamination.

Where can we find TRICLOSAN?

We can easily find it in antibacterial products such as antibacterial soaps and body washes, deodorants, toothpastes and even some cosmetics.

Why is TRICLOSAN toxic to human?

Why is this such a big deal?

Because over the years, studies have linked triclosan to a range of adverse health and environmental effects such as causing skin irritation, an endocrine disruptor (cause havoc to hormonal system), causes antibiotic resistance, and is a suspected carcinogen (red alert! Cancer-causing agents detected!) and contaminates water. It can weaken immune system and due to it being lipophilic (soluble in lipids, or oils), it can bioaccumulate in fat and linger within urine, human breast milk and blood.


Due to its ability to linger in human breast milk (double gasps!), pregnant ladies and breast-feeding mothers are not advice to use products that contain triclosan as children that are exposed to it at an early age have an increased chance of developing allergies, asthma and eczema

Studies have also shown that this synthetic chemical is also BAD for the environment due to the fact that over 95% of the remnants of triclosan is disposed in residential drains and would be converted to dioxin, which is a highly toxic compound after exposure to sunlight in an aqueous environment.

Triclosan was first introduced to be used as a pesticide but now it can easily be found in consumer products for its antibacterial properties. We kind of get it, because when it can be cheaply mass produced, human greed took over, not knowing the actual harm over the prolong years of usage.

Another point to note, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), there is no evidence that suggests that using antibacterial soap works any more effectively than normal soap and water.

If that is the case, why risk your health and the environment by using products that contain triclosan?

Know your ingredients labels of your cosmetic products and make the right choice!

Be empowered by choosing cosmetics products that do not harm your body or the environment.









