Is Liquid Hand Wash Better Than Bar Soap ?

The debate over whether bar or liquid is best has been ongoing for decades, but a 2006 study nearly put an end to bar soap’s clean credentials. It found that the more consistently wet the bar soaps were and the more they were used, the more potentially harmful microbes they hosted. Counterintuitively, this is because of how soap works: When it mixes with water, the soap’s fats break down and lather, increasing the solubility of what’s on your skin, including bacteria. But water alone can’t remove all bacteria, and since some water remains on the soap’s surface after you’ve finished washing, some bacteria lingers in that water.
Luckily, soap is water soluble, so just rinsing the bar reduces bacteria on it. And there’s nothing wrong with using it at home, where presumably fewer people (and their germs) will touch it. Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people use liquid hand wash to minimize the risk of spreading harmful bacteria. Even though refilling liquid hand wash dispensers can turn them into potential havens for microbes, liquid still trumps bar in the CDC’s eyes. That’s because people can either dispose of the dispensers or thoroughly clean them before refilling, decreasing the chance they’ll harbor bacteria.
As for mixing the two, CDC spokeswoman Brittany Behm says, “We don’t think there is any reason to use both bar and liquid soap simultaneously.” So stick to the soap you like best.

Similar Article From TheHindu Published September 11, 2016

Triclosan-based antibacterial products such as handwash and hand sanitisers are no more effective than soaps

It’s in your soap, handwash, talcum powder and even in the wall paint. In a world obsessed with cleanliness, antimicrobial agents like triclosan have been touted as the panacea for a disease-free world. But their use remains controversial: experts say indiscriminate usage of antimicrobial agents like triclosan over the years has led to bacteria developing resistance to them, leading to the need for stronger chemicals. Are we setting ourselves up for a world of superbugs by putting them in anything and everything?

No miracle guard, this

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that effective September 2017, it would prohibit the sale of non-medical soap containing triclosan or 18 other ingredients marketed as antimicrobials, as it did not find these products to be any more effective than ordinary soaps.

Opinion is divided among experts: while some feel the move was long called for, physicians weigh in that such antibacterial products continue to be useful in certain situations.

Triclosan was initially used for hospital environments, but its use spread as a miracle guard against infection. “Triclosan is being used in toothpaste, handwash, talcum powder, etc. because companies thought it was a panacea for all, without understanding that with indiscriminate usage, bacteria can developed a resistance to the chemical,” says Dipshikha Chakravortty, associate professor, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Asha Benkappa, director of Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bengaluru, says these products are a “gimmick” as the body has its own self-cleaning bacteria, commensals, which keep the skin clean. “Antimicrobial agents in soaps and handwashes are not required. By using antimicrobial agents indiscriminately you are removing useful commensal bacteria which help to ward off infection,” she says, adding, “Regular soap is gentle on our skin and helps maintain commensols.”

Soap is good enough

Dr. Chakravortty also feels scrubbing with soap and water is better than using hand sanitisers, as in the latter case, the dead bacteria remain on the skin: “Certain molecules, known as lipopolysaccharides, which are specific to gram-negative bacteria, and lipoteichoic acid, specific to gram-positive bacteria, get dislodged when the bacteria are killed by antibacterial agents. They remain on the surface of your hands and can get into your gut, causing other inflammatory complications. Scrubbing with soap and water is a hundred times better.” Using alcohol for disinfection was better as bacteria could not develop resistance to alcohol. A 2013 study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases also showed that antibacterial components were no more effective than ordinary soaps at preventing infectious diseases.

However, it would be unwise to disown antibacterial agents completely. Senior physician Kumar at K.C. General Hospital, Bengaluru, says antimicrobial agents are required in infection-prone situations. “Antimicrobials are recommended for sanitation workers, farmers working in the fields, or in the presence of someone with an infection,” he says. However, he adds, such products should be used in the right quantity, as overuse does not increase effectiveness.