‘Take a stand against this nasty chemical’

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wants you to pledge to live a Triclosan-free life. And, trust me, you want to.

Using products with Triclosan can antagonize antibiotic resistance and lead to severe and deadly illnesses you definitely don’t want to deal with.

Start your Triclosan-free life by considering the pledge, then look around your house for antibacterial products and throw them away — don’t dump them down the drain, we don’t need shit in our water supply. (I know this may sting for a second recyclers, but we don’t need this nasty chemical at our recycling center, either.)

Then, stop buying anything that brands itself as antibacterial or antimicrobial. It’s not healthy, it’s deadly. Watch: Soon, products will re-brand themselves as being Triclosan free. Mark my words.

Triclosan (or triclocarban) is an antimicrobial agent that’s been found in more than 75 percent of liquid hand soaps in the U.S., as well as in cutting boards, garden hoses, fabrics and plastics.

It’s in all these consumer products, yet:

•    It disrupts hormones and may affect fetal growth and development;

•    It’s been found in our bodies and in breast milk;

•    Mounting evidence links it to the rise of “superbugs” – antibiotic-resistant bacteria;

•    It doesn’t break down easily in the environment, so it builds up in lakes, rivers and other water sources, where it’s toxic to aquatic life; and

•    Studies show that triclosan is no more effective at preventing illness or removing germs than soap and water – even the FDA found no evidence that antibacterial washes containing triclosan were superior.

Click here to read more and take the pledge.

This article appears in Mar 15-21, 2011.