Triclosan & triclocarban: why to avoid them and what to use instead
Promotes antibiotic cross-resistance and acts as an endocrine disruptor; the FDA removed it from consumer hand soap in 2017 for lack of proven benefit.
The short answer
There is no consumer case for triclosan in a household. Plain soap performs identically for hand washing, and the residual environmental load in waterways is significant.
- Where it hides
- Antibacterial soap, toothpaste, deodorant, 'antimicrobial' textiles and plastics
- Cleaner swap
- Plain soap and water, which is equally effective for hand hygiene; fluoride or hydroxyapatite toothpaste without triclosan.
- Also listed as
- TCS, TCC, Microban
The label names to scan for
- Triclosan
- Triclocarban
- Microban
- 'Antibacterial' claims on hand soap
- 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol
What regulators have actually done
Banned from over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash in the US since 2017 and from most EU cosmetic uses; still permitted in some toothpaste, textiles and plastics as a preservative or material protectant.
The resistance problem
Sub-lethal triclosan exposure selects for bacteria with efflux pumps and altered enoyl-reductase targets, and those same mechanisms can confer reduced susceptibility to clinical antibiotics. Regulators judged that risk unjustifiable when the product offered no measured benefit over soap.
Where it still shows up
Check toothpaste (a few plaque formulations retain it outside the US), deodorants, cutting boards and 'odour-control' athletic wear branded Microban or similar. Textile antimicrobials also wash out into wastewater with every laundry cycle.
Triclosan & triclocarban: frequently asked questions
Is triclosan still legal?+
It is banned in US consumer antiseptic washes and most EU cosmetics, but still permitted in certain toothpastes, plastics and textiles as a material preservative.
Is antibacterial soap better than regular soap?+
No. The FDA concluded manufacturers failed to show antibacterial washes are any more effective than plain soap and water at preventing illness.