Are antibacterial soaps and toothpastes giving kids more allergies?
Yes. Higher triclosan from soaps and toothpaste tracks with more eczema, hay fever, and asthma in kids.
What's actually in it
Triclosan was the active germ-killer in antibacterial hand soaps and many toothpastes. The FDA pushed it out of consumer hand soaps in 2017, but it's still in some toothpastes, deodorants, and hand sanitizers. It absorbs through skin and gum tissue and ends up in urine.
It's a hormone disruptor and it disturbs the skin and gut microbiome.
What the research says
A 2025 study in Environ Health Perspect measured triclosan in urine from kids ages 1 to 12 and matched the levels to eczema, hay fever, and asthma. Kids with the highest triclosan had more atopic and allergic symptoms. The link was strongest when the exposure started in pregnancy and continued in early childhood.
The body doesn't need an antibacterial soap to get clean. Plain soap and water do the job.
Pick plain bar or liquid soap. Read the toothpaste tube and pick brands without triclosan. For hand sanitizer, choose plain alcohol-based products that don't list triclosan or any "antibacterial" agent.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Associations of gestational and childhood urinary triclosan concentrations with atopic and allergic symptoms. | Environ Health Perspect | 2025 |
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