Can lifelong triclosan exposure from soap and toothpaste cause liver scarring?

What's actually in it

Triclosan is an antibacterial chemical that was once found in most hand soaps, body washes, toothpastes, and cleaning products. The FDA banned it from consumer hand soaps in 2016, but it's still allowed in toothpaste and shows up in many products worldwide. Triclosan is absorbed through your skin and mouth and accumulates in your body over time.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Arch Toxicol examined how lifelong triclosan exposure leads to liver fibrosis (scarring). The researchers mapped out the entire adverse outcome pathway from initial triclosan exposure to liver damage, confirming it in both living animals and cell studies. Triclosan triggers oxidative stress and inflammation that gradually scars the liver.

Liver fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure if the damage continues. People who have been using triclosan-containing products for years may already have some degree of liver inflammation.

Check your products for triclosan and triclocarban on ingredient labels. Switch to plain soap and water for handwashing. Choose triclosan-free toothpaste. Antibacterial soaps don't clean better than regular soap.