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LinkedInEcohaus steers clear of triclosan
From the desk of our product specialist:
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Here at Ecohaus, human health is just as important to our mission of sustainability as is the health of the environment. So, when we look at bringing a product on, we have a list of features that we energetically avoid in the products that we sell. We call this our “Bright Lines” policy (as in “bright lines in the sand” that we do not cross) and this is one of the cornerstones of our product-selection process. Our “Bright Lines” list includes things like persistent bio-accumulative toxins (PBTs), hormone disrupting chemicals, radioactive ingredients and more!
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We have just added another chemical called triclosan to our “prohibited” list and we want to tell you about it. You might recognize it as the active ingredient in many “antibacterial” products. Triclosan really seems to be everywhere. It is present in hundreds of popular consumer products including liquid hand soap, toothpaste, lotions, undergarments and children’s toys (just to name a few.) We are seeing triclosan being used in many building products as well.
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Why does Ecohaus work hard to avoid this popular chemical in our products? Officially classified as a pesticide, triclosan is a persistent bio-accumulative toxin. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), lab studies link triclosan to thyroid dysfunction, developmental defects, and liver and inhalation toxicity — it persists in the environment, breaks down into substances highly toxic to wildlife and pollutes the human body. Triclosan has been found in 58% of rivers, 97% of breast milk and in the urine of 75% of the population. The EWG recommends that consumers avoid the use of triclosan-laden products whenever possible.
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Given the above, it is especially interesting to note that anti-microbial soaps, where triclosan is widely used, have not proven to be any more effective at preventing the spread of infections than plain soap and water. Even the American Medical Association recommends that people avoid using anti-microbials such as Triclosan.
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According to a report in the Washington Post posted on April 8th, mounting concerns about the effects of triclosan have spurred the FDA and the EPA to begin a reevaluation of this widespread substance.
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Triclosan is only one of hundreds of such chemicals that raise serious concerns about their effects on our bodies and our environment. Currently, we have a regulatory system in which products are only regulated once the damage is already done. To learn more about what you could do to help change the system, and ensure that chemicals used in consumer products are first proven to be safe for people and ecosystems, check out these links at the EWG:
http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/kid-safe-chemicals-act/
http://action.ewg.org/t/1875/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26526
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To read more of the Environmental Working Group’s extensive report on triclosan, click here.
And here are a few additional links to more information:
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticides/factsheets/Triclosan%20cited.pdf
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704621.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan
http://abetterwaytoclean.com/?p=39
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For detailed information about personal-care-products and how they rate for toxicity, be sure to visit the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.
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