Should You Be Using Antibacterial Soap or Regular Soap?

You know how important it is to wash your hands. It helps keep germs from spreading, which can help prevent illnesses. But does it matter what kind of soap you use?

The name “antibacterial soap” suggests extra protection against germs. But family medicine physician Charles Garven, MD, says this kind of soap doesn’t truly offer additional defense.

What is antibacterial soap?

Antibacterial soaps contain certain chemical ingredients that aren’t found in regular soap.

“Antibacterial soap is marketed as being better than regular soap at preventing illnesses and the spread of certain infections,” Dr. Garven explains. “But that hasn’t actually been shown to be the case.”

In fact, in 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned manufacturers from including 19 common chemical ingredients in over-the-counter antibacterial soaps. The FDA said there wasn’t enough proof that these ingredients — including triclosan and triclocarban — were safe in the long term or more effective than regular soap.

Today, antibacterial soaps may still contain the following chemical ingredients:

• Benzalkonium chloride
• Benzethonium chloride
• Chloroxylenol (PCMX)

Data shows that proper handwashing can help reduce the spread of certain infectious diseases, including respiratory illnesses, by more than 20%. But you don’t need antibacterial soap to get the job done.

Pros and cons of antibacterial vs. regular soap

Special soaps aren’t necessary to clean your hands because soap alone doesn’t kill bacteria. Rather, soap’s role is to loosen dirt and germs, which helps the water remove them from your skin.

“Washing your hands with plain soap and running water for at least 20 seconds is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and to prevent spreading germs to others,” Dr. Garven says. “There’s no evidence that antibacterial ingredients work any better and potentially just gives many people false reassurance.”

Many infections out there are, in fact, viral (not bacterial), so the theoretical benefit of the antibacterial soap misses a large majority of infections we’re concerned about — which is why soap and water remain the gold standard.

What’s worse, antibacterial ingredients may contribute to antibiotic resistance, which is when bacteria adapt to resist the antibiotics used to treat them in the future.

There are certain situations where antibacterial soaps may be recommended, like if you’re handling raw meat or following your healthcare provider’s guidance for treating a specific skin infection.

But if you’re just doing some everyday handwashing, regular soap and water are the right tools for the job. What matters more is how you wash your hands — including how long you wash for and how well you scrub.

Final thoughts

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 80% of infectious diseases are transmitted through touch. But washing your hands the right way can help you stay healthy and safe.

Using a bar of soap or at least a teaspoon of liquid soap, lather well for at least 20 seconds. Be sure to scrub between your fingers and your fingernails! When you’re done, rinse the soap from your hands and dry them with a clean towel or an air dryer.

“You can wash your hands with warm or cold water,” Dr. Garven notes. “But warm water may be a little bit better at helping to loosen those oils from your skin.”

But when it comes to soap, the bottom line is simple: There’s no need to bother with antibacterial soaps.

“The illness rates are the same between people using regular soap and people using antibacterial soaps,” Dr. Garven says. “As long as you wash properly, you’re getting rid of bacteria.”