In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration proposed that manufacturers of antibacterial soap must provide evidence for the safety and effectiveness of the product compared to plain soap and water. According to the FDA, manufacturers have not since offered adequate data to prove that using antibacterial hand and body wash is more effective than using regular soap.

Furthermore, a new rule has been passed banning products containing certain "antibacterial" ingredients from being marketed due to safety concerns. Data suggests that added chemicals, like commonly used triclosan and triclocarban, do more harm than good when used regularly, potentially leading to the development of dangerous drug-resistant bacteria. Similar to the risks involved with frequenting antibiotics and hand sanitizer, it is thought that these antibacterial ingredients are allowing bacteria to build an immunity to soap, which will make us sicker and dirtier as this dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria grows. This is big news, given that antibacterial soap is sought and produced specifically to prevent the growth of bacteria and infection. So now what does this mean?

Ultimately, manufacturers have a year to remove the banned ingredients from their products. Despite some companies having already removed these ingredients for safety reasons, others claim that there is in fact evidence in favor of antibacterial soap. According to the American Cleaning Institute, "consumers can continue to use antibacterial soaps with confidence as they have for decades," and manufacturers plan to conduct additional research. However, until this supposed evidence comes to light, antibacterial soap is federally deemed unnecessary and potentially harmful - just regular soap with added chemicals, the long-term effects of which we know very little about.