Triclosan is safe and effective when used properly.
Triclosan is a proven, effective and safe antimicrobial ingredient approved for use globally in a wide range of personal care, health care and other consumer products. It controls the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in uses as diverse as personal hygiene, health care settings and food preparation areas. For these applications, triclosan has been approved by authorities around the world. Ciba continues to support the use of triclosan in consumer products if there is a clear benefit to its use. At Ciba, we take great pride in our product stewardship. When our products are used as directed, they’re safe for you and the environment.  For more information on the safety of triclosan, click here.

While soap and water are effective at fighting germs, most people don’t wash their hands properly or often enough.
The truth is a majority of people simply do not wash their hands properly or as frequently as they should for good health. Hand contact to contaminated surfaces is proven to be the main way that we come in contact with and spread germs. Regular use of triclosan-containing products protects your hands for hours. Triclosan also acts against skin inflammation and reduces the irritating effects from strong cleaning solutions. Click here for more information about hand washing.

Triclosan is effective in controlling the spread of MRSA.
There has been a great deal of concern lately about the spread of antibiotic resistant staph infections known as Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Several scientific studies have been published that prove the effectiveness of triclosan in controlling the spread of MRSA. One study, to determine how to control an outbreak of MRSA in a neonatal facility found that after trying various recommended measures, “The critical factor in bringing the outbreak under control was changing the antiseptic handwashing and bathing soap to a preparation containing 0.3% triclosan.” The success of that study resulted in the successful eradication of a MRSA strain without having to close the neonatal nursery, without any fatalities, and with minimal economic impact.

The Moses Cone Health System, a multi-hospital system in North Carolina, has published handwashing procedures to prevent the spread of MRSA that include using antibacterial soap.

In the course of current discussions about efforts to control the spread of MRSA, unproven assumptions are being put forth discouraging the use of antibacterial products. Claims that using products containing triclosan may be harmful to human health and the environment are fundamentally wrong and seriously misguide consumers, serving to deny them the choice of protecting themselves and their families from the spread of germs, the risk of infections, dental diseases and odors caused by microbes. Triclosan has been used safely and effectively for more than 40 years. The use of this beneficial product should not be discouraged based on allegations that stir up disproved fears rather than address real-life, present day health concerns.

For more information on the scientific studies on triclosan and MRSA click here.

In over 40 years of real world use, there are no known cases or any evidence that triclosan causes resistance in bacteria.
Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent that slows or stops the growth of bacteria on surfaces. Triclosan is NOT an antibiotic. It does not treat systemic (inside the body) bacterial infections, which is what antibiotics do. It has been widely recognized throughout the medical community that bacterial resistance is the result of misuse and over-prescription of antibiotic drugs, not the use of antibacterial soaps.

In all of the environmental surveys published to date, no evidence of triclosan-resistance has been shown.  The natural environment provides many challenges to bacteria including a search for nutrients, appropriate conditions for growth, and competition with other organisms that are not duplicated in laboratory experiments.  

Research published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal Emerging Infectious Diseases (October 2005) found that the use of antibacterial cleaning products does not lead to a "significant increase in antimicrobial drug resistance after one year, nor did it have an effect on bacterial susceptibility to triclosan." You can access this publication online at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol11no10/04-1276.htm.

Additional discussion on this topic can be found at http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/05/briefing/2005-4184B1_02_04A_CTFA-Resistance.pdf

Ciba produces only pharmaceutical-grade triclosan under the Ciba® IRGASAN® trade name.
All of our triclosan is manufactured under the tightest (GMPs) specifications and meets the stringent requirements of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), which sets standards for safety, quality and purity for all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in the US. USP quality is required for all final OTC Monograph active ingredients. It is mandatory in triclosan toothpaste applications in the US and is the preferred ingredient for use in antibacterial hand washes, toothpaste and other human health applications. Ciba’s commitment to quality and purity sets our triclosan apart from ‘generic-grades’ produced by competitors. These generic grades cost formulators less to develop and use, but cost-cutting steps can also lead to lower quality and impurities in the end product. As a result, Ciba must continually defend and refute negative claims created by the use of low quality triclosan made by others. To get the best quality for you and your family check with the manufacturer of your favorite antibacterial products and request that they be made with Ciba® IRGASAN® DP 300 or IRGASAN® PG 60.