What is the good and the bad of antibacterial soap?

Answer 1

Antibacterial soap was originally made for doctors and other people with contact to the sick and injured. People who already have a weak or compromised immune system should be protected from other people's bacteria and viruses. Bacteria on the caretakers could get into the sick/injured person's system and cause them to become infected. That is why it is important for doctors to sterilize everything they can to keep their patients safe. Antibacterial soap helps people in food service and health care keep others safe from infection. So this is a good thing about antibacterial soap.

Antibacterial soap should not be used by an otherwise healthy individual. Good bacteria on your skin helps to keep you from infection. It takes up room on your skin so bad bacteria can't grow and make you sick. When you use antibacterial soap on a regular basis, it kills all the bacteria, good and bad. When the good aren't there to protect you, the bad have a better chance of growing and making you sick. Antibacterial soap should only be used by people who have a weak immune system, or are around those who do. Regular soap does the job just fine.

I used to use antibacterial body wash, and didn't understand why I kept getting ringworm. I stopped using the antibacterial soap and have never had any type of skin infection every since.