Using certain popular shampoos and mouthwashes could harm your body’s ability to fight off infections and serious diseases, scientists have warned.
Experts have raised the alarm about antibacterial chemicals called ‘biocides’ — substances designed to indiscriminately wipe-out out all bacteria, viruses and microscopic fungi, that are commonplace in household products.
However, there are fears such biocides could be doing us more harm than good by wiping out the trillions of microorganisms in our bodies that help protect us from disease.
Some research suggests using mouthwashes containing a common biocide called chlorhexidine can wipe out 90 per cent of protective bacteria in your mouth and increase high blood pressure, a key risk factor for heart attacks and stroke.
Chlorhexidine can be found in host of commonly products in Britain including Corsodyl Daily Mouthwash and Boots Expert Chlorhexidine Dental Tape floss.
Another biocide, called benzalkonium chloride, is found in some facial cleansers that claim to kill bacteria, as well as hand sanitisers and wet wipes.
Others are common in anti-dandruff and anti-head lice shampoos.
Now a bill, due to be debated in the House of Lords today, seeks to curtail the use of biocides in over-the-counter products.
Commonly used soaps, shampoos and dental products could be harming your immune system, scientists have warned.Stock image
Former leader of the Green party and peer Natalie Bennett, who is tabling the bill, wrote in a policy brief that biocides are hidden in the everyday routines of many Brits.
‘What was your morning like? Maybe, singing cheerfully, you jumped into the shower, reaching for the antibacterial body wash on special this week, with its loud label claiming “kills 99% of bacteria”’, she said.
‘Afterwards you brushed your teeth with the heavily advertised new antibacterial toothpaste and used chlorhexidine-containing mouthwash.
‘You pulled on some new socks you got for Christmas, promising “extra antibacterial freshness” from silver-infused material.
‘Before you go to breakfast, you have subjected your microbiome…to a barrage of biocides, in other words poisons.’
While she acknowledged there is a lack of research on biocides’ impact on the microbiome, Baroness Bennett concluded that the chemicals ‘cannot be good’.
She added that use of the chemical in common household application is unnecessary given there are many non-biocide alternatives.
Chlorhexidine can be found in host of commonly products in Britain including Corsodyl Daily Mouthwash
Boots Expert Chlorhexidine Dental Tape floss also highlights its ability to ‘reduce oral bacteria’
Another biocide, called benzalkonium chloride is found in Nilaqua No-Rinse Antimicrobial Body Wash Skin Cleansing Foam which promotes its effectiveness by proudly stating ‘kills 99.9999% of germs’
Dr Paul-Enguerrand Fady, expert at the Centre for Long Term Resilience, who was involved in drafting the bill, told The Mirror that the regulation of these products was ‘like the Wild West’.
‘Rather than operating under the assumption that everything is fine, this bill would place the onus on the manufacturers to prove that it is,’ he said.
‘We want to take these products from being available on the shelves, like confectionery, to being something that you have to have at least minimal contact with a qualified professional to buy.’
Professor Andrew Seaton, president of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, and consultant in infectious diseases at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, added: ‘Outside of healthcare, the benefits of biocides are at best speculative, but harms are potentially significant and irreversible.’
Supporters of the bill are advocating for a broad spectrum ban on unjustified use of biocides in over-the-counter products rather than targeting one specific chemical.
They claim this approach is needed to prevent a ‘whack a mole’ situation where manufacturers simply switch to a different biocide in order to avoid legislation.
It doesn’t propose a total ban, but if a company wants to include a biocide in a product it must ‘demonstrate that the efficacy of the produce is significantly enhanced by the use of the biocide without undue environmental impact’.
However, industry groups have voiced their objection to the bill.
Some research suggests using of mouthwashes containing a common biocide called chlorhexidine can wipe out 90 per cent of protective bacteria in your mouth and increase high blood pressure, a key risk factor for heart attacks and stroke. Stock image
Dr Emma Meredith, director general of the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association, said such a ban was unnecessary due to existing safety regulations.
She also warned that if such a proposal went ahead it risks banning ‘safe cosmetic preservatives’ which could increase the risk of cosmetic products being contaminated by harmful microorganisms.
Makers of the products named by the newspaper didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Researchers are still exploring the health benefits of having a healthy microbiome, from better mental health to reduced cancer risk.
But one broadly accepted theory is that their presence helps stop potentially harmful organisms infecting us by ‘crowding them out’ of the areas of the body, preventing them from colonising.
There are also concerns biocides could contribute to the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
AMR is when harmful pathogens become increasingly immune to the availabe drugs that are used to kill them.
This can mean sanitation procedures used to keep patients undergoing surgery or a treatment like chemotherapy could become less effective increasing the risk of potentially dangerous, or even fatal, bacterial infections.
The bill is only approaching its second reading in the Lords and would have to go through many other stages, including being debated and passed in the House of Commons, before potentially becoming law.
