Triclosan

(in 482 products)

Banned by Gov or classified as a carcinogen by IARC

1. Antiseptic / Disinfectant - Prevents growth of unwanted microorganisms.

Triclosan (sometimes abbreviated as TCS) is an antibacterial and antifungal agent found in some consumer products, including toothpaste, soaps, detergents, toys, and surgical cleaning treatments.

Triclosan is added to toothpaste to prevent gingivitis and has been added to many household products for its topical antibiotic activity. [1]

Triclosan may cause low-grade colonic inflammation and exacerbate colon-associated diseases. Similar results can be found in studies conducted in mice, minnows, zebrafish and rats. It is advised that those with colon-related diseases to refrain from using oral products containing triclosan for the time being. [2]

As triclosan has shown to affect thyroid hormonal levels in rats in vivo, a study was conducted on 12 adults to see if triclosan will cause an increase in 4beta-hydroxycholesterol, indicative of CYP3A4 induction which will prove an alteration in thyroid hormonal levels in humans. Although the study found that the 12 adults exposed to triclosan for two weeks via toothpaste (0.3%) found median plasma levels of 54 ppb, and a very high value of 296 ppb in one individual, the study concluded with no significant changes seen in plasma levels, but a significant increase in triclosan detection. [3]

In infants, a study on Swedish nursing mothers showed that although triclosan exposure from breast milk is significantly lower than the triclosan exposure to the mother, based on the concentration of triclosan in the mother's plasma. Nevertheless, triclosan can still be detected in breast milk despite "very low levels" of exposure. [4]

Overall, triclosan may cause colonic irritation and its persistence and magnitude of aggregate exposure in the human body may pose a health threat.

According to an EU document dated 4 October 2016, "Triclosan was recently evaluated for its use as an active substance in biocidal products for hygiene purposes (ex: hand disinfectants). It received a negative opinion from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) due to unacceptable risks to the environment. As a consequence, the Commission adopted decision 110/2016 to disapprove this substance for this use. The availability and use on the EU market of biocidal products containing triclosan will be banned at the beginning of 2017."

FDA has removed Triclosan from GRAS as of 19 Dec 2017 citing: "The FDA has finalized a rule first proposed in 2015 that finds that triclosan and 23 other active ingredients are not generally recognized as safe and effective (GRAS) for use in over-the-counter (OTC) health care antiseptic products – including health care personnel hand washes and rubs, surgical hand scrubs and rubs, and patient antiseptic skin preparations — because no additional safety and effectiveness data were provided to the FDA to support monograph conditions for these 24 active ingredients."

Manufacturers have until December 20, 2018, to stop the manufacture and distribution of products containing triclosan, or reformulate those soaps.

Nevertheless, triclosan remains as an approved ingredient in CosIng Annex 5. 1Source hypothesizes that either those two agencies rate ingredients independently of each other or that the CosIng Annex 5 has not yet been updated as of 2018.

1Source understands the confusion for consumers, but in the interest of consumer safety, 1Source gives a rating based on the agency with the harshest rating of the ingredient in question.

1. PubChem: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5564

2. A common antimicrobial additive increases colonic inflammation and colitis-associated colon tumorigenesis in mice (Science Translational Medicine 30 May 2018: Vol. 10, Issue 443, eaan4116 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan4116)

3. Human exposure to triclosan via toothpaste does not change CYP3A4 activity or plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones (Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2009 Nov;105(5):339-44 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2009.00455.x.)

4. Triclosan in plasma and milk from Swedish nursing mothers and their exposure via personal care products (Sci Total Environ. 2006 Dec 15;372(1):87-93)

1. South Korea - Ministry of Food and Drug Safety - Prohibited/Restricted Chemicals

- Ref: 1360

2. Palau Sunscreen Ban (Senate Bill No. 10-135, SD1, HD1), https://www.icriforum.org/the-republic-of-palau-bans-sunscreen-chemicals-to-protect-its-coral-reefs-and-unesco-world-heritage-site/ - Triclosan

3. CANADA INGREDIENT HOTLIST, List of Ingredients that are Restricted for Use in Cosmetic Products [2019]

- Triclosan

4. Japan - Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare - Restricted Ingredients

- Trichlorohydroxydiphenylether (Triclosan)

5. US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Endocrine Disruptors

- Triclosan

6. EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

- http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_054.pdf

7. FDA Unapproved

- 82 FR 60474

8. European Union Law and other publications

- http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex:32012R0528 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016D0110

- http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2014:107:FULL&from=EN

- http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02006R1907-20140410

9. EU CosIng Annex V, PRESERVATIVES ALLOWED IN COSMETIC PRODUCTS [2017]

- V/25

10. Association of Southeast Asian Nations Annex VI, Allowed Preservatives

- 5-Chloro-2- (2,4- dichlorophenoxy) phenol, Triclosan (INN)

11. European Chemicals Agency

- https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/efc985e4-8802-4ebb-8245-29708747a358

12. EU Commission Regulation

- No. 110/2016