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Germs!


PattyZB

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So with cold/flu and now N1H1 I'm thinking about my soaps. I know soaps are good for cleaning hands BUT what about killing germs. I've read up on here a bit and found that:

Honey, Tea Tree Oil, Vitamin E and Grapefruit Seed Extract seem to have anti-bacterial properties.

Does anyone use any of these with the thought of killing germs? I use honey in most if not all of my CP soaps but is there enough to say they're antibacterial? Tea Tree has a strong scent so I'm apt to avoid it (even though I currently reek of it since i use it on break-outs). What about Vitamin E or Grapefruit Seed Extract?

Just getting more into soaping and realizing I have more questions. :) Sorry!! :confused:

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How much of those anti-bacterial qualities is left after saponfication is hard to gauge...you can't make claims like antibacterial unless you've proven it is by a lab or something. Risky business to try to claim stuff IMO. Lawsuit waiting to happen.

Too bad though because it would be nice if we could! :cheesy2:

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I don't want to market that my soaps are anti-bacterial...I'm just thinking for home use. If I'm better off using my bath & body works anti-bacterial soaps I'll stick with them for hand washing. I've become one of those moms who always has the hand sanitizer when we go to the playground, play dates, out to eat, etc. I don't see other kids running around...I see germ incubators.

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soap without is as effective as soap with.

soap has a high pH which some germs don't like, but more importantly soap is a surfactant which is the way it mostly works - it allows you to wash the germs off your hands and down the drain.

antibacterial properties for the most part aren't that effective in a wash-off product. and the stuff will not only be exposed to very high pH in the saponification part, but also are left in a high pH environment and they may not be effective. and honey isn't antibacterial when it's diluted anyway, from what I understand, and at about 15-30 grams per pound of oils that leaves you with it in there at no more than 3%-6%.

Study after study has shown that antibacterial soaps are no better at controlling the spread of disease than non-antibac ones.

SOAP, in and of itself, does a great job.

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There was a study I read at work that showed when people washed their hands PROPERLY with soap , it got rid of more germs and bacteria than hand sanitizer.

Another good reason to use handmade soap:)

Now THAT is marketing we can use! :)

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Isn't that the truth .

I wish I could get my hands on the study again .They closed that unit of the hospital and moved everything to another hospital , now no one knows where that binder is .

I found the following on this websitehttp://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/News/Clean-hands-for-better-health.aspx?articleID=10432&categoryID=news-poh4

Liquid, foaming, and bar soap are all effective for cleaning your hands, if used properly. The type of soap is not as important as the right technique. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps loosen and remove germs from your skin. The running water washes them away.

Antibacterial soap isn't necessary, and may actually be harmful. A review of 13 studies found that the antibacterial soap that is sold to consumers is no better than ordinary soap at getting rid of bacteria on the hands, nor is it better at preventing illness.

“As long as you’re washing your hands properly, antibacterial soap isn’t going to work any better than regular soap,” says Streitenberger.

Furthermore, some studies in the lab have suggested that antibacterial soap could actually be helping to create drug-resistant bacteria. So until we know for sure, stick with ordinary soap – just be sure to keep it clean.

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Very true! My one friend commented on my soap and the ingredients "Pumpkin - how does that clean you?" I told her all the stuff about enzymes and antioxidants (research online) and that basically it doesn't matter what kind of soap you use - as long as you use it and wash properly like we were taught - sing twinkle twinkle little star. lol

I'm still amazed at how many people DON'T wash hands...especially now! I have 3 friends whose kids have been diagnosed with Swine Flu!

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How about some info from Mayo Clinic ?

It echos what Patty said, but it's from Mayo Clinic:

"Keep in mind that antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap. Using antibacterial soap may even lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the product's antimicrobial agents — making it harder to kill these germs in the future."

Can't go wrong quoting Mayo Clinic.:smiley2:

And here is a brochure. You could probably get permission to reproduce it. Seems to be from Idaho.

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Just my never-to-be-humble opinion here, but hand sanitizers will kill germs that don't necessarily need to be killed. Simply washing ones hands properly and often enough will do everything you need your soap to do. Nothing needs to be added to the fabulous soaps that all of us make!

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