Minnesota has become the first state to ban antibacterial soap. Antibacterial soap has a chemical called triclosan, which has been shown to impair muscle function in humans. Looks like Minnesota is quicker at making smarter decisions than the rest of the country. It was proved that this soap isn't any more effective in washing bacteria away than regular soap. And the scary thing is that triclosan is not just in hand soaps. It can be found in some toothpastes, cosmetics, antibacterial soaps and body washes. Imagine that by trying to get rid of the bacteria, we were slowly inhibiting our muscle functions. Yikes!

Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill today banning triclosan-containing products in Minnesota. The law doesn't go into effect January 1, 2017, but the news of this ban will certain drop any consumer demand for the antibacterial soaps. It turns out that over 75 percent of antibacterial soaps contain triclosan in their active ingredients. Until triclosan is better regulated in the U.S., it may be a good idea to check the ingredient list before you purchase any hygienic products.   

Health officials said that about 2,000 individual products contain triclosan.

The FDA states that there is no evidence that antibacterial soaps containing triclosan is any more effective at preventing bacterial growth non-antibacterial soap and water. In labs, they found that the chemical can "disrupt hormones critical for reproduction and development [...] and contribute to the development of resistant bacteria." Double yikes.

If antibacterial soaps aren't much better at cleaning our hands, then it seems unnecessary to keep applying the horrifying chemical on our bodies. The scary thing is that triclosan has been in consumer products for more than a generation. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found triclosan present in the urine of 75 percent of the people tested. So it's very likely that the chemical is in your bodies too.

The lesson of the day? Don't try to get fancy with your hand washing. Just stick to simple soap and water.