Vietnam bans antibacterial soaps with triclosan, triclocarbon

The ministry has instructed manufacturers and importers in the country to report about the use of any of 19 ingredients, including triclosan and triclocarbon which the US Food and Drug Administration banned in over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash products on September 2.

Vietnam is a party to a common agreement on the management of cosmetics in ASEAN countries. A conference to be held in November will discuss the solution for products with these ingredients that are sold in ASEAN countries.

Several domestic manufacturers of washing products have reported that these ingredients were replaced in 2014.

According to a press release from the US FDA, the rule which it issued does not affect consumer hand sanitisers or wipes, or antibacterial products used in health care settings.

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”