There's no evidence OTC antibacterial soaps prevent disease more than washing with plain soap and water. Some antibacterial drugs can do more harm than good.
There is no such thing as “anti-bacterial soap”, on the basis that all soap, by it’s very function, is anti-bacterial. Because of this fact any company can add the words “anti-bacterial” on their soap, as it’s never technically wrong.
How does soap kill bacteria?
Soap is an emulsifier type chemical. That is to say, soap has molecules that like water and hate oil on one end, and hate water and like oil on the other. The molecule looks kinda like a hairpin, and you cannot have soap without it.
Cell and bacterial walls have a double layer of similar molecules that create a barrier between the inside of the cell and the outside world. The soap molecules attach themselves to the bacteria’s walls and then tears them apart.
Your skin is largely protected because it’s made of many layers, the top most being made of dead skin cells. But high enough concentrations of soap can cause serious chemical burns, as what the soap does to bacteria it can do to your skin cells. However, very low concentrations of soap is all that’s needed to wash yourself.
The difference between regular soap and antibacterial soap is that the antibacterial agent is usually something like triclosan or triclocarban, which is meant to slow the growth of new bacteria.
This gives soap a 1 2 punch as when you wash you kill pretty much 100% of the bacteria, but bacteria is everywhere so you almost immediately start picking more up as soon as you start coming into contact with other surfaces (the shower knob, the door handle, your phone, etc) so the antibacterial agent will help prevent the explosive bacterial growth after you’ve acquired it.
To be clear, I’m not defending antibacterial soap. In 99% of cases regular soap does exactly what people need. As a regular person, if you’re worried about bacterial contamination that much, you shouldn’t be using antibacterial soap in place of regular soap when you wash - you should just be washing more often.
I personally do have a very specific benefit that I experience when I use antibacterial soap: it takes longer for me to start smelling after I start sweating. The difference is noticeable for me. Presumably it is noticeable for the people around me as well. I could fix this problem by showering more often, but when I already shower once a day I’m not gonna go grab a quick one after lunch just for the hell of it, especially since excess water use is a problem anyways. Also where the fuck am I gonna find a shower that I’m just free to use at lunch time? So, antibacterial soap, and deodorant, fills that time gap for me.
Bots will talk whatever they’ve been told to talk about. It’s just that your entire post reads like an ad. Startig with praising the soap, using the sandwich method to affirm that you’re not defending it while defending it, and then closing with your personal positive use and experience.
Except for the fact that I didn’t in mention any specific product, so I literally didn’t market anything.
Your response also reads like a bot, using the rule of three then punctuating it with your conclusion.
Effective means of communication are effective. It’s only sensible bots would be written to use the most effective method possible to get their points across.
There is no such thing as “anti-bacterial soap”, on the basis that all soap, by it’s very function, is anti-bacterial. Because of this fact any company can add the words “anti-bacterial” on their soap, as it’s never technically wrong.
How does soap kill bacteria?
Soap is an emulsifier type chemical. That is to say, soap has molecules that like water and hate oil on one end, and hate water and like oil on the other. The molecule looks kinda like a hairpin, and you cannot have soap without it.
Cell and bacterial walls have a double layer of similar molecules that create a barrier between the inside of the cell and the outside world. The soap molecules attach themselves to the bacteria’s walls and then tears them apart.
Your skin is largely protected because it’s made of many layers, the top most being made of dead skin cells. But high enough concentrations of soap can cause serious chemical burns, as what the soap does to bacteria it can do to your skin cells. However, very low concentrations of soap is all that’s needed to wash yourself.
The difference between regular soap and antibacterial soap is that the antibacterial agent is usually something like triclosan or triclocarban, which is meant to slow the growth of new bacteria.
This gives soap a 1 2 punch as when you wash you kill pretty much 100% of the bacteria, but bacteria is everywhere so you almost immediately start picking more up as soon as you start coming into contact with other surfaces (the shower knob, the door handle, your phone, etc) so the antibacterial agent will help prevent the explosive bacterial growth after you’ve acquired it.
To be clear, I’m not defending antibacterial soap. In 99% of cases regular soap does exactly what people need. As a regular person, if you’re worried about bacterial contamination that much, you shouldn’t be using antibacterial soap in place of regular soap when you wash - you should just be washing more often.
I personally do have a very specific benefit that I experience when I use antibacterial soap: it takes longer for me to start smelling after I start sweating. The difference is noticeable for me. Presumably it is noticeable for the people around me as well. I could fix this problem by showering more often, but when I already shower once a day I’m not gonna go grab a quick one after lunch just for the hell of it, especially since excess water use is a problem anyways. Also where the fuck am I gonna find a shower that I’m just free to use at lunch time? So, antibacterial soap, and deodorant, fills that time gap for me.
This feels like a bot.
You think bots talk about their own personal odor issues?
Bots will talk whatever they’ve been told to talk about. It’s just that your entire post reads like an ad. Startig with praising the soap, using the sandwich method to affirm that you’re not defending it while defending it, and then closing with your personal positive use and experience.
Textbook marketing.
Except for the fact that I didn’t in mention any specific product, so I literally didn’t market anything.
Your response also reads like a bot, using the rule of three then punctuating it with your conclusion.
Effective means of communication are effective. It’s only sensible bots would be written to use the most effective method possible to get their points across.
thanks ChatGPT
Yyeeeah… Pretty sure my name isn’t ChatGPT.