FDA bans 19 chemicals used in antibacterial soaps

In a final ruling announced Friday, the Food and Drug Administration is pulling from the market a wide range of antimicrobial soaps after manufacturers failed to show that the soaps are both safe and more effective than plain soap. Friday’s decision primarily targets two once-ubiquitous ingredients—triclosan and triclocarban—that some limited animal research suggests can interfere with hormone levels and spur drug-resistant bacteria.