Medicated soaps:More harmful than you think

Many people develop all sorts of skin issues when they use toilet soaps. From itching to outright blisters, the list is endless. For this category of people who usually complain of skin sensitivity, doctors sometimes advise them to use antibacterial soaps — commonly called medicated soaps.

There are people who simply can’t use any soap that is not antibacterial to bath. Consciously or unconsciously, they readily reach for antibacterial soaps whenever they are shopping for the home. And, in many cases, an entire family can be plugged on, so to say, to using strictly medicated soaps.

This category of soaps has become so popular that manufacturers now make antibacterial hand soaps, detergents, and other products. Yet, physicians contend that using antibacterial soap will not keep one from getting ill; while they agree that though it kills most bacteria, it is absolutely ineffective against viruses.

They agree that washing the hands can reduce the spread of viruses, but if a child comes into close contact with another child who has a cold, even hand washing may not be enough, since he may have inhaled a host of rhinoviruses — that is, viruses that enter the body through the nose.

A dermatologist, Dr. Subair Opaleye, notes that while some people may feel good about using antibacterial soaps, the fact remains that extended use of the products do pose health risks.

He notes that ordinary soaps remove dirt and grime from the skin, as they contain fats which work very effectively as cleansers of grime and dirt. He warns that when soaps are not properly washed and removed from the skin when we take our bath, they can attract dirt, or cause irritation of the skin.

-punch