The umpteen soaps and toothpaste products on the supermarket shelves that boast germ-fighting chemicals might be doing more harm than good — especially for your kids.

The antibacterial chemical, triclosan, used in household products to inhibit growth of a variety of bacterial and fungal species, has been banned in various products around the globe for good reasons: It has been linked to serious health conditions like endocrine system damage and breast cancer, and could potentially pose significant risk for antimicrobial resistance.

A new study of 347 children aged 1-12, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, reveals that those with higher triclosan levels are also 23 percent more likely to have eczema and 12 percent more likely to struggle with allergies such as hay fever.

Researchers believe that triclosan could wreak havoc on the immune system by disrupting healthy bacteria that train our bodies not to overreact to harmless things like pollen.

This is in line with the hypothesis that suggests too much sanitizing may make kids more allergy prone.

Although in 2020 triclosan was banned from soaps and hand sanitizers, it still finds a way into other products like toothpaste and cutting boards.

If your child struggles with allergies or eczema it is advisable to check labels and be wary of those that include triclosan.

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