Does Castile Soap Kill Germs?
Updated 3/14/24
When a hospital system wanted to switch from their concerning Triclosan hand washing detergent to Earth Mama’s non-toxic organic soaps, we had to do more than give them our assurance of safety, purity and efficacy. We had to give them solid information. Hospital professionals were washing their hands twice for each patient visit; a double dose of toxins many times a day. The hospital’s Infection Control department insisted that soap used for staff hand washing had to have an antibacterial additive. We gently suggested that pure, organic castile soap would be effective, without any of the toxins. And off to the lab we went!
We sent Calming Lavender, Simply Non-Scents and Sweet Orange Baby Wash organic castile-based soaps out for in vitro (“test tube”) and in vivo (in regular use) laboratory tests, against all the kinds of germs commonly found in the hospital setting, including Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, as well as Pseudomonas aerugimosa in the in vitro testing.
The in vivo testing procedure was as follows:
Finger pads were rubbed together to ensure complete coverage of the skin with bacteria and were allowed to dry, then washed with Earth Mama Castile Soap. Exposure to soap was for 15, 30, and 60 seconds. Following washing with soap solution, finger pads were rinsed in tap water, dried with a paper towel and then used to inoculate agar plates with bacteria.
Here's what those tests found:
Overall, the hand washing results clearly show a significant and striking reduction (99.9 to 100%) in enormous numbers of gram negative and gram positive bacterial cells in response to the three liquid soaps (A,B,C) evaluated in this study. In conclusion, these tests show Earth Mama soaps A, B, and C to be consistently bactericidal and effective in removing bacteria from skin."
While Earth Mama’s Castile Soap is not a hand sanitizer (and not intended to be used as one), it killed 99.9% of germs in the test tubes, and in good old fashioned hand washing, without harmful toxins.
No Triclosan for Me, Thank You
Many hospitals are working to keep their patients and their own employees from repeated Triclosan and toxin use as awareness grows. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that low levels of Triclosan can be absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream, and it appears in the urine of 75% of the US population. If washing hands with castile soap effectively kills germs without harmful toxins, that’s the clear choice.
Soap or detergent? What are YOU soaking in? Bar or liquid, your soap may not be so simple. Read more here!
