Dettol antibacterial soap :Review

I don’t like to use an anti-bacterial soap as a regular bathing soap, mainly because I belong to the school of thought that does not advocate the regular usage of anti-bacterial/ antimicrobial soaps on a perfectly healthy skin as it tends to interfere with the normal skin flora and disturbs the ecology and health of the skin. Besides television ads have also impressed upon me that anti-bacterial soaps are mostly meant for athletes, wrestlers and those who do rigorous and strenuous work/exercise. However, anti-bacterial soaps may prove advantageous to those people whose skins are prone to bacterial infections as also to those who live in insect/bug /mosquito infested localities and folks who suffer from excessive perspiration and body odor.



But why then am I thinking of using an anti-bacterial soap? Firstly, the terrible heat of May has left my skin reeking of sweat -- dust and grime gets accumulated over it more quickly than ever and also I don’t want prickly heat bumps on my body. Secondly, the excessive heat and humidity has taken its toll on my facial skin and nowadays my face perspires profusely, that too, within 5-10 minutes of washing. Another thing is, my skin being too oily and acne-prone, the fear of another acne outbreak is something which I am not looking forward to. By the way, I do wash my face with a deep pore cleansing and exfoliating face wash, and  I have also begun using an anti-bacterial soap in my bath and my choice is Dettol Soap, which claims to be 10 times better at fighting germs. I’m planning to use it only for a few weeks, till the weather becomes a little cool.

Dettol Soap


Why Dettol, you might ask? Dettol is a household name associated with cleaning and disinfecting and the very name Dettol has become synonymous with antibacterial protection. And the cleanliness freak, that I am, I have always used ‘Dettol Original Soap’ to keep my hands clean and germ-free. And this soap does not leave the skin on my hands feeling dry like a lot of strong anti-bacterial soap bars. But, personally I prefer using Dettol liquid handwash over Dettol soap for washing my hands as it gives me that thoroughly cleansed feeling. (You can buy Dettol Liquid Soap 250 ml liquid soap from Amazon.)

But be aware of the fact that excessive usage of antibacterial soaps and liquid handwashes is not deemed healthy. Factually, the normal skin flora is made up of the bacteria that normally live on the skin when the skin is healthy. These bacteria, which are harmless, actually prevent other harmful bacteria and fungus from growing on the skin. These normal bacteria are disturbed with over-washing with antibacterial soaps and the use of antibiotics. This in turn leads to increased growth of transient and pathogenic micro-organisms which jeopardizes the very intention of skin hygiene. In fact a research has found that the high rate of hand problems associated with the hand hygiene of medical professions is due to excessive handwashing and the usage of anti-bacterial and/or foaming liquid cleansers. Rather than fighting micro-organisms at the expense of the skin's health, the skin and its own defences should be considered a collaborator in combating infectious diseases, the study concludes.

However this does not mean that you shouldn’t wash your hands at all. In these days of swine-flu pandemic, it’s highly imperative that you pay utmost attention to hand-hygiene. In fact, most of the germs are transferred through your fingers and dirty fingernails. According to Dr. Kenneth Seaton, germs aren't just hurtled at us by coughs and sneezes. They're handed to us during routine-and intimate -physical contact and because human hands-especially under the nails-are a cornucopia of germs. Simply washing your hands and keeping your nails short and clean can prevent a host of infectious diseases, he adds. A Pubmed study has also concluded that people who washed their hands with soap vis-à-vis those who didn’t have a 50% reduced risk of intestinal infections and diarrhea.

Dettol Original soap


Now let’s turn our attention to ‘Dettol soap’. It has that typical ‘dettol’ (clinical smell), which is a bit of downside. But as a bathing soap in summers, Dettol Original soap is quite good. It cleans very well and removes quite a lot of oil and grime from the skin; so if you have oily skin like me it would be perfect for you. But if you have a dry skin, you may have to moisturize your skin well after bath. By the way there are other variants of Dettol soap that are not only bacterial but also have moisturizing and cooling proeprties. While Dettol Skincare Soap is formulated with moisturisers to help nourish your soft skin, Dettol Cool Soap has the coolness of menthol and Dettol Fresh Soap with a pleasant fresh fragrance not only protects you from germs but also keeps you fresh for long.. These soaps therefore not only protect your skin from infections but also leave it extremely fresh, clean, cool and moisturized. And if you have been on a swimming spree these days, Dettol soap is particularly useful for you as it not only rids your body of chlorine smell but also protects your skin from nasty infections that you may have contracted through pool waters or in the changing rooms. One of my friends even claims that shampooing with Dettol helped her to get over with the mild dandruff problem that she had.
 
    Dettol skincare soap             Dettol cool soap                Dettol Fresh soap

On another note, if you are a contact lens user, it is extremely important to keep your hands scrupulously clean and germ-free while handling lenses and therefore you should and must use a good quality antiseptic, anti-bacterial soap like Dettol soap while cleaning your hands. (Read Tips for contact lens users-part 1 and part 2.) It is highly recommended that you use a soap and not a liquid cleanser as some liquid cleansers are found to contain substances that may adhere to the lens surface and also irritate your eyes.

Dettol soap is pretty cheap, a 75g bar costs just Rs.18. You could also purchase it from Amazon.