Ingredient glossary / Preservative
Triclosan
On the label: Triclosan · Preservative
What it is
An antibacterial agent the FDA removed from consumer hand soaps in 2016; still found in some toothpastes and older products.
Preservatives: Preservatives stop bacteria and mould growing in a product that contains water; every water-based product needs one.
In the research
368 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Are Wild Boars Exposed to Triclosan and Triclocarban? · Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2026
- Hair-Based Biomonitoring of Phthalate Metabolites and Triclosan in Childhood: Links with Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders · Journal of xenobiotics, 2026
- Advancing next-generation risk assessment for cosmetic ingredients: transferring the 10-step read-across framework from human to environmental safety using triclosan as a case stud · NAM journal, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other preservatives
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.