Triclocarban is the active ingredient in Dial antibacterial bar soap, and triclosan is the active ingredient in Dial antibacterial liquid soap. Both triclocarban and triclosan are antimicrobial agents that have been used in a variety of personal care, household and industrial products over the past 40 years.
Due to reports that it caused neurological damage in infants, hexachlorophene, the original active ingredient in Dial, was removed from the consumer market in the 1970s and strictly limited to use in a hospital setting. Dial Corporation then replaced it with the synthetic antibacterial compound triclocarban. There is controversy about its efficacy as an antimicrobial agent, the risk of bacterial resistance and its possible role in disrupted hormone development. There are also concerns about its impact on the environment.
