Most Dial body wash products are not labeled as antibacterial. While Dial is widely known for its antibacterial soap, the company’s current body wash lineup does not carry the “antibacterial” designation. Dial reserves that label for its hand soaps and bar soaps, where the active ingredient benzalkonium chloride is listed at 0.10%.
Which Dial Products Are Actually Antibacterial
Dial’s product page draws a clear line between its antibacterial and non-antibacterial offerings. The antibacterial label appears on several liquid hand soap lines (including “antibacterial + hydrating,” “antibacterial defense,” and “antibacterial & sensitive”) and on certain bar soaps. The body wash lines, including Refresh & Renew, Advanced Clean, Healthy Hydration, and the men’s and kids’ formulas, are not marketed as antibacterial.
This distinction matters. A body wash without the antibacterial label is essentially a regular cleanser. It still removes dirt, oil, and many bacteria through the physical action of lathering and rinsing, but it doesn’t contain a regulated germ-killing ingredient. If you’ve been buying Dial body wash assuming it works the same way as Dial’s antibacterial bar soap, it doesn’t.
How Dial’s Antibacterial Products Work
In the Dial products that do carry the antibacterial label, the active ingredient is benzalkonium chloride at a concentration of 0.10%. This compound is a type of quaternary ammonium detergent that kills bacteria by binding to and disrupting their cell membranes. It’s effective against many common gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, though its coverage against fungi and viruses is inconsistent.
Benzalkonium chloride replaced triclosan, which was Dial’s original antibacterial ingredient for decades. In 2016, the FDA banned triclosan and 18 other antibacterial ingredients from over-the-counter consumer soaps. Manufacturers couldn’t demonstrate that these ingredients were safe for long-term daily use or more effective than plain soap and water. Dial reformulated its antibacterial hand soaps and bar soaps with benzalkonium chloride, which remained permitted, but chose not to extend that formulation across its body wash range.
Antibacterial Soap vs. Regular Soap
Even if you do use an antibacterial Dial product, the benefit over regular soap is questionable for everyday use. The CDC states plainly that studies have not found any added health benefit from using antibacterial soap compared to plain soap and water, except in healthcare settings. The FDA echoes this, noting there’s no data showing these products provide additional protection from disease or infection for the general public.
Regular soap works by loosening bacteria, viruses, and dirt from your skin so water can rinse them away. It doesn’t need to kill anything to be effective. The mechanical process of scrubbing and rinsing does the heavy lifting. This is why a non-antibacterial Dial body wash still gets you clean in the shower, even without a germ-killing active ingredient.
Concerns About Daily Antibacterial Use
There are reasons to think twice before seeking out antibacterial body products for daily use, even if you find one. Research published in Nature Communications found that bacteria exposed to benzalkonium chloride can develop tolerance over time and, more concerning, can develop cross-resistance to certain antibiotics. Bacteria that adapted to benzalkonium chloride showed reduced susceptibility to antibiotics and gained a fitness advantage in environments where antibiotics were present. The CDC has also flagged that antibacterial soap use may contribute to antibiotic resistance more broadly.
Your skin also hosts a complex community of beneficial microbes that play a role in immune function and protection against harmful organisms. A study published in PubMed Central found that antibacterial soap use significantly altered the composition of skin microbial communities, with changes persisting for at least two weeks after use. While the total number of microbial species didn’t drop, the types of bacteria shifted in a dose-dependent way: more soap use meant greater disruption to the community’s makeup. The long-term consequences of repeatedly reshuffling your skin’s microbial balance aren’t fully understood, but the shift itself is measurable and lasting.
What This Means for Your Shower Routine
If you picked up Dial body wash expecting antibacterial protection, you’re using a standard cleanser. That’s not a problem. For routine showering, regular body wash does everything you need. It removes sweat, oil, dead skin cells, and the bulk of bacteria through lathering and rinsing. No antibacterial agent required.
If you specifically want an antibacterial product from Dial, you’d need to look at their hand soap or bar soap lines, which clearly display the antibacterial label and list benzalkonium chloride as the active ingredient. But given that both the FDA and CDC have concluded antibacterial soaps offer no meaningful advantage over regular soap for everyday consumers, the practical difference is negligible. A thorough wash with any soap and water remains the most effective and evidence-supported way to keep your skin clean.