Today I would like to touch on a delicate topic Cleaning and washing Have we become obsessed with it? Do we really need to use as much soaps? And I don’t even want to touch on the antibacterial overuse. I understand that we are scared of covid and I do see the point of keeping up with our hygiene when we go out touching things that many others have touched especially when in a global pandemic But if we ignore for a minute the global situation that we find ourselves in (go on, allow yourself that pleasure), do we really need to shower daily (and even multiple times) with lots of soap and shampoo? There is evidence of soap making in our history - dating back to 2800 bc, which was made from a blend of ashes and oils (still now some soaps are made from ashes, and actually some soaps made from lye and fat are exactly that - see this post about the different types of soap), so it’s neither something novel nor something to completely discard. If it was invented there was a reason for it. And yes, soap is definitely useful, and we should definitely remember that when we go out in social situations without masks again...
This said, it can also be abused. Too much soap can not only dry our skins, but also can influence our bacterial communities that inhabit our skins. Yes. One of the point that I want to make is the words ‘bacteria’ or ‘virus’ or ‘microbes’ are often associated with the word ‘ewww’. But it shouldn’t be. Our skin is full of microorganisms and we should not go on a war with them. Some can be very useful and having them there will protect us from harmful versions. If you think about it, it’s much easier to colonise an empty land than it would be if the land was already occupied. And can also be a strong competitor that can help against proliferation of opportunistic pathogens that are already on our skins. Some of skin diseases are in fact due to some imbalances and proliferation of fungi. These imbalances are exactly why when you are given a course of antibiotics you are also given a course of ferments on the side, to help the good bacteria thrive. So, to get out of the ewww factor: I suggest to go watch this video and the images on this blog . Also, too much soap down the drain causes environmental issues, not the soap per se (if we consider a natural soap bar, as it degrades relatively fast), but all of the perfumes and chemicals associated with most commonly used soaps. These are called ‘emerging pollutants’ and you can go delve into the issue in this book chapter. Plus, if you are still using liquid products, the more you use it the faster you will be left with an empty bottle! Long and frequent showers also carry a large carbon footprint - since not only you are using large volumes of water, but unless you are Wim Hoff or following his method, this is warm water which needed a lot of energy to be heated up. Now, while the exact footprint depends on the way it is heated and also on the type of shower head you have (now, they are trying to make them more efficient) I think it’s something that we should be mindful of, because most of us in the Western world have grown up taking it for granted. All in all, I am absolutely not saying that we should stop washing. But I am suggesting that a) we stop thinking ‘gross’ when thinking about normal body functions, including sweat (and humans have adapted with a lot of sweat glands that allow us to do grand things - so let’s embrace it) b) we start being a bit gentler with our bodies and respect the species community resident on it, favouring the good residents who have been paying their rents and helping them getting stronger to fight the harmful ones. c) consider whether you really need to double shower or triple shower, maybe a quick spot wash is enough or a quick rinse off just with water, depending on the situation. d) seawater is good for you, full of mineral, and being ‘salty’ is also not gross. If it was really that disgusting, then we shouldn’t go swimming in it in the first place. So there is no need to rinse everytime we get out of it. Once in the evening is enough. e) check the soaps in your house, change them with natural versions, and consider solid versions of shampoo and conditioners
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