So I’ve seen quite a lot on the internet recently (past one or two years), videos of people abandoning different forms of soap for different situations, but usually for the purpose of “restoring the body’s natural microbiome.” In many of their anecdotal claims, they’ll say things like “it cured my dandruff” or, “I don’t have psoriasis anymore”, and so on, and how their bodies come about a homeostasis of some sort. I tried it out, and while my skin cleared up, my dandruff slowly became worse over time.
I’ve also read (just now) a lot of posts here describing both the prevalence of lice in the B.C.-1700s until regular shampooing became a thing, and how soaps generally remove bacteria through mechanical means rather than outright kill them.
So I’m hoping for more than one explanation here:
• Is anti-bacterial soap a marketing myth, and “organic” soaps are just fine despite not being “anti-bacterial” because the mechanics are the same?
• Is body soap/bar soap necessary if you’re rinsing/showering with hot water daily and washing hands with soap? If so, how can I determine an appropriate washing/soaping frequency for maintaining effective hygiene for *all* parts of the body, genitals and rectum included without harming my skin?
• Does soap affect larger particles of fecal matter the same way that it affects microscopic organisms (mechanically sticking to both lipid and water and carrying away due to surface tension of water), or does it sanitize the fecal matter and some of it remains left behind or something else entirely?
• Bar soaps harbor lots of bacteria, but so does my skin and body hair, so to use or not to use?
In: Biology
Skin isn’t happy with everyday showers with hot water and soap. It’s recommended to shower less and just wash your face, armpits, and groin area every day. When you shower, it’s better to use lukewarm or even cold water and a mild soap, especially if you have sensitive skin. Antibacterial soap isn’t really needed for everyday use – just any soap and water and good hand washing technique is fine. During covid a lot of people developed skin problems on their hands due to excessive washing and desinfecting.
Skin conditions like dandruff may need a specific type of soap (or rather soap with specific extra ingredients) to treat it.
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