When you touch something that has a strong smell (like poo or when you break a perfume bottle), the smell tends to stay on your hand even after you washed your hands, sometimes even after you take a long shower. Why is that? Does that mean you are not completely clean since the smell is still there?
In: Biology
Certain smelly compounds are lipophilic, meaning that they are attracted to other oils, and will therefore be more difficult to get off of your hands, even if you wash and scrub them. Chemical compounds like this can get into the skin, so a simple hand-washing won’t eliminate them. Washing your hands thoroughly with warm water and a bit of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) can be a very effective way to unbind those compounds.
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