A metabolic argument
Humans produce more oil on the surface of their skin than our closest relatives (1).…
Surfactants remove the natural oil from skin and disrupt barrier function causing sub-clinical inflammation, skin sensitivity and accelerated aging. Foaming agents also disrupt the skin’s microbiome … the ecosystem of microbes that is needed for optimum skin health.
In the century since soap has become part of our daily routine, inflammatory skin diseases like acne and eczema have exploded in their prevalence. These diseases are very rare or absent in hunter-gatherer communities.
Please run an experiment on yourself. Wash with water only for 10 days and forgo deodorant. Maybe you don’t need foaming products?
Humans, like most animals, are fastidious when it comes to keeping themselves clean. This has evolutionary benefits. The proposition here is that you clean yourself with water, as your ancestors did. In a perfect world it would be cool river water. Your skin’s natural oil melts at 32˚C, so warm water will remove some of it.
Don’t break the COVID rules on hand washing.
Humans produce more oil on the surface of their skin than our closest relatives (1).…
You share 99% of your DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos … what’s the biggest genetic…
Dermatologists have known for decades that foaming agents break down barrier function in skin. As…
Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs) are produced by your skin cells (and sweat glands) to kill opportunistic…
Bipedal hominids lost their body hair around 1,9 million years ago. Soap use became largely…