Regular bathing with soap may do more harm than good for the human body. Founder of the Digestive Centre for Women, Dr. Robynne Chutkan posits that the harsh chemicals often contained in soap may not only be removing the dirt that accumulates on the body on a given day but may actually rid the body of essential bacteria that keeps the skin free of acne and eczema.
On MSN News, Dr Chutkan suggests that even after sweating heavily the body really only needs a rinse. In the long run, daily scrubbing in the shower significantly prevents the body from retaining the good bacteria and consequently harms the body's immunity. This in turn is what brings about diseases.
With a more moderate approach the seeming answer, Dr. Chutkan maintains the importance of care and caution especially during seasons when cold and flu are prevalent. She stresses the sufficiency of soap and warm water and says that use of hand sanitisers is not at all necessary.
"Unless you've been hanging out on an Ebola ward, the vast majority of microbes on your skin and hands are not virulent germs that cause serious infection; they're harmless bacteria that won't hurt you."
Her stand supports a 2014 report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which cited that the prevailing use of anti-bacterial gels has caused the emergence of untreatable bacterial infections worldwide. According to the report, use of these chemicals have caused the mutation of common viruses into strains that are resistant to drugs and are potentially more difficult to control and to eradicate.
A report on ABC News in early October relates that the harm of over-sanitising is not constricted to humans but have evidenced lasting damages to the environment. The report relates California's move to phase out the use of non-biodegradable exfoliating beads in soaps, toothpastes and body wash as these microscopic plastic beads have been escaping from water filtration systems into the bodies of fish and other marine life.
