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We sometimes joke that frequent washing shortens life, but a doctor decided to go a step further and check how the lack of hygiene according to modern standards affects health. Dr. James Hamblin gave up soap and other cosmetics and a classic shower for five years. He decided to check how the lack of bathing would affect the skin microbiome. His findings may be shocking to some.
- The 39-year-old doctor decided to see what would happen if he stopped washing himself
- However, this was not a short-term experiment. He introduced the hygienic revolution for five years
- The only part of his body he still disinfected during this time was his hands
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Dr. James Hamblin, 39, is a public health lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health, a journalist and bestselling author. In his latest book, Clean: The New Science of Skin, he explores modern beliefs about hygiene. For five years he gave up the traditional shower, soap (except for washing his hands, which is essential in his profession) and cosmetics considered essential. As he says himself, he wanted to save time, money and see how skin microbes would react to natural care.
- See also: The doctor calls: we should wash only three parts of the body every day
He hasn’t washed for several years. A surprising experiment
It all started with the need to save money. Beginning his career, Hamblin had to look for savings, he naturally began to analyze how much money he spends on various cosmetics, the composition of which is extremely simple and, after analysis, prompts reflection on their effectiveness. New thoughts quickly entered his mind – how was it possible that once people did not use them at all, and the top of hygiene was the annual change of a linen shirt? This is how he began to develop his hypothesis and come to more and more surprising conclusions.
The doctor did not use soap, deodorant and shower gels for five years. The body is rinsed with water.
The book, which is the result of his experiment, is an extraordinary publication, exploring the secrets of the human skin microbiome – its largest organ. Our skin, as well as our intestines, is home to billions of microbes that are beneficial to us, but we continually kill them during hygienic rituals.
According to the doctor, humanity has gone too far, and most of the learned hygiene rituals that should serve us are downright harmful. Even though we as a species have lived thousands of years without deodorant, suddenly we can’t live without it.
Hamblin emphasizes that the more we wash off our natural microbiome, the more susceptible we become to the effects of bad and pathogenic microorganisms, acne, allergies or pimples. Many of us are locked in a self-destructive cycle: we wipe off natural dirt, assuming it’s best for our skin, but all these mechanisms dry the skin even more and lead to further dermatological problems.
Interestingly, the regular use of a large amount of cosmetics also affects how the body deals with the so-called unpleasant smells.
No bath and no smells
How has his skin changed as a result of the lack of hygiene, considered by us as basic? Dr. Hamblin has come to interesting conclusions. First, it didn’t smell like he had expected it to be at first. Secondly, his natural smell appeared and, thirdly, he discovered that, contrary to appearances, he was more active than lazing, which could protect him from excessive sweating.
One of the more interesting observations of the doctor was the fact that his armpits no longer gave off the unpleasant odor they did when he occasionally forgot to use a deodorant. His complexion also improved, he got rid of pimples, and the skin was no longer greasy.
Should we stop washing ourselves?
Don’t worry, the medic’s answer is no, he definitely doesn’t recommend such a radical experiment to everyone. By his own admission, it was an unpleasant experience in many respects. However, she recommends that you verify your hygienic habits and bathroom cabinet.
According to Hamblin, we have succumbed without reflection to the marketing of a huge industry and the cult of beauty, and most of the cosmetics we use are neither needed nor effective. He also cites extremely shocking data on the beauty industry in the US. Virtually anyone who starts a cosmetics company can sell anything. In the European Union, the use of as many as 150 chemical ingredients in cosmetics has been banned, in the United States this list is limited to only 11 items.
When choosing cosmetics, it is worth focusing on very simple and, above all, natural products that are made with respect for the natural inhabitants of our skin. Some cosmetics already contain information on the label about the safety of the substance for the skin microbiome. It is he who is at the forefront of the clash with many pathogens that try to get into our body, let’s not give up this natural protection too easily.