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Cleanliness is truly an endless war.
So, are we to understand that trying to keep ourselves clean and smelling healthy could be increasing microbes in certain areas of our body?
The answer seems likely. Let’s first understand what we are dealing with here. Microbes are microscopic organisms that are too small to be seen with the eye. The human body itself is home to bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes that enjoy making their homes on our bodies.
Our armpits and webbed toes tend to play home to a large number of microbes. These microbes appear in very diverse fashions, which is fascinating for scientists to figure out why.
A recent study was performed on the impact certain products that we use on our body has on the number of microbes found. The study, which was conducted in the journal BMC Biology, had male and females follow a certain routine.
For the first three weeks, the participants didn’t apply anything to their skin other than just a light wash. The next three weeks, the participants were to apply things such as sunscreen, skin lotion, antiperspirant, and foot powder. The final three weeks consisted of everyone participating in their normal skin maintenance routine.
With the use of swabs, the researchers found some very interesting data. They noticed that the sunscreen and lotion had no altering affects to the microbes. However, those products that we enjoy using the most to prevent us from smelling in front of others boosted the diversity of the microbes. The antiperspirant and foot powder had the largest effect. This is attributed to the fact that moisture levels change in those areas of our body, which can create an environment that is conducive to a wide range of microbes.
They found that the final three weeks altered the hormones and pheromones present in the skin. Having this kind of knowledge can certainly lead to a future where skin-care products can be tailor made to your skin type. Fascinating stuff, for sure! Except for the microbes, that’s a little gross.
