There are two kinds of "washing hands" or other parts. Compulsively washing, several times a day, and then when your parts are dirty. If you remain in your own home environment, I'd say wash when you feel grubby, but other times, rinse for this and that and towel off... It's when you go out and among 'em that you need a good soap washing afterwards. Meet with the public, in and out of stores, restraurants, public places. If you don't find it convenient to wash, keep your hands away from your nose and mouth until you CAN wash. Then wash and go home, where the germs are more friendly.
Tom is right, our natural bloom of germs on the outside are good for us. Some of them make it very hostile for stranger germs. The skin is naturally more healthy with the outer layer sort of left as-is. The acid balance is maintained and provides a very healthy environment for the skin. That will be washed away with repeated washings. So, yeah, keep clean, especially of stranger's germs. But don't overdo it. Me, I use a gentle vegetable oil base real soap. It is very mild, and will not strip the healthy outer layer of skin cells. keith graywolf wrote: > > Frank, I don't know about mothers with newborns, but the makers of Zest > did a study to prove their bath bar killed more germs than plain old > soap. This was back in the early 60's. However, they never mentioned in > there ads that the control group who did not wash at all for two weeks > had an even lower skin bacteria count. Seems washing removes the natural > and very effective antibacteria agents in our skin oils. > > frank theriault wrote: > > > About 15 or 20 years ago, I saw a news story that said that mother's with newborns > > are more susceptible to certain illnesses, because they wash their hands more > > often. Contra-intuitive though it may be, it was said to be true. Of course, I > > never heard such a silly thing since then, but it made sense. > > > > They theorized that washing the hands too much removes all the hands' natural oils, > > which may have some sort of a protective effect (whether that would be profilactic > > or germicidal, I don't know). > > > > It's likely a pile of bunk, but as one who's always been lazy about washing hands, > > I > > took it to heart, as it fit in quite nicely with my world view. Now, I of course, > > wash my hands from time to time (you know, like after I've been in ~there~ and > > before meals, but that's generally it). > > > > I never get sick. Probably has nothing to do with the hats, the hands, or anything > > else I do. I'm just one of those guys who don't get sick. > > > > cheers, > > frank > > > > Mark Roberts wrote: > > > > > >>I got in the habit of being careful about washing my hands and avoiding > >>rubbing my eyes, etc. when I thought about how easy it is to catch a > >>cold when working out at the gym. Think about how germs can spread in > >>*that* environment! (And I go there for my health, right?<g>) > >> > >>-- > >>Mark Roberts > >>Photography and writing > >>www.robertstech.com > > > > > > -- > > "Hell is others" > > -Jean Paul Sartre > > > > > > > > -- > graywolf > http://graywolfphoto.com
