Skin cancer and the skins microbiome

[mikeccolella]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180301103701.htm

 

No mention in the article of soaps, body lotions and allthe crap people are prone to use along with all kinds of scrubbing tools like loofa sponges. My hunch is these would not be good for our skins health as it would make it hard to maintain a healthy biome on the skins surface

[mccoy]

Very interesting and now we should develop strategies to boost the growth of beneficial skin bacteria, even as we do with the gut microbiome.

 

Not using soaps and stuff is a first step. Then what? Exposing the skin to the atmosphere as long as possible? Other possible strategies?

[Saul]

Nice.

 

I would guess that cold showers, without soap, should be kindest to our natural good skin microbiome. That's what I've been doing for the last several months. My skin has never been healthier that I can remember. (E.g., my dermatological NP found it great. And I've had no itching, even in the heart of winter.)

I've been taking cold showers for years -- but used soap. Much better, without soap.

 

Of course, there's also Dean's solution: Don't shower daily; maybe once every three days or so. That works for Dean, since he doesn't sweat a lot. Happily, neither do I -- but I exercise every day except Saturday, which makes me sweaty -- so I take a cold shower, without soap.

Problem: My dear wife complained that my hair stank. So I shampoo my hair -- but no soap on the skin; I want to keep my good skin microbes.

 

-- Saul