Soap trope

Amou Haji was a local legend in the Iranian province of Fars. For over 50 years he had lived between a hole in the ground and a small shack - and refused to wash. He was afraid that soap would make him sick, and became depressed when people tried to persuade him otherwise. He told an interviewer¹ that his lifestyle was the result of "emotional setbacks" when he was young.

But last year he was finally persuaded to clean up. Shortly afterwards he fell ill, and then died, aged 94, in October 2022.

Whether washing was the cause of his illness is impossible to say. But the fact that he lived to such an old age suggests that dirt did him no great harm. And a book called Clean written by a former doctor, James Hamblin, explains why.

Hamblin himself stopped showering after giving up medicine to become a journalist. He saw it partly as a way of saving money spent on soap and shampoo - and also saving time. By his estimate, someone who lives to be 100 could devote as much as two years of that to washing themselves.

At first, he says, "I was an oily, smelly beast." But after a time, things improved. "You don't smell like rosewater... but you don't smell like BOBody odour. , either. You just smell like a person." He adds, however, that he still washes his hands frequently to guard against diseases.

Hamblin was also motivated by his interest in the microbiome. This is the community of trillionsA trillion is a million million. of microbesVery small living things, also known as microorganisms. that live on our skin, the body's largest organ, which he describes as "a complex, diverse ecosystem". Bathing or showering disrupts this and washes away the skin's natural oils.

"There are good bugs... that help us live our lives," explains a microbiome expert, Professor Martin Blaser.² One example is a bacteriumA very small living organism, often made up of only one cell. called Staphylococcus epidermidis, which can protect against skin cancer. "So if you're removing the good bugs, through soaps or cosmetics or antibiotics or hand cleansers etc, you may not be doing yourself any favours. Even though you think that you're cleaner, you may not be."

Even without soap, hot water takes the oils from the outer layers of skin. A dermatologistA doctor specialising in skin. in Canada, Sandy Skotnicki, believes that eczemaA group of skin conditions that causes dry and irritated skin. may be triggered by overwashing.

The bacterium that causes redness and itching in eczema sufferers can be killed by another bacterium found on the skin, called Roseomonas mucosa. The disease has been successfully treated by spraying the affected area with this second bacterium.

Some people without eczema are now buying bacteria which they spray on themselves to rebalance the microbiome. One brand, Mother Dirt, uses bacteria from horses. 

James Hamblin does not recommend that everyone stops having showers and baths. "In a lot of ways it was terrible," he says. "But it also changed my life."

Yes: Our enthusiasm for washing dangerously disrupts the microbiome and leaves us vulnerable to skin diseases. Other creatures do not need to wash themselves with soap, so why should we?

No: A good standard of hygiene is essential to public health. There would be many more outbreaks of disease if those with access to soap and clean water did not make the most of them.  

Or... We all need to reduce the strain on the planet's resources, including the energy used to heat water. Even if we do not stop washing altogether, we should get used to doing so less.