Soap trope

Amou Haji was a local legend in Iran. 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.

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

We do not know if washing was the cause of his illness. 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, partly as a way of saving money on soap and partly as a way of saving time. At first, he says, "I was an oily, smelly beast." But after a while, things improved.

Hamblin is very interested 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.

He describes it as "a complex, diverse ecosystem". Bathing or showering upsets this and washes away the skin's natural oils.

"There are good bugs... that help us live our lives," explains one expert, Professor Martin Blaser.¹ An example is a bacteriumA very small living organism, often made up of only one cell. which protects 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 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 washing too much.

Some people are now buying bacteria which they spray on themselves to make up for the bacteria they have washed away. One brand, Mother Dirt, uses bacteria from horses. 

James Hamblin does not want everyone to stop 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.