I did not use soap (or gel) for two weeks. This is what happened
Numerous studies ensure that the skin adapts to the environment and its changes. That is, if we do not wash, our body gets used to it.TimeWise 3-In-1 Cleansing Bar with Soap Dish 5 oz / 141 g
We are exposed to millions of bacteria every day. Many of them reach us through the skin. Therefore, washing daily becomes very necessary. Rinsing your hands before eating with soap or giving yourself (minimum) a daily shower protects us from germs. None of us, at this point, it would occur to us to do without this cleaning that we understand essential. And all this despite the fact that numerous scientific studies have proven that the epidermis adapts to the environment and its changes. That is, if we do not wash, our body will get used to it, and so will we.
An editor of 'Men's Health' has decided to check it. The young Concetta Smith narrates in the web, in first person, her peculiar experiment: to completely do without the soap (and of all corporal cleanser) during no less than two weeks. He has done it now, right in summer, when the scorching heat makes it necessary for a couple of showers a day for most mortals.
It was particularly difficult not to use the gel when I got home after exercising, soaked in sweat
"When I told my friends what I was going to do, they were amazed, maybe summer is not the best time not to wash with soap, heat and humidity make one a breeding ground for infections. I wondered if water would be enough, "says Smith, who refers to the statements of a leading New York dermatologist:" Water alone will remove impurities from the skin. "
So, wanting to test the water, this young woman spent two weeks taking a shower without using any body cleanser. Next, we explain how he did it, what happened and what he learned with experience. Do not lose detail, just give you some idea.
1) I took very hot showers
During the first few days, he tried hard to remember that he should not use gel. It's something we do unconsciously, automatically. "This was particularly difficult when I came home after exercising, soaked in sweat and cream, I wanted to take a cold shower, but instead I set it to the maximum temperature, since hot water was my only option to fight The dirt".
After a few days doing this routine of hot showers in the middle of summer, Smith began to like: "Soon I delighted in the kind of sauna in which my room was converted". It is clear that the one who does not console himself is because he does not want to.
2) I felt the healthiest skin
After a week washing with hot water and without gel or soap, the protagonist began to experience changes in her skin. "Before, it had a kind of dry layer, and now it was shiny, it is known that soaps dehydrate the dermis, because they remove the oils from the skin." Instead, says the young woman, showering only with water not only balances skin oils, but it becomes smoother, and all "for not using the chemicals present in most bath gels."
3) I saved time and money
"I stopped using additional cleaning products like moisturizers and exfoliants, I did not need them, since I was not getting rid of natural oils with irritating soaps, my skin did not require so much attention," she says.
You could do something good for your skin and give it a deserved soap vacation from time to time. I recommend it
4) It did not smell (so) bad
The young woman complied with the plan without major problems. It only crossed his mind to fulfill what he had promised when he went to a job interview, because he was afraid of smelling bad and, therefore, giving a bad impression. But it turned out that it was not like that, it did not give off a scent of roses, but it did not smell like a sweaty sock either.
"It turns out that bathing with just water is enough to get rid of bad smells." With perfumes and deodorants, I discovered that the soap does not really deodorize, it simply adds a soft top layer of fragrance, which evaporates within a few hours.
After fifteen days, Smith recommends everyone to try it: leave the gel and soap. "I've been very surprised by the benefits I've had in leaving these products, you could do something good for you and give you a well-deserved soap vacation from time to time."