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0 pointsBhilai3y ago0 comments

> Soap: it disrupt the skin microbiome. Only useful for hand washing and to clean private parts / the bottom. Even then use high quality soap like Marseille soap or Aleppo soap.

> Shampoo: Most shampoos are very a agressive for your scalp / hairs and should be avoided. Especially if you have fragile / curly hair. You can wash them with plain water or conditioner instead.

Wait, what? I would love to see some supporting evidence for all this.

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Nzen3y ago

I'm going to point at a company and product that I am aware of, but have not personally experienced. AOBiome Therapudics has a list of its published research, [0], on its website. They helped develop the mother dirt body wash product, [1] [2].

[0] https://www.aobiome.com/published-articles-and-papers/

[1] https://mightynest.com/shop/bath-body/skin-care/soaps-bodywa...

[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20181116064007/https://motherdir...

owlglass3y ago

Not research backed, but to add one data point, I bought into the whole "I need a three-step skincare routine" trend (which I think is positive, people should care for their skin as they should any other organ). However, after trying ~5 different cleansers (varying in ingredients, lathering vs non-lathering, and oil cleansing), I realized my acne is best when I cleanse twice daily with water.

On the other hand, moisturizing and sunscreen has helped with dryness and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from acne.

spcebar3y ago

I used to think I had oily skin, and so I would use harsh cleansers to cut through that oil. They didn't help at all, and I had bad skin for years. It took a skin conscious girlfriend to make me realize that I actually have dry skin, which produces an excessive amount of oil to compensate for the dryness. Just keeping my skin regularly moisturized and using a gentle soap or cleanser before bed/as needed cleared my skin.

wazoox3y ago

Just in case: for many people with acne problems, changing the pillowcase daily (or every other day, turning your pillow over the second night) seems to make a clear difference.

oDot3y ago

Not research-backed, but you can google "Curly Girl Method" for much of the reasoning, and probably many examples of people who avoid shampoos to great success, so it's at least true for some.

coldtea3y ago

https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/mounting-data-sugges....

Soap is a rather recent invention (the Romans didn't have it until later in their Empire), and one that until 1-2 centuries ago people used sparringly. And yes, they did clean themselves with bathing, even in medieval times, despite the prevalent myths about those times.

Also, the last 80 years or so, after TV became popular soaps and fancy shampoos have been marketed to death with BS snakeoil claims. 99% of what you hear in those ads is bogus, including claims about the efficacy of their fancy sounding ingredients...

Might also want to check the book "Clean"

s1artibartfast3y ago

I think this is an example of overly pushing everything to the demand of science.

It obviously depends on your body, diet, and microbiome.

There's no definitive answer like if Earth was balls around the Sun. The answer is personal. Does that work for you or not? What have you tried and what works and what doesn't

Lewton3y ago

I think the problem is that everyone knows “that person” who thought they didn’t need soap/shampoo etc. but it turns out they just have a terrible sense of smell and are deluded

Like the friend of mine who told me she never used shampoo in which my immediate reaction was “no shit..”

On the flip side, I do have a close friend who admitted he only showers every three days or so, and smells impeccable (which is extra funny because he has anosmia)

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