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Soap Damage
Many people think their natural
oils and bacteria are undesirable. For
hygiene--which technically is "the science and health of preventing disease," they wash
a few times daily with hot soapy water.
Too much washing isn't good for our skin. It is ironic that the very
thing people are using to protect them from disease (soap) is causing skin
to become diseased. Try using just Cetaphil or yogurt or honey (my
favorite) to cleanse the skin instead, and I
don't care how much a fancy cream is, nothing is better than the one God gave
you.
Here's a very interesting article on the
pH of different soaps and their effects
on the skin.
Preservation
People are beginning to realize
that getting rid of all the bacteria and oils on their skin isn't good,
and these are some of the reasons why:
- Washing your hands with cold water will help preserve your natural oils.
- Your skin is supposed to be slightly acidic, and soap removes this very
important acid mantle because it is alkaline.
Even water that is piped in from water companies is alkaline. The
slight acidity of the skin protects us from bacteria, fungi, and other
microorganisms. Inquire with companies about the pH of the soap you are
using, because there are soaps out there that won't destroy the acid mantle.
- It's the good bateria that fight the bad
bacteria. Let's not leave our skin without any ammunition.
- Terribly dry skin can't handle soap or even water, because both are cleansers
and remove the acid mantle and natural oils.
- To compensate for natural oils washed away, people put creams and oils
on their skin. Putting a lot of things on the skin is not good, because
creams and lotions can have a drying effect, and long term use of oils
encourages the skin to produce less natural oils.
It takes 4 days for barrier functions to return to normal after being damaged
by detergents, and then it takes 30 days for all layers of the skin to
rejuvenate.
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