5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Wash Your Hands

5 reasons why I DON'T wash my hands (and neither should you): pic.twitter.com/2HUneWCXJV

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

Remember flu season when you were a kid?

You'd hear it a million times on TV and in school:

"Wash your hands! Wash them with soap! Sing the happy birthday song!"

Here's the thing: THIS IS WRONG

I know what you're thinking...

"Gross, dude. Wash your damn hands."

Listen:

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

Big Handwashing wants you to ignore 2 fundamental aspects of skincare:

1) Your skin absorbs everything it touches

2) Your skin is home to bacteria/oil that protect it and overwashing makes skin irritated and unhealthy

So, here are 5 reasons NOT to wash your hands:

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

1. Anti-bacterial agents

Hand soaps are made of potent anti-microbial chemicals.

Remember how the skin has it's own bacterial ecosystem?

Anti-microbials kill it off. They can even disrupt the GUT microbiome, causing digestive stress and weakening your immune system.

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

2. Hormone disrupting fragrances

So if we take out the anti-microbials, we're all good?

Nope.

Even "natural" or "sustainable" soaps contain a ton of artificial fragrances.

And they don't just wash right off. Smell your hands 15 minutes after washing.

The thing is...

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

Fragrance stays on your skin a long time...slowly absorbing into your system.

And the worst part?

Artificial fragrances are known to disrupt your sex hormones.

Toxic hormonal effects accumulate over time, hurting your fertility AND future babies.

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

3. Artificial chemicals

Even zero-fragrance soap is chock-full of toxic chemicals.

Take a look at the label and you'll see things like

- Sodium laurel sulfate
- Sodium benzoate

Again, they don't just rinse off.

They stay on your skin to absorb for hours.

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

4. Tap water

If you're reading this, I doubt I need to tell you about the dangers of tap water. But I will. Tap water is full of

- fluoride
- chlorine
- heavy metals
- pharmaceuticals

and more.

Hopefully, you're drinking spring water or reverse osmosis remineralized water.

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

But even if you are, do you filter your sink water too?

It may sound like a little, but all those minutes spent washing your hands in toxic water add up.

And you wonder why you have dry hands?

Which leads me to the next point...

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

5. Washing removes natural oils

Each of the prior items can be corrected if you put some thought into your hand washing.

But even natural handwashing strips your hands of natural oils.

Ever had dry, chapped hands in the winter?

This is why.

When it's cold...

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

Your skin produces less oil than normal.

So, stripping your hands (and body, for that matter) of natural oils should be done as *little as possible*.

But the truth is...hands get dirty.

And you will have to clean them.

Here's what to do instead of bathing them in chemicals:

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

1. Don't be so sensitive

A little food, sweat, or bodily fluids on your hands will not kill you. Overcleanliness is bad for your immune system.

2. Use alternative methods

Sweaty after a workout? Wipe down with a rag. Raw meat juice from prepping steak? Rub it into your arms.

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

3. Washing in the shower

If you shower regularly, washing your hands 12 times a day is a harmful waste of time. Get a shower filter. And when you're in there, use...

4. Better soap

Pure soap is made of fat + sodium hydroxide (aka lye). It's called castile soap. Hunt it down. pic.twitter.com/A9YTUaYFGz

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023

The bottom line?

- No chemicals on your hands
- Use rags and handkerchiefs if you can
- Keep them clean in the first place

The goal is neither to be dirty, or be a hypochondriac.

Accept your body for what it is, and learn to live with it in harmonyhttps://t.co/ScgX6OnUvF

— Tan Man (@reallytanman) March 14, 2023