With H1N1 on the scene, people are washing their hands more frequently and are using antibacterial products more often as well.
With frequent hand-washing, I recommend products that are natural, or as natural as possible.
Dry your hands completely between washing. Do not expose your hands to extreme cold temperatures while damp.
When bathing, do not use overly hot water. Hot water tends to sap the skin of its natural oils. When the hands and skin become stripped of natural oils, they are more susceptible to bacteria and skin irritation. Skin allergies can also flare following over-washing of hands.
Use products that moisturize the skin often. Products that contain natural oils are beneficial to dry skin in the coldest of seasons. They can provide a thin protective barrier to the elements.
I read an article, and have chosen to not link to it, that advised readers to not use a bottle of soap if it lists “soap” on the label. I disagree with part of that statement. Soap that is just that, soap, and not a detergent, is better for sensitive skin than a soap that contains detergents and surfactants. A “true” soap simply does just that, it cleanses the skin without additives that may/or may not irritate your skin.
I have talked about anti-bacterial products before, and I am not going to dive back into them in-depth today. In my opinion, for your own immune system to work properly (to not develop immunities), and for the environment’s sake, I personally avoid anti-bacterial products.
Simple skin care…less irritating, the bottom line.
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
yep, yep, yep… i agree, especially with the anti-bacterial stuff. i don’t know how society has sustained all these years without it! 😉
Good old soap and water…washes it all off.
Amazing, isn’t it?
Hey There! Love the Blog post and you’re right..good old soap and water is a wonderful thing.
I was making an Anise Salve (we live in BF nowhere..lots of hunters) and was selling it in a local hunt and tackle shop. All the guys & gals were loving it, then one day this guy from Canada said that he was afraid of the stuff. When I asked why, he said that in the huntclubs around Canada they buy Anise oil by the gallons to attract bear to hunt. I then verified this to be true and a couple of the hunters who said they really didn’t care said they had noticed an increase in bear activity when they were hunting. They felt like it was a good thing! I on the other hand decided that I did not want to be responsible for someome being mauled by a bear and stopped making it.
The rain is on it’s way here tonight. There is the promise of it being sleet..oh woop! My Mother just called me to let me know she is back in the hospital again and wanted to know what I was going to do. My two wheel drive pickup barely makes it in the rain, so I told her I’d see her tomorrow afternoon. This Mama Drama is just about to kill me..I am glad that they admitted her but it would have been nice to know that she was feeling that bad. I had to make numerous deliveries today and the last I knew from this morning, she felt a little dizzy. Oh well, I am doing the best I can.
Have a good night and stay warm!
MaLinda
Hey there, MaLinda. I still say wow about the anise. I would have never known about the bear attraction.
I love the anise scent, even though I despise black licorice.
Best wishes for your mother…and especially you in this case. 🙂
Right on! I agree with what you have written here! But, there are anti-bacterial hand sanitizers in pretty much every supermarket and mall, and …….so I don’t see people changing their ways about this anytime soon unfortunately. Bit by bit though maybe sensibility will creep in and again be more the norm, we can hope.
Kathy, I noticed the hand sanitizers. I never use them. I am sure you are correct in your thought that peple are not going to change their ways anytime soon.
There is a side of me that thinks about some “bug” (bacteria, germ, what have you) that lurks out there, growing stronger, resisting the antibacterial products, that someday will overcome the frequent use of the products. And what ends up in the streams and waterways, well, we won’t go there today…it is damaging when in numbers.
I do carry the hand sanitizers with me, but use only where I cannot get to MY soap and water. After the grocery, after self-check in the library, etc.
Since I always had sick children, I have always washed my hands many times a day….for over 30 years. I do believe in this practice. And the reason why is that, even tho I have been exposed to students all these years that did not take care of themselves and I ended up getting something from them……it has been a loooonnnnnnggggg time since I have given my “bug” to anyone in my family…..and that is even with being the chief cook and bottle washer. I attribute it to careful hand washing. My rule is …… if you touch your face…..wash your hands!
That sounds like a sound rule to me, Donna.
When I worked in a closed in office building with a lot of people I was often sick. Other than the obvious, I always wondered why.
You seem to have figured out how to avoid the bug!!
I am a handwasher. I wash my hands numerous times daily. But, I live on a farm and I am always getting my hands dirty. But I have found that because of this practice, I wash my hands frequently when I’m somewhere other than home. I only use anti-bacterial, when “normal” soap is not available. You know, it’s getting harder to find NON-anti-bacterial soap nowadays.
We don’t get sick around here as much as others around us. We just may be on to something. tee hee
You just might be onto something, Becky.
You know, gasp, I just might do a little research. What ingredients are in the soap, or product, that allows it to be labeled anti-bacterial? Something tells me it might be interesting, or scary.
I love to read articles that are informative, Thanks again for a nice site