hand washing

What you really should know about PURELL

In honor of back-to-school time here in NY - and the simultaneous start to cold / flu season - I decided to record a video all about Purell and other hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial soaps.

Now, the video below was recorded live before my kids actually went back to school, so there are A LOT of extra noises, distractions, and cuteness. If you can handle that, check out the video right here. ;-)

Here's what you need to know:

  • Purell is full of toxins and actually banned in the state of Minnesota as a result. These toxins can be absorbed through our skin, leading to inflammation, disease, and estrogen dominance issues (such as weight gain).

  • Even organic hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial soap - anything meant to kill germs on contact - is killing off your good bacteria as well.

  • Just like we have a gut microbiome that consists of healthy flora, our skin has its own microbiome as well.

  • A robust skin microbiome helps to overpower harmful microorganisms we encounter.

  • A lack of diversity (too many beneficial microbes being killed off) will lead to skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and rosacea.


Have I convinced you to skip the Purell - and the like - yet?

But what about germs?!?!

The most important thing we can do for our immunity is actually to support our body's own innate ability to be resilient. Germs are unavoidable, so focusing solely on steering clear of them isn't a good defense.

One exemption, however, is hand-washing. Hand-washing is actually one of the more effective ways to 'defend' yourself against colds and the flu.

Hand-washing checklist (yup, you might be doing it wrong):

  • Use soap (but not anti-bacterial) because it acts as a detergent - lifting germs off the surface of your skin so that they can be washed away with friction.

  • Get after it! Friction is important here! You don't need to scrub or be harsh, but simply rubbing your hands together will help.

  • Work all sides - in between the fingers is an area that harbors lots of germs (I know, gross).

  • Time. Sing the Happy Birthday song twice… or hum your favorite Bruno Mars song…before you reach for the towel.



BUT FORGET THE PURELL, PLEASE!

Health + Happiness,

Tara


To Purell or Not To Purell...?

Now, for the more sour part.  My daughter, Magnolia, is starting Kindergarten in 2 days and one of the items on her list of school supplies was…Purell antibacterial hand sanitizer!  

Some of you may be thinking, "OK.  What's the big deal?" Others might be appalled. So, I decided to shoot a quick video all about how I feel about this and how I will be handling it.  Check out the video below!

I want to first point out that I did not get into too many details here - kept it pretty general.  There is so much more to know (like how it isn't as effective as we've been told and that it can cause infertility and estrogenic weight gain / obesity, etc.)  Rather, this video is to start the discussion and open the topic to continue to talk and / or allow you to dive into some more research on it.

If you'd like to continue the discussion on this topic, or ANYthing health / nutrition / fitness related, please head on over to my Facebook group - Lean In with Tara Allen Health - and join us.  It's a FREE resource for you.  :-)




In good health,
Tara


P.S. Are we friends on social yet?!?!  Check out my Facebook and Instagram pages and let's connect over there!

Here's why I'm breaking up with hand-washing...