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Health
A dermatologist warns that over-washing hands or using antibacterial products can damage the skin's protective barrier and disrupt natural immunity.
Over-washing hands or relying heavily on antibacterial products can harm the skin's protective barrier and weaken the body's natural defenses, according to dermatologist Svetlana Yakovleva. The warning comes as a reminder that not all microbes on the skin are harmful, and many play a crucial role in maintaining local immunity.
Yakovleva explained that the skin hosts two main types of microorganisms. The first, a permanent resident flora, is harmless and actually beneficial—it stimulates local immune responses and prevents dangerous pathogens from lingering on the skin for extended periods.
The second type, transient microorganisms, arrive through contact with the environment. This group includes potentially harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Klebsiella, viruses such as norovirus and rotavirus, and Candida fungi. These microbes typically only penetrate deeper into the skin through cuts or wounds, but they can remain on the surface for minutes to a full day. They are easily transferred via touch, food, or shared objects.
If these transient microbes reach mucous membranes—such as the eyes, nose, or mouth—or enter skin wounds or the digestive tract, they can trigger a range of illnesses. These include gastroenteritis, acute viral respiratory infections, conjunctivitis, and mucosal inflammation.
Regular handwashing with plain soap and water is highly effective at removing these transient organisms. Yakovleva emphasized that proper hand hygiene is one of the simplest ways to protect health, reducing the risk of intestinal infections by more than a third and respiratory infections by 20 percent or more.
After washing, hands should be dried thoroughly with a clean personal towel or disposable paper tissues.
However, Yakovleva cautioned against excessive washing. "There is no need to wash hands unnecessarily, nor to use strong antibacterial products or alcohol-based solutions," she said. Such practices can damage the skin barrier, disrupt the natural balance of beneficial bacteria, and ultimately weaken the body's natural immunity.
