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It's a staple of the modern morning routine: Wake up, hop in the shower, lather with soap.
But is that morning scrub-a-dub really necessary?
One man claims not. David Whitlock, a chemical engineer in Boston, has not showered for 12 years.
Whitlock isn't running an experiment in extreme water conservation. Rather, he believes that humans don't need to shower to be healthy, and that a daily soap scrub may actually remove a beneficial type of bacteria that keeps the bacteria that contribute to B.O. in check.
To boost the presence of odor-eating bacteria, Whitlock has designed a bacterial spray called AO+ Mist, which is now sold by the company AoBiome under the brand Mother Dirt. The company hopes this bacterial spritz could reduce the need for products such as soaps and deodorants and potentially even reduce or eliminate the need for showering for those so inclined.
His theory is that your skin will control odor-producing bacteria if left to its own devices, and that soap kills off good bacteria your skin needs.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Monday November 09 2015, @08:54AM
Part of the downside to being 2400 years old is that you mostly likely live to see, and/or smell, some things you rather wished you had not. I was in Europe during that period when bathing fell out of fashion, and let me tell you, there were no jets or high-speed trains back then, nosiree! Oxcart! Through one smelly village after another! After a few months, and a Channel crossing, I finally made it to the Anglish town of Bath.