How Bacteria Makes Healthy Skin

I’m a bit of an odd ball among my mommy friends when it comes to the subject of germs and anti-bacterial cleaning. I’m strongly against anti-bacterial products, I don’t allow my kids to use hand sanitizer, and I have always believed in the Hygiene Hypothesis.

If you’re not familiar, the Hygiene Hypothesis suggests that our modern society is too clean and the squeaky-clean lifestyle is damaging our health.

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone. 

Eliminating Bacteria is Bad

Many researchers believe that the natural state of the human microbiome (the mini-ecosystem of the human body that includes everything from the cells of our skin to the bacteria in our gut) has been damaged by our overly clean environment.

Some exposure to germs and bad bacteria helps build up natural immunity and strengthens the immune systems to fight disease. Without invaders to fight our bodies can develop hypersensitive immune systems that cause eczema, asthma, allergies, food intolerance, brain fog, weight-loss resistance, and even autoimmune diseases.

We tend to think of cleaning as healthy and beneficial, but we need to realize that a sterile environment is not natural and when we try to achieve one we may actually be damaging ourselves.

Dirt is Good

There is a lot of evidence that points to the benefits of bacteria to the human body. Doctors regularly recommend eating yogurt or taking probiotics to aid in digestion and prebiotic foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and pickles are becoming increasingly popular. In addition, most health professional now believe that we should limit the use of antibiotics and stop using antibacterial cleaning products in our homes.

Over the years I have paid a great deal of attention to this information because I have a family history of these ailments from eczema and allergies to autoimmune diseases including psoriasis to irritable bowel syndrome. As a mom I want to do all I can to prevent my children from developing any of these conditions:

• I follow recommendation for limited antibiotic use,
• I’ve increased my family’s probiotic intake,
• I make my own natural homemade cleaning products to make sure our home is clean and healthy, and
• I chose body care products that rate and A on the Environmental Working Group Healthy Skin Deep Database.

But I never thought much about topical probiotics or maintaining a balanced microbiome on my skin … until I heard about Mother Dirt.

Introducing Mother Dirt

Mother Dirt is a line of “biome-friendly” body care products that pamper the natural bacteria (nitrosomonas eutropha a) we need for healthy skin. Nitrosomonas eutropha is a strain of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria that is naturally found on human skin…  until it is washed away by harsh cleaners.

All the products in the Mother Dirt line are free of ingredients that can destroy beneficial bacterial:

• Mother Dirt AO+ Mist
• Mother Dirt Face & Body Cleanser
• Mother Dirt Shampoo

As soon as I heard about Mother Dirt I knew I had to give it a try! Mother Dirt is supposed to reduce dependence on body care products while improving your skin’s appearance. I would love to cut down on the number of cosmetic products I use because this automatically reduces exposure to undesirable chemicals/substances. However, like all men and women, I still like to look my best. Click here to learn more about Mother Dirt.

Mother Dirt Body Care Products

• Face & Body Cleanser – Mother Dirt Face & Body Cleanser is a light, foaming wash that can be used all over the body. It is has a fresh scent and supports the good bacteria on your skin. The cleanser comes in an easy to use pump.

• Shampoo – Mother Dirt Shampoo is a lightweight freshly scented shampoo that is safe to use on color treated hair.  It is odorless and supports good bacteria on your hair and scalp. The shampoo cleans without stripping hair, it can be used with or without conditioner.

• AO+ Mist – AO+ Mist is a refreshing, non-scented spray that contains live AOB (Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria) to naturally restore skin health. It is odorless and can be used all over you body. Simply shake then spritz on anywhere you sweat.

How to Use Mother Dirt

I began using Mother Dirt products in my regular body care routine:

• I wash with the Mother Dirt cleansers in the shower each day. The foaming face and body cleanser was my favorite. My skin felt clean but was never dried out or tight.
• The shampoo also did a great job cleaning without making my hair feel brittle. It did not damage my color. I did cheat a bit and followed the shampoo with conditioner since I tend to have dry hair.
• After showering and drying off I applied the AO+ Mist as directed → a spritz to the face, hairline, underarms, bikini area, and soles of the feet. The spray is a light mist that feels refreshing and dries without a trace. I then applied my natural deodorant and a bit of make-up.
• At the end of the day I cleaned off my make-up with the foaming wash, reapplied the AO+ Mist to face and underarms, and used a bit of facial moisturizer.

Mother Dirt Results: Less is Definitely More

After two weeks of using the Mother Dirt bundle I have noticed 3 major benefits:

1. Less facial moisturizer needed. My skin felt softer and did not have any dry spots after using Mother Dirt. I’m using about half of the moisturizer I used to need.
2. Skin texture is more even. My skin doesn’t breakout but it sometimes get a bit bumpy near my hairline or t-zone. After using Mother Dirt the texture was even and smooth each day. By the end of the 2 weeks I was using just a bit of cover up under my eyes and a touch of mascara. I have been using no foundation or powder on the rest of my face.
3. Virtually no body odor. No, I’m not an extremely stinky person, but I do use natural deodorant instead of antiperspirant. (When using natural deodorant you can smell a bit sweaty by the end of the day.) After just a a few days of using AO+ Mist I noticed that I was completely odor free all day long, I didn’t even smell sweaty after walking my dog three miles on a hot, humid afternoon!

I love using Mother Dirt products, especially the AO+ Mist, because they have allowed me to cut down on cosmetic products and reduce my risk of exposure to undesirable substances.  I will definitely continue to use the AO+ Mist as a part of my regular beauty routine.

Try Mother Dirt Today

Try Mother Dirt. You’ve got nothing to lose…. except unnecessary beauty products and body odor!

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